Mardi Gras is on the way, and it’s time to celebrate with some king cake cupcakes. I made these Mardi Gras cupcakes with plenty of butter and cream cheese to use up all the fats left in my house, and, boy, are they decadent! I colored the frosting purple, green, and yellow to make them festive, and I even hid a baby in one as a good luck surprise!
King Cake Cupcakes for Fat Tuesday
In my opinion, there’s no better way to celebrate Mardi Gras, AKA: Fat Tuesday, than with some moist and flavorful cupcakes. I added some cinnamon to the tangy cream cheese frosting for a little bit of warmth, and it’s such a great surprise–almost as good as finding the baby in my cupcake!
I colored the frosting purple, green, and yellow to make them festive–purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power, just like traditional king cake! These king cake cupcakes are almost too pretty to eat, but once you taste a bite, you won’t be able to stop yourself. I ate two in one sitting!
Don’t forget to try my king cake poke cake for another easy party dessert.
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The Secret to Soft, Fluffy Cupcakes
For perfectly soft cupcakes every time, make sure all your ingredients–milk, butter, and egg whites–are at room temperature. This simple step helps the batter mix evenly and rise beautifully without extra tricks or ingredients.
Mardi Gras Cupcake Recipe
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
- Cupcake Tin
- Piping Tip Set (optional)
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 2 cups cake flour *
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature (1 stick)
- ¾ cup milk room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 large egg whites room temperature
For the Frosting
- ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature (1½ sticks)
- ¼ cup cream cheese room temperature
- 3½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
- 2 tablespoons milk room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Food coloring purple, green, and gold/yellow**
Instructions
For the Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 12-count cupcake tin with paper liners and set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar, until they are combined.2 cups cake flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- Using a hand mixer, add in the butter and milk, mixing on slow speed to gently combine the butter with the dry ingredients.½ cup unsalted butter, ¾ cup milk
- Add in the vanilla and egg whites and combine for another 30-60 seconds.2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 3 large egg whites
- Pour the batter into the wells of the prepared cupcake tin, filling each well ¾ full with batter.
- Bake for 20-23 minutes, until the top of each cupcake springs back to the touch. Allow the cupcakes to cool before frosting.
For the Frosting
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, cream cheese, and sugar together. Add in the cinnamon (if using), milk, and vanilla. Continue beating until the frosting is well mixed and creamy. If the frosting is too soft, add in additional powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches desired thickness. If the frosting is too thick, add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it reaches the desired thickness.¾ cup unsalted butter, ¼ cup cream cheese, 3½ cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk , 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Divide the frosting into three bowls. Color the frosting, purple, green, and gold/yellow. If the frosting has thinned because of the coloring, place it in the refrigerator for a few minutes, allowing it to chill to become slightly firm.Food coloring
- Fill three piping bags, one with each of the colors, and then place into a large piping bag with a 2D frosting tip. Gently squeeze from the top, until all three of the colors come through the piping tip. Starting in the middle of each cupcake, begin to rotate as you pipe until you complete a swirl on the top of the cupcake, ending once you have covered the outer edges. You can also do a swirl up instead of a flat swirl.
Notes
- Room temperature butter and eggs mix more easily, creating a lighter, fluffier batter.
- Use the leftover egg yolks to make some butterscotch pudding!
- Don’t overmix the batter, or your cupcakes will turn out dense and dry.
- Fold in the egg whites gently to avoid making your cupcakes dense.
- Cupcakes are done when the tops spring back gently when pressed, or when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- I opted to decorate my cupcakes with plastic babies, but you can bake them right into the batter if you prefer. Or spoon out 1 or 2 cupcakes and fill them with colorful sprinkles before frosting as the “surprise” cupcake.
- Let the cupcakes fully cool before frosting them.
- If the frosting is too soft after chilling, briefly whip it before piping to restore fluffiness.
- If you don’t have a piping set, place the frostings in a large Ziplock bag with the corner cut off.
How to Make Mardi Gras Cupcakes Step-by-Step
Mix the Dry Ingredients: Preheat your oven to 375°F, line a 12-count cupcake tin with paper liners, and set aside. In a large bowl, stir together 2 cups of cake flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt, and 1¼ cups of granulated sugar until they are combined.
Add the Butter and Milk: Using a hand mixer, add in ½ cup of room-temperature unsalted butter and ¾ cup of room-temperature milk, mixing on slow speed to gently combine the butter with the dry ingredients.
Add the Vanilla and Egg: Add in 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and 3 large egg whites, and combine for another 30-60 seconds. Take care not to overmix the batter, or your cupcakes will turn out dense.
Portion the Cupcakes: Divide the batter evenly among the wells of the prepared cupcake tin, filling each well ¾ full with batter. If you plan to bake a surprise baby into one or more of the cupcakes, add that now, making sure it is fully submerged and covered with batter.
Bake the Cupcakes: Bake your cupcakes in the preheated oven for 20-23 minutes, or until the top of each cupcake springs back to the touch. Allow the cupcakes to cool before frosting.
Beat the Frosting: In a large bowl, beat ¾ cup of room-temperature unsalted butter, ¼ cup of room-temperature cream cheese, and 3½ cups of powdered sugar together. Add in 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon (if using), 2 tablespoons of milk, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Continue beating until the frosting is well mixed and creamy. If the frosting is too soft, add additional powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches the desired thickness. If the frosting is too thick, add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it reaches the desired thickness.
Color the Frosting: Divide the frosting into three bowls and color them purple, green, and gold–the traditional king cake colors representing justice, faith, and power. If the frosting has thinned because of the coloring, place it in the refrigerator for a few minutes, allowing it to chill to become slightly firm.
Frost the Cipcakes: Fill three piping bags, one with each of the colors, and then place them into a large piping bag fitted with a Wilton 2D frosting tip. If you don’t have a piping bag, you can use a large Ziplock with the corner cut off. Gently squeeze from the top until all three of the colors come through the piping tip. Starting in the middle of each cupcake, begin to rotate as you pipe until you complete a swirl on the top of the cupcake, ending once you have covered the outer edges. You can also do a swirl up instead of a flat swirl.
How to Store and Freeze
Store leftover Mardi Gras cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freeze unfrosted for up to 3 months, and let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before frosting and serving.
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