Eggnog and holiday spice meet in this fluffy, tender cupcake bursting with flavor and frosted with creamy cinnamon spice buttercream. Essentially, it’s Christmas in a to-die-for cupcake.

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Why this recipe works

It’s fluffy and eggnog-y with lots of warm spices. There’s plenty of brown sugar, giving it a warm, slightly caramelized taste. Plus, something about brown sugar in cakes makes them so tender and moist. While I respect that many people despise that word, there’s just no other way to describe these cupcakes! Alternate suggestions are welcome so I can properly describe the opposite-of-dry factor in future cakes.

Oh, and the best part? This is a great way to use up any extra eggnog you may have. I don’t know about your family, but most years I drink one glass, maybe two, then forget we have eggnog. It’s not that I don’t like it, it’s that it’s heavy and kinda high in calories. Luckily, using it in cupcakes works well to share those calories. Probably.

Key ingredients

Flour. I’ve used both all-purpose and cake flour for these. Both are fine, but cake flour does make a softer, more tender and crumbly cupcake.

Baking powder. Be sure yours hasn’t been open longer than 6 months, as it loses its potency after about that long, regardless of the stated expiration date.

Ground cinnamon. I like using a good quality cinnamon, as the flavor is so much brighter.

Nutmeg. Generally, I’m not a fan of a lot of nutmeg, but it’s a must in eggnog flavored things!

Salt. Sea salt is ideal.

Butter. European butter is best for this recipe, as it has less water.

Sugar/brown sugar. Using both adds a bit more flavor and moisture while still helping it rise properly.

Eggs. Use fresh, large, room temperature eggs.

Oil. Just a tiny bit of oil (avocado, grape seed, or canola) helps keep this cake moist.

Vanilla. Use pure extract, not imitation.

Eggnog. I recommend full fat, but lowfat would work too—it just might be a little more dense and dry. You could sub soy eggnog, but don’t use any other non-dairy eggnog, as those do not react with the other ingredients the same way that dairy does, meaning your cake may be dry, dense, and flat.

Cinnamon spice buttercream. Simple and full of flavor. You could also sub vanilla bean or plain vanilla buttercream, brown sugar spice buttercream, or one of my favorites: browned butter buttercream!

How to make eggnog cupcakes

1. Sift and whisk flour, baking powder, spices, and salt.

2. Beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. 2-3 minutes minimum on medium high. I usually beat it for about 5 minutes, because we use organic sugar that tends to take longer to break down.

3. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat on medium 30-60 seconds after each addition.

4. Beat in oil and vanilla. Beat on medium 30 seconds.

5. Alternate adding flour and eggnog on low. Beat on low until mostly combined, with some flour still unmixed—the next step will take care of that.

6. Bake. These bake quickly, in about 15 minutes, so watch carefully!

7. Make the buttercream. You can also make this ahead of time and refrigerate it for up to 2 weeks or freeze it 1-2 months. Just let it come to room temperature then stir well.

8. Frost cupcakes. I like to use a 1M piping tip to make simple rosettes, because it’s fancy but also easier than any other style of frosting a cupcake.

Enjoy!

Tips and FAQ’s for this recipe

Can I use a different frosting?

Yes! I chose a spiced buttercream to match the warm spices in the cupcakes, but you could use just about any frosting. Some good options are:

• Brown Sugar Spice Buttercream, another fall-ish frosting with a great flavor and texture

• Vanilla Bean Buttercream, for a nice earthy flavor without the nuttiness of browned butter

• Whipped Sea Salt Vanilla Bean Buttercream, for that earthy flavor but with a pop of sea salt and a super fluffy texture

• Coffee Buttercream, for a fun eggnog latte flavor!

• Salted Caramel Buttercream, for a sweet contrast

• Chocolate Buttercream, unorthodox, but still an interesting idea!

• Browned Butter Buttercream

Can I make these ahead of time?

Yes! Depending on my schedule, I almost always make the frosting at least a few days ahead, whipping it quickly with a hand mixer before using. The cupcakes can be made 1-2 days ahead, if kept well-sealed. I recommend frosting them as close to when you’ll serve them as possible, so the frosting doesn’t cause the cupcake to turn soggy. I don’t recommend freezing cupcakes, as they tend to dry out faster than cake layers.

Use room temperature ingredients

I cannot stress enough how important it is to make sure everything is room temperature. In the coldest months I leave my butter, eggs, and dairy out 1-2 hours, whereas in the summer I can get away with 30 minutes. Plan ahead so your cake will rise properly and have the right crumb (which is created partly by the ingredients coming together correctly).

Sift your dry ingredients

This is one of my top baking tips. It’s important to sift the dry ingredients so you get a light, fluffy cake crumb. I’ve tried it both ways and trust me, sifting makes a difference.

Spoon then level your flour

Don’t scoop your flour! I never knew this until I started blogging, but it seriously makes a big difference. You will end up with roughly 25% more flour than the recipe called for if you just doonk (official baking term right there) your measuring spoon into the flour container and scoop. Gently spoon your flour into your measuring cup then level it off with the back of a knife. Trust me! It makes a difference.

Don’t over mix the batter

I know this is the most frustrating tip ever. Like, how would you know??? I try to give you a time or stopping point so you know if you’re mixing too long. In this batter, it’s about how blended it looks. The butter and sugar is hard to over mix (although beyond 3 minutes is more than you need). After that, you’re looking for fully combined, fluffy batter when adding the eggs. Once it’s smooth (scraping the bowl might be necessary), you’re good. Once you add the flour, it actually smooths out, while adding the eggnog creates a slightly curdled look. This is where you can just ignore the texture and just mix until combined. When you do the next addition of flour, it’ll smooth it back out, as will scraping the bowl and mixing on high for a few seconds at the end. That’s the key—mix just a few seconds then see how smooth it is.

My tools

Here are my must-have tools I use for making these cupcakes. Affiliate links provided.

Stand mixer or handheld mixer

Mesh sieve (because sifting is KEY for a fluffy cake)

All-rubber spatula (this makes scraping the bowl easier so the batter and frosting doesn’t get all over a wooden handle!)

Cupcake pans (I’ve used many over the years and these are the most consistently successful.)

Cupcake liners

1M piping tips

Reusable silicone piping bags (These are super easy to clean—just turn inside out, wear like a mitten, and wash! I stand mine like a cone hat on my tea kettle to dry.)

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