Mardi Gras Cupcake Recipe

Course: Cake, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 40

Servings: cupcakes

Calories: 373kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

These easy Mardi Gras cupcakes are soft, buttery, and topped with festive purple, green, and gold cream cheese frosting. Inspired by classic king cake flavors, they’re perfect for parties, celebrations, and holiday treats.

Print Recipe

US Customary - Metric

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

*I made these homemade cupcakes with cake flour so they're extra soft and fluffy, but they also work with all-purpose.

**Gel food coloring works best for vivid colors without thinning the frosting, but liquid will work in a pinch.

Tips:

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.

Boxed Mix Option: Use a yellow or white cake mix and add ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon for a king cake twist. Bake as directed, then frost with purple, green, and gold swirls for an easy Mardi Gras treat.

Make-Ahead: You can bake the cupcakes up to 2 days ahead and store them at room temperature until ready to frost.

Storage: Store 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.

Nutrition