These eggnog cupcakes turn one of the coziest flavors of the holiday season into a festive dessert. Moist and tender cupcakes infused with the nostalgic flavor of eggnog and warm spices are topped with a velvety smooth eggnog buttercream frosting. They're perfect for Christmas dinner, holiday parties, or any time you're craving a little eggnog!
It isn't the holiday season without eggnog, and its creamy, spiced flavor instantly makes everything feel more festive!
I've always loved sipping a glass of eggnog while decorating the Christmas tress, and I wanted to capture that same nostalgic, cozy feeling in a dessert that's perfect for sharing at holiday gatherings. These eggnog cupcakes deliver all the creamy, spiced flavor of classic eggnog in a crowd-pleasing dessert that's shareable and simple to make.
This recipe is adapted from my tried-and-true vanilla cupcake recipe and my American buttercream frosting recipe, with eggnog swapped in for the milk and a touch of nutmeg and cinnamon added to enhance that signature eggnog flavor. The eggnog flavor really shines through in both the cupcakes and the frosting, but it's smooth and balanced - not overwhelming - with subtle hints of warm spices throughout.
The cupcakes are wonderfully moist and tender, and the eggnog buttercream frosting is light and fluffy with that unmistakable eggnog taste. A sprinkle of ground nutmeg and a cinnamon stick garnish make these cupcakes look as impressive as they taste.
Whether you're bringing them to a holiday party or serving them after Christmas dinner, these eggnog cupcakes are guaranteed to be a hit!
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for full ingredient list and measurements.
Eggnog - Eggnog is used in place of milk in both the cake batter and the frosting to add flavor. Store-bought, non-alcoholic eggnog that's pasteurized and homogenized works best in this recipe. Use any brand that you think tastes good.
Cake Flour - These cupcakes are make with cake flour instead of all-purpose flour to help create a more tender texture. Sifting the cake flour helps to ensure there are no lumps in the cake batter.
Ground Nutmeg & Cinnamon - These spices enhance the flavor of the eggnog in the cupcake batter and add a decorative garnish when sprinkled on top of the frosting. For the best flavor, use spices that are not expired and have been open for no more than a year.
Special Equipment
In addition to essential baking equipment (like a mixing bowl and spatula), I recommend some special tools for making this recipe.
- A stand mixer with the paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer, for mixing the cake batter and frosting.
- A cupcake pan for baking the cupcakes.
- A piping bag and piping tip, for piping the frosting onto the cupcakes.
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for detailed recipe instructions.
Step 1: Make the cake batter. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and spices.
Step 2: Cream the butter and sugar for 3 minutes until blended.
Step 3: Add egg and yolk and beat for one minute. Then add oil and vanilla and beat until well blended.
Step 4: Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients alternately with the eggnog, mixing on low speed until blended.
Step 5: Fill each well of the cupcake pan ⅔ full with batter.
Step 6: Bake the cupcakes at 350ºF for 16-18 minutes. Let cool completely.
Step 7: Make the frosting. Beat butter, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Add sugar slowly, beating until fully combined. Add eggnog and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Step 8: Decorate the cupcakes. Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a piping tip. Pipe a tall swirl of frosting onto each cupcake. Sprinkle a bit of ground nutmeg over the frosted cupcakes and garnish them with a cinnamon stick.
Allison's Top Tips
Don't skip sifting the cake flour. It removes any lumps in the flour, helping to create a smooth batter.
The butter and sugar after creaming won't be as light and fluffy as creamed butter often is, since the ratio of sugar to butter is higher than is typical when creaming the two ingredients together.
Depending on the size of your cupcake pan (pans are all slightly different sizes), you may have some leftover batter to bake a few extra cupcakes. Let the first batch cool in the pan for 5 minutes before carefully removing the cupcakes to cool on a wire rack. Let the pan cool completely (about 5 more minutes) before filling with any remaining batter and baking.
Storage Instructions
These cupcakes can be stored in a covered container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you will be enjoying within 3 days, I recommend keeping them at room temperature, since the refrigerator will dry out the cake more quickly.
Freezing: These cupcakes can be baked ahead of time and frozen. Wrap the completely cooled cupcakes with plastic wrap before sealing in a plastic bag or airtight container and freezing. Defrost the cupcakes at room temperature before frosting and serving.
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Recipe
Eggnog Cupcakes
Special Equipment
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- Cupcake pan
- Piping bag and piping tip optional
Ingredients
Eggnog Cupcake Batter
- 1 ⅜ cups (165 grams) cake flour sifted
- 1 ⅛ teaspoons (4.5 grams) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (3 grams) fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon (2 grams) ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup (57 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup plus 1 Tablespoon (165 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons (25 grams) vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons (9 grams) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (227 grams) eggnog room temperature
Eggnog Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (10 grams) vanilla extract
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- 3 ⅓ cups (377 grams) confectioners' sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (28 grams) eggnog
- ground nutmeg for garnish (optional)
- cinnamon sticks for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F. Line cupcake pan with paper liners and set aside.
Make the cupcake batter.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Set aside.1 ⅜ cups (165 grams) cake flour, 1 ⅛ teaspoons (4.5 grams) baking powder, ½ teaspoon (3 grams) fine sea salt, ½ teaspoon (2 grams) ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) ground cinnamon
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl using an electric hand mixer), cream the butter and sugar for 3 minutes until blended and smooth.¼ cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, ¾ cup plus 1 Tablespoon (165 grams) granulated sugar
- Add egg and yolk and mix on low speed until blended. Then turn mixer up to high speed and beat for one minute.1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk
- Add oil and vanilla and beat until well blended.2 Tablespoons (25 grams) vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons (9 grams) vanilla extract
- With the mixer running on low speed, add one third of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring until blended. Add half of the eggnog, continuing to stir until combined. Add another third of the flour mixture, followed by the remaining eggnog, and then the final third of flour mixture, blending slowly between each addition. Gently fold in any final bits of flour, being careful not to over mix the batter.1 cup (227 grams) eggnog
Bake the cupcakes.
- Fill each well of the cupcake pan ⅔ full with batter (roughly 3 Tablespoons of batter per cupcake).
- Bake the cupcakes for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops sprig back when gently poked and a cake tester inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Let the cupcakes cool completely.
Make the frosting.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer), beat butter on medium-high speed until smooth.1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter
- Add vanilla and salt and beat on medium-high speed until blended.2 teaspoons (10 grams) vanilla extract, 1 pinch fine sea salt
- Add sugar slowly - one cup at a time - beating well on medium speed and scraping the bowl often. When all sugar is added the frosting will be slightly dry.3 ⅓ cups (377 grams) confectioners' sugar
- Add eggnog and beat on high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy.2 Tablespoons (28 grams) eggnog
Decorate the cupcakes.
- Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a piping tip. Pipe a tall swirl of frosting onto each cupcake.
- Sprinkle a bit of ground nutmeg over the frosted cupcakes and garnish them with a cinnamon stick (optional).
Duane Johnson says
I have never heard of eggnog cupcakes before! I can't wait to make these!
Allison Ferraro says
If you love eggnog, you're going to LOVE these!
- Allison