45 Cupcake Ideas That Prove You Can Have Your Cake and Actually Eat It Too

• Time Commitment: 1 hour 55 minutes
• Difficulty: easy

A splash of white wine gives sometimes-cloyingly-sweet buttercream frosting a slightly tangy and decidedly more sophisticated taste. The end result is one very special vanilla cupcake.

• Time Commitment: 4 hours
• Difficulty: hard

Warm spice and tropical fruit flavor get baked into a cupcake with an incredibly moist crumb and serious visual appeal. Let’s just say this is the only edible arrangement that will sweep us off our feet.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Difficulty: easy

Finally, a recipe that eliminates the fussiest, messiest and most annoying part of cupcake making. Yep, this brownie and fluffernutter number actually frosts itself…and it’s brilliant.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Difficulty: easy

Fresh strawberries and homemade whipped cream come together to make a cupcake with just the right amount of sweetness and tons of flavor.

• Time Commitment: 3 hours
• Difficulty: medium

Light and airy devil’s food cake, a dollop of peppermint-spiked marshmallow, a drizzle of chocolate glaze—put ‘em all together and you’ve got cupcake perfection.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Difficulty: medium

An excellent angel food cake usually requires some painstaking effort, but this heavenly recipe relies on clever workarounds and small quantities to cut the hassle and the cook time in half, while still delivering the goods.

• Time Commitment: 2.5 hours
• Difficulty: easy

Ice cream cake just got downsized and we’re prepared to pretend like every day is our birthday as a result.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Difficulty: easy

Coconut flakes, caramel and chocolate sauce top this fluffy coconut-flavored delight. Yep, everyone’s favorite Girl Scout cookie (sorry, thin mints) just got a seriously yummy update.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Difficulty: easy

This recipe yields just four sinfully rich chocolate cupcakes—you know, because someone decided that chocolate cupcakes shouldn’t be reserved for large gatherings. (And we’ll raise a cup to that.)

• Time Commitment: 2 hours
• Difficulty: easy

Ditch the raisins—nobody wants them there anyway—and add some coconut to your carrot cake batter for a subtle flavor boost that harmonizes beautifully with the warm spice blend.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Difficulty: easy

Another one for coconut lovers—these incredibly decadent morsels are like the love child of a tres leche cake and a tropical fruit smoothie. The nutella is just the icing on the cake (literally).

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Difficulty: medium

If you’re feeling fancy, score some lavender extract and wow your guests with a batch of these delicious, sophisticated and subtly perfumed sweet treats.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour 35 minutes
• Difficulty: easy

Coterie member Monique Volz is making cupcake magic for our vegan and gluten-free friends, but the combination of creamy pistachio and tart fruit in these bad boys is one that any palate would approve of.

• Time Commitment: varies
• Difficulty: easy

Presenting a no-fuss cupcake decorating project that comes together with store bought goods and promises to impress every pint-sized guest at the party (and your Pinterest followers, too).

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Difficulty: medium

These carrot cake cupcakes are blessedly easy to pull off—a star-tipped piping bag does all the heavy-lifting—and almost too pretty to eat.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Difficulty: easy

Mascarpone and olive oil lend an air of Italian sophistication to these swoon-worthy and oh-so colorful cupcakes—just be sure to use the highest quality olive oil you can find so the flavor really shines.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Difficulty: easy

This cupcake is a breeze to bake and boasts a clever and undeniably charming presentation that’s equally easy to achieve. Plus, there’s actually no honey in the frosting, so every component is indeed vegan-friendly.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Difficulty: easy

Pretzels, jelly beans and sprinkles are all you need for this cute and pretty garnish, which can be added as a finishing touch to gluten-free cupcakes (per the recipe above) or simply used to spruce up the store-bought stuff.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Difficulty: easy

The pie vs. cake debate can finally be put to bed, ‘cause these fluffy and tangy key lime cupcakes boast the very best of both desserts.

• Time Commitment: varies
• Difficulty: medium

Score the right tip for your piping bag and you might be surprised by how easy it is to craft a floral masterpiece on a perfectly baked vanilla (cup)cake.

• Time Commitment: 38 minutes
• Difficulty: easy

Banana, chocolate and cream cheese are an odd throuple that checks all the boxes in this indulgent and boldly-flavored cupcake recipe.

• Time Commitment: 33 minutes
• Difficulty: easy

Here, a delightful spin on a beloved dessert—featuring the classic combo of chocolate, caramel and crunchy pecan, plus a generous swirl of buttercream frosting to send your sweet tooth over the edge.

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Difficulty: easy

A bag of mini marshmallows and pastel-colored sprinkles are all you need to turn a snoozy cupcake into an Insta-worthy springtime treat.

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Difficulty: easy

We’re getting psychedelic vibes (the good kind) from these brightly-colored, tie dye beauties.

• Time Commitment: 33 minutes
• Difficulty: easy

A hint of booze and a combination of zesty lemon and refreshing mint make these cupcakes the star of any cocktail hour.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours
• Difficulty: hard

Folks who can’t resist the gooey, fondant center of a Cadbury Creme Egg should proceed with caution: These cupcakes—stuffed with a homemade replica of the beloved Easter candy—are dangerously good.

• Time Commitment: 55 minutes
• Difficulty: medium

Nutella gives the s’more a nutty upgrade in this cupcake twist on a classic…but, arguably, the best part is that you don’t need a campfire or even a love of the outdoors to dig in.

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Difficulty: easy

Pineapple upside down cake is a beloved Southern dish that, as luck would have it, takes well to a cupcake pan. Even better news: This version features a rum-spiked sour cream cake and a topping of crushed pineapple frosting that’s tasty enough to eat by the spoonful.

• Time Commitment: 5 hours 45 minutes (with chilling time)
• Difficulty: easy

Everyone knows that espresso is the best companion to all things sweet, which is why you should follow in Coterie member Stefani Pollack’s footsteps and turn the creamy, caffeine-spiked Italian dessert known as tiramisu into a custardy, rum-soaked cupcake.(Hint: It’s a recipe for success.)

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Difficulty: easy

The only thing this banana split doesn’t have is the ice cream—but cream cheese frosting is such a fine substitute, we doubt you’ll miss it. (But feel free to chill these guys in the fridge before you dig in if it floats your boat.)

• Time Commitment: 48 minutes
• Difficulty: easy

Caffeine and booze balance each other out beautifully in this coffee cake number, which features a silky buttercream frosting, brilliantly enhanced with a combination of Irish whiskey and coffee extract.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours 35 minutes
• Difficulty: medium

In case you missed it, monkey bread is a doughy mass of cinnamon sugar-coated deliciousness that you can pull apart with your hands. This cupcake version stays true to the original baked good, with the welcome addition of a tasty Cinnabon-style vanilla glaze.

• Time Commitment: 55 minutes
• Difficulty: easy

Pomegranate and pistachio are the bold and exciting duo behind these muffin-like cupcakes, and the tang of greek yogurt in the rich, sweet buttercream frosting is an unexpected and very pleasant finish. If you’re looking to bake up something truly original, these cupcakes fit the bill.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Difficulty: easy

OK this one is pretty weird and a major departure from the rest of the cupcake recipes in our roundup. However, if you’re craving something savory or have seriously picky kids to please at dinnertime, the novel presentation of this perfectly prepared meat and potatoes meal should do the trick.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes (plus baking time)
• Difficulty: easy

Score a big bag of mini marshmallows, slice them open and watch as a cupcake of your choosing blooms into a veritable garden beauty before your eyes. (No cake decorating expertise required.)

• Time Commitment: 55 minutes
• Difficulty: easy

This just in: The bittersweet tang of grapefruit is the counterpart to buttery cake and sugar-laden buttercream frosting that we’ve needed all our lives.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Difficulty: easy

The dense and supremely buttery crumb of these pound cake cupcakes is satisfying enough without the frosting—but hey, a little chocolate on top never hurt anyone. (Right?)

• Time Commitment: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Difficulty: medium

Win the Halloween bake-off and woo the little kid crowd with Coterie member Katie Workman’s ridiculously adorable and relatively easy-to-accomplish mummy cupcakes.

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Difficulty: easy

Cold, creamy and undeniably delicious—this cupcake version of a no-bake chocolate cheesecake is basically the perfect warm weather indulgence.

• Time Commitment: 37 minutes
• Difficulty: medium

Once again, the pie vs. cake competition is settled with a cupcake—but this time, it’s a fall favorite, that’s stealing the show. (So bonus points if you bake these babies up after an apple-picking excursion.)

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Difficulty: easy

In case you missed it, maple syrup and bacon is a salty-sweet combo that will make your tastebuds sing.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Difficulty: medium

The bitter, hoppy taste of stout complements the rich chocolate flavor of these bold cupcakes perfectly…so don’t be surprised if you end up throwing ‘em back.

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Difficulty: easy

A standard carrot cake cupcake, cream cheese frosting and all, gets an exciting boost from tahini—an unexpected ingredient that adds complexity and balance to the familiar nutmeg and cinnamon spice blend.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Difficulty: easy

This refreshing and zingy blend of berry and lime is giving ice cream a run for its money in the favorite summer dessert department.

• Time Commitment: 29 minutes
• Difficulty: easy

This Mexican-inspired cupcake has sugar, spice and everything nice (think: creamy, cinnamon-dusted frosting).