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These Mini Cupcakes are my favorite traditional cupcake recipe but bite size! The classic vanilla cupcakes with any frosting (especially chocolate) are great for parties of any kind – little 2-bite cupcakes that taste amazing.
Who doesn’t love a mini version of something great? This Mini Cupcake Recipe turns my favorite cupcakes mini by using a mini muffin pan and mini cupcake liners. These soft cupcakes are traditional and delicious, but tiny! Made from my vanilla cupcakes, I love serving these are large gatherings because they make more and people feel like they can eat a few since they’re small. They’re so good with the perfect tender crumb and sweet flavor.
Ingredients Needed
- Sugar: This recipe calls for granulated sugar. If you are making frosting, you may need powdered sugar (also known as confectioners’ sugar).
- Buttermilk: Check the recipe card to learn how to make buttermilk at home! But you can also use any kind of milk (or nondairy milk).
- Butter: I always start my yellow cake batter with melted unsalted butter – it keeps the cupcakes nice and moist.
How to make Mini Cupcakes
- Make your cake batter in a large mixing bowl following the instructions.
- Divide batter among mini cupcake liners, filling 2/3 full. I like using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop to divide the batter.
- Bake until a toothpick comes out clean.
Variations
- You can make mini cupcakes out of my chocolate cake or chocolate cupcakes recipe – just figure you’ll get about 2-3 times the amount of mini cupcakes, and the baking time will be shorter.
- Make an easy chocolate frosting with powdered sugar, cocoa powder, butter, and heavy whipping cream. These are also delicious with vanilla buttercream or cream cheese frosting.
Expert Tips
- If you do not want to use buttermilk, you can substitute for any other kind of milk, even nondairy.
- You can even make these into funfetti cupcakes by adding some sprinkles.
- To get good mini piping on the cupcakes, I used Wilton 1M open star tip for the piping bags.
Storing Cupcakes
- Store Mini Cupcakes at room temperature in an airtight container – however once frosted I usually refrigerate them (especially if using cream cheese frosting).
- You can freeze unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container, and frosting in a separate container, for several months and thaw and frost as desired.
- If you want to freeze frosted cupcakes, place on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Freeze, then place in an airtight container with enough room for the frosting.
Mini Cupcakes Recipe
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (186g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter , melted
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- ¾ cup (178ml) buttermilk (or combine 3/4 cup milk + 1 teaspoon white vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes)
Frosting Options:
- Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- Peanut Butter Frosting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line mini cupcake pans with cupcake liners.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Add melted butter to a large bowl and mix in sugar with a hand mixer for 30 seconds until thick and yellow. Add eggs one at at time, beating after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
- Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately, starting and ending with the flour. Don’t over mix!
- Divide batter among liners, filling 2/3 full. Bake for 9-14 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
- Frost cupcakes as desired (chocolate frosting shown piped using a Wilton 1M open star tip).
Recipe Notes
- You can substitute any kind of milk (or nondairy milk) for the buttermilk.
- You can substitute gluten-free 1:1 AP flour
- You can substitute oil or melted vegan butter sticks for a dairy-free cupcake.
- Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature (if it’s very warm, refrigerate but serve at room temp).
- Cupcakes can be frozen with or without frosting