Eggnog Cupcakes

Light & fluffy Eggnog Cupcakes piled high with Eggnog Buttercream. Christmas in cupcake form!

Sometimes I get a little overzealous during the holidays. I listened to Frank Sinatra Christmas songs on repeat for about 3 hours the other day. Not to mention stalking Pinterest for recipes, and perusing the internet for pictures of puppies in Christmas sweaters.

I get excited over the holidays.

So yes, I realize I just posted an eggnog recipe a few days ago.  But no, I couldn’t wait to make these eggnog cupcakes. Delicious & festive – they’re perfect for a holiday party, bake sale or a present to yourself. (You deserve it).

They’re light & fluffy, with a super soft & delicate cupcake crumb. Then piled high with eggnog buttercream – it’s holiday cupcake perfection.I love the eggnog flavor in these because it’s pronounced but not overwhelming. The flavor comes from eggnog  in both the cupcake batter & the frosting – then extra nutmeg in the cupcake batter, rum extract in the frosting & a sprinkle of nutmeg on top.

Hello there deliciousness!

Apart from the flavor, you’ll also love the texture of these cupcakes. They have a super fluffy, soft cupcake crumb because we’re using cake flour and only egg whites in the batter. If you don’t have cake flour, I’ve included a note about how you can make your own with all-purpose flour & cornstarch. It’s also very important to have your eggs & eggnog at room temperature when adding them to the batter. This helps your batter come together without having to overmix. As a quick note – it’ll be easier to separate your eggs if they’re cold – but let the whites come to room temperature before adding them to your batter. 

Now when it comes to frosting, I support the “More the Merrier” philosophy – so I piled it on with a piping bag. But feel free to use a flat-edge knife instead.

I hope these delicious cupcakes bring you as much holiday cheer as they did for us. Happy Holiday Baking!

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Eggnog Cupcakes

Prep Time

45 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

2 hrs

 

Light & fluffy Eggnog Cupcakes piled high with Eggnog Buttercream. Christmas in cupcake form!

Course: Dessert

Servings: 12 Cupcakes

Calories: 416 kcal

Author: Fiona Dowling

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

• 1 and 1/3 cups cake flour*
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened to room temperature (1 stick, minus 1 tablespoon)
• 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large egg whites , room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup eggnog , room temperature

For the Eggnog Buttercream

• 3/4 cups unsalted butter , softened to room temperature
• 3-4 cups icing sugar , sifted
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon rum extract
• 3-4 tablespoons eggnog

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and line a 12 cavity muffin tin with cupcake papers. You may end up with a few more than 12 cupcakes - so you might need to line 2 trays.
2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, nutmeg, baking soda & salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl using a stand or hand-held electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add in the egg whites & vanilla and continue mixing. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
4. Slowly add the flour mixture and eggnog while mixing on low speed, alternating between adding half the flour mixture followed by half of the eggnog.
5. Pour about ¼ cup of batter into each cavity of the prepared muffin tin - each should be about 2/3 full. Bake for 14-16 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool in their pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.
6. While the cupcakes are cooling, you can start making the icing. Beat the butter using a hand held or stand mixer on medium speed. Add in the salt & vanilla, and mix in the icing sugar about 1 cup at a time. After you've added about 2 cups of the icing sugar, add the whipping cream 1 tablespoon at a time. Alternate adding the last cups of icing sugar with whipping cream until the desired consistency is reached. Frost cupcakes using a piping bag or spreading the icing with a flat knife.