The holidays aren’t complete until you sink your teeth into one of these Eggnog Cupcakes! Celebrate the season with a batch of fluffy vanilla cupcakes made with eggnog, topped with a rum-spiked eggnog fudge frosting.
Years ago, I shared my recipe for Homemade Eggnog. Since then, I’ve put it to good use in a bunch of holiday goodies! First up were these cupcakes.
The cupcake base is vanilla, with eggnog mixed into the batter along with a healthy dose of eggnog flavoring. I wanted to replace some of the liquid in the cupcake with some rum, and using the super-concentrated eggnog flavor made that possible.
The finished product is light and fluffy, with a nice crumb perfect for a crown of fudge!
Chocolate eggnog fudge, that is. I used the eggnog flavor in that recipe, too – which gave the slightly boozy frosting an extra layer of eggnog goodness.
This page includes step by step instructions, as well as tips and notes. If you’d like to skip all that, feel free to scroll down to the full, printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Why you’ll love this holiday cupcake recipe…
- Super easy to make, scalable recipe that can feed dozens
- Soft and moist cupcakes that lend themselves well to many frosting options
- Packed with eggnog flavor, for all your Christmas nostalgia needs
- The perfect dessert for any holiday gathering
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour – you could also sub in a 1:1 gluten-free flour here.
- Ground nutmeg – warm and toasty, and a seasonally appropriate garnish!
- Unsalted butter – always unsalted, always room temperature.
- Granulated sugar – for that light, fluffy cupcake texture.
- Eggnog Flavor – optional, but a little goes a long way to boost the eggnog flavors here.
- Eggnog – store-bought is fine, but you can make it at home all year round!
- Dark rum – optional, but doesn’t it just make sense in an eggnog cupcake?
- Dark chocolate – this is what really gives the frosting that luscious chocolate flavor you’re looking for!
- Cocoa powder – for the frosting, sifted for best results.
- Powdered sugar – also for the frosting, also sifted. Unless you like to live dangerously.
- Heavy whipping cream – to make the frosting super fluffy!
- Staple ingredients – you’ll also need baking powder, salt, eggs, and vanilla extract for this recipe.
How to make eggnog cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line 2 standard muffins tin with 16 cupcake liners. Set aside.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt in a large mixing bowl; set aside.
- In a separate bowl, add butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 4-5 minutes
- Add eggs one at a time, scraping bowl between each mix. Add vanilla extract and mix well.
- Add half of the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Mix in ½ cup of the eggnog. Repeat with remaining flour, then add the rest of the eggnog and the rum. Mix until just combined – do not overmix.
- Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling each about 3/4 of the way full.
- Bake 3 minutes, then reduce oven temp to 350 degrees F. Bake an additional 13-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Allow to cool 5 minutes in pan, then transfer to a cooling rack.
And for the rum fudge frosting…
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring each time with a rubber spatula until the chocolate is melted. Once melted, stir until completely smooth, then set aside to cool.
- In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, whip butter for 5-7 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally, until light and smooth.
- Add the cocoa powder and beat until well mixed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add 1 cup of powdered sugar and mix until combined. Add the heavy cream, rum, and eggnog extract and mix well. Add the remaining powdered sugar and whip 2-3 minutes until fluffy and lightened in color.
- Pour in the melted chocolate and beat on slow speed to incorporate. Increase speed to medium-high and whip for 2-3 minutes until fluffy and smooth.
- Pipe the frosting on the cooled cupcakes, then garnish with festive sprinkles.
Crumby Baking Tips
Don’t skip over these tips – they could be the difference between a recipe for success or failure!
- Use room-temperature ingredients! Make sure that the butter is softened, and that the eggnog and eggs are at room temperature. This helps everything blend better and keeps the batter smooth.
- Take extra care not to overmix the batter, otherwise you risk the cupcakes falling flat. Mix until the dry ingredients are just combined – stop once all streaks of flour are gone.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting. This will keep the delicate frosting from melting right off.
FAQ
Can I make these cupcakes in advance?
Absolutely! Bake them up to 2 days before your event, then store the cooled cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature. Top them with frosting the day of the party and watch those smiles light up.
How should I store them?
Any extra cupcakes are best stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They’re best enjoyed within 4 to 5 days of baking.
Can I freeze them?
Yes, you can freeze them, but it’s better to do so prior to frosting them. Place them in an airtight container and freeze them for up to 2-3 months. Thaw the cupcakes completely and top them with your favorite frosting before serving.
What type of frosting goes well with eggnog cupcakes?
If the rum fudge frosting seen here doesn’t do it for you, try these with my favorite fluffy whipped chocolate buttercream, whipped cream cheese frosting, cinnamon buttercream, or standard vanilla buttercream.
Are eggnog cupcakes kid-friendly?
Absolutely! The alcohol in the cupcake recipe is baked off, leaving a kid-friendly flavor that children can enjoy. Simply leave the rum out of the frosting recipe and you’re good to go with the recipe as written.
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Eggnog Cupcakes
Ingredients
Eggnog Cupcakes
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon eggnog extract
- ¾ cup eggnog
- ¼ cup dark rum
Rum Fudge Frosting
- 6 ounces dark chocolate melted & cooled
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder sifted
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar sifted
- 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon dark rum
- 1 teaspoon eggnog extract
Instructions
Eggnog Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line 2 standard muffins tin with 16 cupcake liners. Set aside.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt in a large mixing bowl; set aside.
- In a separate bowl, add butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 4-5 minutes
- Add eggs one at a time, scraping bowl between each mix. Add vanilla extract and mix well.
- Add half of the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Mix in ½ cup of the eggnog. Repeat with remaining flour, then add the rest of the eggnog and the rum. Mix until just combined – do not overmix.
- Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling each about 3/4 of the way full.
- Bake 3 minutes, then reduce oven temp to 350 degrees F. Bake an additional 13-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Allow to cool 5 minutes in pan, then transfer to a cooling rack.
Rum Fudge Frosting
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring each time with a rubber spatula until the chocolate is melted. Once melted, stir until completely smooth, then set aside to cool.
- In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, whip butter for 5-7 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally, until light and smooth.
- Add the cocoa powder and beat until well mixed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add 1 cup of powdered sugar and mix until combined. Add the heavy cream, rum, and eggnog extract and mix well. Add the remaining powdered sugar and whip 2-3 minutes until fluffy and lightened in color.
- Pour in the melted chocolate and beat on slow speed to incorporate. Increase speed to medium-high and whip for 2-3 minutes until fluffy and smooth.
- Pipe the frosting on the cooled cupcakes, then garnish with festive sprinkles.
Tara says
Such beautiful cupcakes! Love those sprinkles
Tim says
Every year we make sugar cookie cut outs and each of our children decorate their own cookie to leave for Santa.
Christie says
These look so moist and delicious. I bet the combination of eggnog and chocolate is scrumptious.