Description
These delightful King Cake Cupcakes capture all the festive flavors of a traditional King Cake in a convenient, individual serving. Enjoy a light, fluffy cupcake with a cinnamon swirl, topped with zesty cream cheese icing and vibrant Mardi Gras colors.
Ingredients
Scale
- For the Cupcakes:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- For the Cinnamon Swirl:
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- For the Cream Cheese Icing:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3–4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1–2 tablespoons milk (optional, for consistency)
- For Decoration:
- Purple, green, and gold sanding sugars
Instructions
- Preheat & Prep: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk melted butter, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Combine: Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Mix with a rubber spatula until *just* combined; do not overmix.
- Create Cinnamon Swirl: In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and ground cinnamon.
- Assemble Cupcakes: Spoon about 2 tablespoons of batter into each liner. Sprinkle a generous teaspoon of cinnamon sugar mixture over the batter. Top with remaining batter, filling liners two-thirds full.
- Bake: Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool: Let cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make Icing: In a large bowl, beat softened cream cheese and butter until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing until incorporated. Beat in vanilla extract and lemon zest. Add milk a tablespoon at a time if needed for desired consistency. Beat until light and fluffy.
- Decorate: Once cupcakes are completely cool, frost generously with cream cheese icing. Immediately sprinkle with purple, green, and gold sanding sugars.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins