Recipes: 5 Creative Cupcakes to Make With the Kids & Grandkids

Looking for the best cupcake recipe? Whether you love chocolate, fruits or peanut butter, we’ve got them all for you right here.

1. Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcake

I got vetoed (by Lisa, naturally) because I wanted to name these cupcakes Creamy Peanut Butter Filled Chocolate Cupcakes Dipped in Chocolate Ganache and Topped with Peanut Butter Frosting and a miniature Peanut Butter Cup. Really, not such a mouthful to say, but boy, what a mouthful to eat – these incredibly moist chocolate cupcakes are off the charts delicious.

Ingredients

Chocolate Cupcakes

2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup strong brewed coffee, cooled to room temperature
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Peanut Butter Frosting

1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup smooth peanut butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups icing sugar
3 tbsp whole milk
Pinch kosher salt

Chocolate Ganache

2 cups chopped semi-sweet chocolate
½ cup heavy cream

Miniature Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, for garnish

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

2) For the cupcakes, in a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix well. In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, coffee, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla extract. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Spoon batter into prepared cupcake liners until 2/3 full. Bake in preheated oven for 15-17 minutes, or until tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cupcakes completely before filling and frosting.

3) For the peanut butter frosting, in an electric mixer, combine butter, peanut butter, vanilla and icing sugar on low speed. Once combined, on medium speed, add milk and a pinch of salt, beating until desired consistency.

4) To fill the cupcakes, using a paring knife, cut out a small cone from the center of each cupcake. Spoon a small amount of peanut butter frosting into each cupcake. Replace cut-out piece of cupcake. Set aside while preparing chocolate ganache.

5) For the chocolate ganache, place the chopped chocolate into a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil and pour over the chopped chocolate. Whisk until smooth. Dip the top of each filled cupcake into the ganache and let set for 30 minutes before finishing frosting. Once ganache is set, pipe tops of cupcakes with remaining frosting and garnish with miniature Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.

Yield: 24 cupcakes

2. Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

When life gives you pink lemonade, make these incredible Pink Lemonade Cupcakes. Yes, we’ve amended the age-old adage and made life all-the-sweeter with these sweet and tart pink lemonade-flavored cupcakes and frosted. Not only are they so perfectly pretty but they’re also so easy to make. Trust us, everyone will be tickled pink when they get their hands (and mouths) on these delicious cupcakes.

Ingredients

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

2½ cups flour
1 tbsp lemon zest
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp kosher salt
¾ cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup pink lemonade concentrate
1 cup buttermilk

Pink Lemonade Frosting

1(8oz) package cream cheese
½ cup butter, room temperature
2 tbsp frozen pink lemonade concentrate
5 cups icing sugar
Dab of pink food coloring, to desired color

Directions

1) For the cupcakes, preheat oven to 350F. Line 22 muffin cups with paper liners and coat with non-stick cooking spray.
In a small bowl, combine flour, lemon zest, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

2) Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Mix in vanilla and pink lemonade concentrate. On low speed, alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk to mixer, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix just until combined. Fill prepared muffin cups with ¾ full with batter. Bake 20-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool cupcakes completely before frosting.

3) For the pink lemonade frosting, in an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until well combined. On low speed, add pink lemonade concentrate, icing sugar and pink food coloring. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for 30 seconds more on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Spread frosting on cooled cupcakes.

Yield: 22 cupcakes

3. Raspberry White Chocolate Cupcakes

These crowd pleasing cupcakes are a combo of Raspberry Iced Tea, raspberry jam and white chocolate, resulting in the perfect bite after bite after bite…

Ingredients

Raspberry Cupcakes

3½ cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 egg whites
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk
½ cup Raspberry Iced Tea

½ cup raspberry jam

White Chocolate Frosting

½ cup butter, room temperature
2½ cups icing sugar
6 oz. white chocolate, melted
2 tbsp whole milk

Seedless raspberry jam, to drizzle
White chocolate curls, for garnish

Directions

1) For the cupcakes, preheat oven to 350ºF. Line 24 muffin cups with cupcake liners and coat lightly with non-stick cooking spray.

2) In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in egg whites and full egg one at a time, until well combined. Mix in vanilla extract. On low speed, alternate adding flour mixture with the milk and raspberry iced tea, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix just until combined. Fill cupcake holders halfway with cupcake batter. Place 1 teaspoon of raspberry jam in the middle of the batter and top each cupcake with more batter, filling tin ¾ full. Bake 20-22 minutes, until slightly golden and cooked through. Cool completely before frosting.

3) For the white chocolate frosting, using an electric mixer, cream together butter and icing sugar on low speed until well combined. Add melted white chocolate and milk, mixing until smooth and desired spreading consistency. Frost cooled cupcakes and drizzle seedless raspberry jam over the frosting, topping with white chocolate curls.

Yield: 24 cupcakes

4. Carrot Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

If you’re as obsessed with carrot cake as we are, you’re going to love having your very own little cake, these simply scrumptious Carrot Cupcakes slathered in a smooth lemon cream cheese frosting.

Ingredients

Carrot Cupcakes

¾ cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup pineapple juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1½ cups flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp kosher salt
1½ cups shredded carrots

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (4oz) package cream cheese
¼ cup butter, softened
2½ cups icing sugar
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest

Coarsely chopped toasted walnuts, for garnish

Directions

1) To make the cupcakes, preheat oven to 350ºF and line 12 muffin cup holders with paper liners. In a large bowl, whisk sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vegetable oil. Continue to whisk until mixture is well combined. Add pineapple juice and vanilla, whisking well to incorporate. Fold in flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt and shredded carrots until just incorporated. Do not over-mix. Fill prepared muffin tins ¾ full and bake for 22 minutes, until toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

2) For the frosting, in an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until well combined. On low speed, add icing sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for 30 seconds more on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Spread frosting on cooled cupcakes and garnish with chopped walnuts.

Yield: 12 cupcakes

5. Chocolate Chip Cookie Monster Cupcakes

These creative and awesome cupcakes look scary. Not because of the adorable monster, but because they look like they require you to be a pro baker. Fear not. Lisa knows her audience (read: amateur bakers like us) and has given step-by-step easy instructions for these cute Cookie Monster Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes. Moist chocolate chip cupcakes are filled with a marshmallow cookie center and topped with brilliant blue icing, edible eyes and a chocolate chip mouth, guaranteed to delight kids of every age. Trust us, these deliciously easy cupcakes are Sunny Days, all the way.

Ingredients

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes

2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
2 ½ cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp kosher salt
1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cupcake Icing

1 cup butter
4 cups icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup whole milk

Marshmallow Cookie Filling

½ cup crushed chocolate chip cookies
½ cup marshmallow fluff

Royal Blue food coloring
White candy melts, for eyes
Black gel icing, for eyeballs
Chocolate chip cookies, cut in half for mouth

Directions

1) For the chocolate chip cookie cupcakes, preheat oven to 350ºF. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners and spray with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and eggs until slightly thickened. Add the vegetable oil, vanilla and sour cream, whisking to combine. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and chocolate chips. Stir just until combined. Spoon batter into prepared cupcake liners until each is ¾ full. Bake 20 minutes, or until tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cupcakes before filling and icing.

2) For the icing, using an electric mixer cream together butter, icing sugar and vanilla extract on low speed until combined. Add milk and increase speed to medium until light and fluffy. Remove ¾ cup of icing into a medium bowl for the cupcake filling. Stir in crushed cookies and marshmallow fluff.

3) To assemble the cupcakes, using a small knife, hollow out a small cone shape in the center of each cupcake. Fill each center with a heaping tbsp of marshmallow cookie filling. Add blue food coloring to remaining icing and mix thoroughly. Using a piping bag fitted with a #233 tip (looks like grass), pipe fur onto the cupcake. Use the white chocolate candy melts to make eyes. Pipe black gel for pupils and use half a crumbled cookie for the mouth.

Yield: 24 cupcakes

Authors of bestselling cookbooks Bite Me, Bite Me Too and Lick Your Plate, saucy sisters Julie Albert and Lisa Gnat love eating, feeding, entertaining and dishing up easy recipes at BiteMeMore.com.