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Cupcake Recipes


Here is a collection of the very best cupcake recipes! There’s a cupcake for every occasion here whether it’s for a birthday, holiday, or just for a special homemade cupcake at home.



How to Make Cupcakes from Scratch

With these how-to articles, you’ll have perfect homemade cupcakes with the best frosting every time.

Tessa’s Top Baking Tips

How to bake MOIST cupcakes

I always recommend weighing your flour when making cake or cupcakes. I use my digital kitchen scale to weigh flour, but if you don’t have one, use the “spoon and level” method to measure with measuring cups. This helps to prevent dry or crumbly cupcakes because it’s all too easy to accidentally compact too much flour into your volume measuring cups.

Avoid substituting any ingredients such as sugar, buttermilk, oil, or butter as these all contribute to both tenderness and moistness but also flavor.

The best pan for cupcakes

I like the Wilton Right Muffin Pans for baking cupcakes. Avoid using anything with a dark or gold colored lining as this can result in browning or burning the bottoms and edges of the cupcakes.

Note that every brand of muffin / cupcake pans will have cavities of a slightly different diameter and volume. Some pans have smaller cavities than others. Always fill yours with batter 2/3 to 3/4 full and no more.

How to prevent cupcakes from sinking

Overmixing, expired leavening agents, opening the oven door too much, or under baking can all cause cupcakes to sink in the center.

Overfilling your cupcake pan cavities can also cause sinking. Fill 2/3 to 3/4 full. 

If you’re 3,000 feet or more above sea level, you’ll most likely need to reduce the leavening agents in cupcake recipes. Check out this article for more tips.

Get Our Best Buttercream Cheatsheet

This *free* printable PDF contains my best buttercream recipe, my favorite piping tips, and lots more!

How to Frost Cupcakes & More

Watch these step-by-step videos for my tips for frosting cupcakes, preventing cupcake liners from sticking, and lots more.

YouTube video

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YouTube video
YouTube video

Ingredient Measuring Guide

Are you measuring your ingredients correctly? Avoid cookies that don’t spread, dense muffins, and other recipe mishaps with my guide!

All Cupcake Recipes

Frequently Asked Questions

How long to bake cupcakes:

Bake until cupcakes are set and firm to the touch and a cake tester inserted comes out clean. This usually takes around 17-20 minutes for most cupcake recipes.

What are the best piping bag and piping tips?

Piping tip: I love using the Ateco #828 piping tip for swirling frosting on cupcakes.
Piping bags: I love these.

How to freeze cupcakes:

If storing for longer than a week, wrap unfrosted cupcakes individually in plastic wrap (this prevents freezer burn and taste transference). Place cupcakes inside a freezer bag on a shelf in your freezer where they won’t get smashed. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Unwrap the cupcakes and allow to defrost at room temperature for about 1 to 2 hours. More details on how to freeze and make desserts ahead of time in my free Make-Ahead Baking Guide.

How to stop cupcake liners from sticking:

Oftentimes this is due to the brand of liners either being cheap or overly decorative. This is my favorite brand that I order in bulk from Amazon. I’ve written an entire post on how to prevent cupcake liners from sticking here in case this is a common problem for you.

How to make cupcakes ahead of time:

You can bake cupcakes a day ahead of time. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Note that the tops of cupcakes will become slightly sticky the longer they’re stored.

How to store cupcakes:

Frosted cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day, or in the fridge for up to 3 days. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.