These Easy Eggnog Cupcakes are perfect for the bustling, busy holiday season and for serious eggnog lovers! Rich, moist eggnog-flavored cake topped with a sinfully decadent eggnog buttercream frosting.
So admittedly, I am not a big fan of many holiday flavors which basically eliminates me from the Best Food Blogger category of the imaginary award I won’t win.
Eggnog, gingerbread, cranberry… I just don’t really care for them.
Peppermint, however, I can inhale like a truffle pig. I love the stuff!
OUR LATEST VIDEOSBut I know this time of year is alllll about rich eggnog, spicy gingerbread, and tart cranberry, so I’m trying to provide you with the best recipes in each category of those flavors despite my aversion. See how nice I am? (Don’t answer that).
Earlier this week I unveiled my Gingerbread Crumb Muffins, but today it is all about the ‘nog. < side note, do people ever refer to eggnog as ‘nog’ or is that something Clark Griswold came up with?
Eggnog is definitely a love-it or hate-it kinda flavor. For a boozy drink, it sure is polarizing! But those who love it will flip for these flavorful Eggnog Cupcakes!
Sure, you could make a white or yellow cake from scratch, but this time of year is busy for us all and no one will know you took a simple shortcut to make these fantastic cupcakes.
It starts with a box mix – for this I used French vanilla for added flavor, but white or yellow will work – and doctor it up with a few key components to send these cupcakes from basic to badass. Make your cake batter according to the box instructions, but instead of adding water (bland!), you add eggnog. This adds a great flavor to the cake batter obviously, but a super-moist texture, too. You’ll also add in some rum extract (a huge component in eggnog!), vanilla extract, and some ground nutmeg to really drive home that eggnog flavor.
Then the frosting is a similar situation: butter, vanilla, rum extract, eggnog, and confectioners’ sugar with a pinch of nutmeg to really send it off. Pipe the buttercream high onto the cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with your favorite jimmies, sprinkles or quins.
So festive, so delicious, so fun! If you adore eggnog, you’re going to fall in love with these easy cupcakes!
Easy Eggnog Cupcakes
Author: Hayley Parker, The Domestic Rebel
Recipe type: Cakes/Cupcakes
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 18-20
These Easy Eggnog Cupcakes are super simple, thanks to a convenient shortcut, but PACKED with authentic, buttery, rich eggnog flavor! The eggnog buttercream sends these over the top!
Ingredients
- FOR THE CUPCAKES:
- One box French vanilla cake mix (you can also use white or yellow cake mix)
- 1 cup eggnog (full fat)
- ⅓ cup vegetable or canola oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 & ½ teaspoons rum extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- FOR THE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon rum extract
- 3 & ½ – 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- ¼ cup eggnog
- Pinch ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 muffin tins with about 18-20 paper liners. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine all of the cake ingredients and beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes or until fully combined and creamy. Portion the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling about ¾ full. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with moist, not wet, crumbs. Cool completely.
- For the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and extracts until combined, about 1 minute. Gradually add in the confectioners’ sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition until creamy, alternating with the eggnog. Lastly, beat in the ground nutmeg. Frosting should be light and fluffy.
- Pipe or swirl frosting onto cooled cupcakes. Garnish with sprinkles, if desired, or another light pinch of nutmeg.
3.5.3228
Buttery, rich, decadent eggnog cupcakes! A holiday season staple!
Have a super sweet day!
xo, Hayley
