Mini Cupcakes

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These Mini Cupcakes are the perfect bite-sized treats! Choose vanilla or chocolate cake and top them with our delicious Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting.

Vanilla and chocolate mini cupcakes frosted with raspberry frosting and topped with raspberries and chocolate sprinkles on a cake plate
Featured with this recipe
  1. Mini Cupcakes with Raspberry Frosting Ingredients
  2. Homemade Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting
  3. How to Make Mini Cupcakes
  4. Tips and Modifications When Making Mini Cupcakes
  5. Frequently Asked Questions
  6. How to Store and Make Ahead Easy Mini Cupcakes
  7. Other Cupcake Recipes You’ll Love
  8. How to Make Mini Cupcakes
  9. Mini Cupcakes Recipe

Get ready to have a party with these cute Mini Cupcakes! Make vanilla or chocolate cake batter (or both!) then top off with a sweet and creamy raspberry frosting. Perfect for celebrations, get togethers, and anything in-between.

Mini Cupcakes with Raspberry Frosting Ingredients

  • Butter – one cup of salted or unsalted butter, softened to room temperature. This takes the place of vegetable oil.
  • Sugar – two cups white, granulated sugar
  • Cake flour – 2 and a half cups. Cake flour is preferred over all purpose flour for this recipe due to its lower protein content. The result is a finer texture, allowing for a lighter and more delicate crumb. Incorporating cake flour ensures that the cake is tenderly baked to perfection.
  • Baking powder – two teaspoons
  • Baking soda – half teaspoon
  • Salt – I like to use kosher salt if you have it, or regular table salt works great too.
  • Vanilla extract – two teaspoons
  • Buttermilk – half a cup. Make your own by adding two teaspoons of vinegar or lemon juice to 2/3 cup of regular milk and you have homemade buttermilk.
  • Milk – half cup of regular, whole milk.
  • Sour cream – you can substitute regular Greek yogurt too.
  • Egg whites – you’ll need 5 large room temperature egg whites. Using room temperature egg whites in this cake recipe is important because it incorporates better into the batter, resulting in an even bake and smoother texture.
Vanilla cake batter scooped into a lined mini cupcake pan


Homemade Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting

Simply cream together the butter and cream cheese, blend together raspberry and vanilla, and finish by slowly adding in powdered sugar until semi-stiff peaks form. This is a quick and easy frosting that is delicious and full of flavor!

  • Cream cheese – This gives a sweetness to the butter. Soften at room temperature before adding to the recipe.
  • Butter – Make sure your unsalted butter is soft and can cream easily before adding it to the mixing bowl. If it is not soft, there will be clumps and bumps in your homemade frosting.
  • Raspberry jam – Give the frosting the flavor it needs, raspberry! It is a delicious frosting flavor.
  • Vanilla extract – Vanilla extract is full of flavor and gives a different light and tasty flavor to the frosting.
  • Powdered sugar – Thicken the frosting with sweet and soft confectioners’ sugar that creates the best frosting.
  • Optional: Gel Food Coloring – I like to make the raspberry frosting just a little more pink by adding a drop of red gel food coloring. Gel food coloring is ideal for frosting because it doesn’t add as much moisture to the mixture.
Vanilla and Chocolate Mini Cupcakes frosted with Raspberry Frosting

How to Make Mini Cupcakes

Get ready to have cuteness overload when making these cupcakes in mini muffin tins! Pick your favorite cupcake liners for your mini cupcakes to be baked in. This sweet treat will be your favorite combination yet!

  1. First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease your pans or line with cupcake liners.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder and salt by hand, and set aside. If making chocolate cupcakes, then this is where you add the cocoa powder.
  3. Lightly whisk the egg whites together in a smaller bowl, set aside.
  4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment to cream the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes on medium- high speed.
  5. Add the eggs to the mixture and beat on medium speed until incorporated.
  6. Mix in vanilla and sour cream until creamy.
  7. Next, add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk and milk slowly until they’re all incorporated.
  8. Finally, pour the batter into the muffin tins. Make sure to fill them only 2/3 of of the way.
  9. Bake 15 minutes until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Let them cool on a wire rack, then frost and enjoy!
Baked chocolate mini cupcakes in a tin

Tips and Modifications When Making Mini Cupcakes

They are so moist and rich. Of course, you can make these in a regular-sized cupcake pan, you’ll just have to bake them a little longer (18-20 minutes).

  • Jam – When making the cream cheese frosting, if raspberry is not your favorite, try strawberry, blackberry, or grape jelly jam. Use seedless jam for a smooth frosting.
  • Filling cupcakes – I like to use a cookie scoop to help scoop and pour the cupcake liners.
  • No liners – No problem! If you don’t have a cupcake liner, you can grease the muffin tins to avoid the cupcakes from sticking as they are baking.
  • Frosting – If you are looking for a different flavor of frosting, try using vanilla buttercream frosting or chocolate buttercream frosting.
Vanilla and chocolate mini cupcakes frosted with raspberry frosting and topped with raspberries and chocolate sprinkles on a cake plate. One vanilla cupcake is unwrapped from the liner with a bite taken out of it.

“I love these cupcakes. The pink frosting is simply cute and pretty, and it’s hard to stop with just one. 🙂”

-Anita

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you adjust the baking time on mini cupcakes?

With this recipe, we have already adjusted and tested the cupcakes baked in mini muffin tins. Because they are smaller compared to cupcakes the timing is cut in half. To make sure they are completely cooked through, use a toothpick to check the doneness and if the middle is completely cooked through.

How many mini cupcakes does a box mix make?

A box cake mix makes about 60-72 mini cupcakes. This recipe makes about the same amount as a box mix would.

What is the size of a mini cupcake?

This bite-sized sweet treat is about 1 ¼ inches tall with a diameter of 1 ¼ inches at the top and estimate about ¾ inches at the bottom. Small and cute!

How much do you fill mini muffin tins?

I use a cookie scoop or a measuring cup to help fill the cupcakes to about ½ to a 2/3 full. I like mine to be as tall as I can bake it!

Why do cupcakes sink in the middle?

If you notice your cupcakes are flat after baking you may have added too much liquid in the ingredients that you need. The balance of dry and wet ingredients will help absorb the liquid and balance each other so they fluff up rather than sink in the middle.

How to Store and Make Ahead Easy Mini Cupcakes

Unfrosted Cupcakes: If you are making your cupcakes more than one or two days in advance, you should store them unfrosted. Once your cupcakes have cooled completely, you can place them in an airtight container at room temperature for four to five days. Make sure the lid on the container does not touch the top of your mini cupcakes. If they do or you do not have a lid, you can use plastic wrap to contain them. Store the frosting in a ziplock bag or airtight container in the refrigerator for five to seven days.

Frosted Cupcakes: Because these cupcakes have cream cheese frosting, frosted cupcakes must be stored in the fridge in an airtight container. They will be good in the fridge for 1-2 days.

Vanilla and chocolate mini cupcakes frosted with raspberry frosting and topped with raspberries and chocolate sprinkles on a cake plate. One chocolate cupcake is unwrapped from the liner with a bite taken out of it.

Other Cupcake Recipes You’ll Love

Cupcakes are such a fun dessert. Between the frosting, the fillings, the toppings, and the cake itself, there are so many combinations and possibilities! We hope you will enjoy this recipe, as well as some of our other favorite cupcake recipes!

How to Make Mini Cupcakes

Vanilla and chocolate mini cupcakes frosted with raspberry frosting and topped with raspberries and chocolate sprinkles on a cake plate

Mini Cupcakes

5 from 5 votes
These Mini Cupcakes are the perfect bite-sized treats! Choose vanilla or chocolate cake and top them with our delicious Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Cooling Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course cake, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 72 mini cupcakes

Equipment

  • Electric Mixer
  • Mini Muffin Tin

Ingredients

For Chocolate Cupcakes

For Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 1/3 cup raspberry jam use seedless for a smoother frosting
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or almond extract
  • 5 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 drop red gel food coloring optional
  • fresh raspberries optional garnish
  • chocolate sprinkles optional garnish

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350℉. In a bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
    For Chocolate Cupcakes: Add ⅓ cup of cocoa powder to the flour mixture.
    Flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt mixed in a glass bowl
  • Lightly whisk the egg whites together in a bowl, set aside.
    egg whites whisked in a small bowl
  • In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes on medium-high speed.
    butter and sugar creamed in a mixing bowl
  • Add the eggs to the mixture and beat on medium until incorporated.
    Butter, sugar, and eggs mixed in a mixing bowl
  • Mix in vanilla and sour cream until creamy. Scrape down sides of the bowl as needed.
    Butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla mixed in a mixing bowl
  • Slowly add the dry ingredients and alternate adding the buttermilk and milk in three additions with dry ingredients.
    Vanilla cake batter in a mixing bowl
  • Pour batter into lined mini muffin tins. Only fill the cups about 2/3 full.
    Vanilla cake batter scooped into a lined mini cupcake pan
  • Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
    Baked vanilla mini cupcakes in a cupcake tin
  • Allow the cupcakes to cool before frosting.
    chocolate and vanilla mini cupcakes cooling on a wire rack

For the Frosting

  • In a stand mixer, mix the cream cheese and butter together until smooth.
    butter and cream cheese beaten together in a mixing bowl
  • Add raspberry jam and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
    Butter, cream cheese, raspberry jam, and vanilla mixed in a mixing bowl
  • Add powdered sugar one cup at a time and mix until fully incorporated. The frosting should have semi-still peaks. If it gets too thick, add a little milk. If it is too thin, add more powdered sugar.
    Raspberry Frosting in a mixing bowl before food coloring is added
  • Optional: For a brighter pink color, add 1 drop of red gel food coloring and mix to combine.
    Raspberry Frosting in a mixing bowl
  • Frost the cupcakes.
    Vanilla and Chocolate Mini Cupcakes frosted with Raspberry Frosting
  • Add raspberries and/or chocolate sprinkles if using.
    Vanilla and chocolate mini cupcakes frosted with raspberry frosting and topped with raspberries and chocolate sprinkles on a cake plate

Nutrition Information

Calories: 118kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 1gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 100mgPotassium: 37mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 136IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 24mgIron: 0.1mg

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About the author

Kelsey Crist

Kelsey lives in Washington with her husband, Alex, and two cats, Diana and Nova. Her happy place is in the kitchen listening to an audiobook and trying new recipes. When she's not in the kitchen you can find her hiking, shopping at Trader Joe's, or playing Animal Crossing. Her favorite food is pasta and Alex loves when she makes Homemade Oreos.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I love these cupcakes. The pink frosting is simply cute and pretty, and it’s hard to stop with just one. 🙂

  2. 5 stars
    We are making this as our stay at home activity today and kids are ready to go! We love your recipes and everything we bake from this website is SO DELICIOUS. thanks for keeping us sane during self quarantine!

  3. 5 stars
    I am on SUCH a Nutella kick right now while we are social distancing. This would be such a fun recipe to make with my girls while we have so much time together!