55 Celebratory Cupcakes For When A Layer Cake Seems Like Too Much (2024)

Fact: S'mores are the best, there's no denying it. And now you can have everything you love about s'mores—buttery graham crackers, melty chocolate, and toasted marshmallow—in a cupcake!

Get the S'mores Cupcakes recipe.

The fun in these margarita-inspired cupcakes is in the frosting. You'll add a healthy pour of tequila to the bowl with butter, powdered sugar, and lime juice and beat until fluffy. It adds a bright and bold kick that balances the sweetness and creaminess (without giving your mom a major hangover).

Get the Margarita Cupcakes recipe.

Inspired by the beloved coconut cream pie, these stuffed cupcakes have all the classic components of the original dessert, sans pie crust. You won't miss it though, because in its place are our soft and fluffy vanilla cupcakes. 😍

Get the Coconut Cream Cupcakes recipe.

Can't decide what kind of cupcakes to make? This is the recipe for you! It has strawberries + chocolate + vanilla, all in one beautiful little package.

Get the Neapolitan Cupcakes recipe.

Who doesn't love an ultra-creamy slice of cheesecake? This mini version is super-easy to make (no water bath!), but just as delicious as its full-size counterpart. Feel free to swap out the fruit for fall options like apples or pears, or leave out fruit entirely and top with whipped cream and chocolate curls instead!

Get the Cheesecake Cupcakes recipe.

Nothing beats ice cream and cake, any time of year. Feel free to swap out the ice cream for your favorite seasonal flavors (pumpkin or red velvet maybe?), and use sprinkles in fun colors or shapes to make these extra-festive.

Get the Ice Cream Stuffed Cupcakes recipe.

Pavlovas have a crispy exterior with a soft, marshmallow-like interior, and these mini ones made into cupcakes are the perfect way to serve them to guests. Dollop with a little whipped cream and raspberry sauce for the perfect bite.

Get the Pavlova Cupcakes With Raspberry Sauce recipe.

Coffee goes into both the cupcake and the frosting for these Starbucks-inspired treats. If you skip your morning Joe and go straight for a cupcake this Easter Sunday, we won't tell 😉.

Get the Frappuccino Cupcakes recipe.

Ten times better than anything you'd pick up at the grocery store, these cupcakes bake up perfectly domed with an almost crunchy sugary top making them completely irresistible. Pair them with our perfect vanilla buttercream, or get creative with your frosting flavor!

Get the Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes recipe.

Layer cakes are spectacular, but they’re not always the most practical—enter, cupcakes! Specifically these ultra-adorable confetti butterfly cupcakes (also known as fairy cakes in the U.K.). They’re perfect for birthdays, baby showers, and tons of other spring and summer occasions.

Get the Confetti Butterfly Cupcakes.

Based on the classic summery co*cktail made with multiple rums and tropical juices, these cupcakes are the next best thing to taking yourself on a tropical beach vacation. 😎

Get the Bahama Mama Cupcakes recipe.

Dole Whip has a cult following, and for good reason. Now you can make it to share with all your Disney-obsessed friends without whipping out your blender (or traveling to the parks 😉), thanks to these adorable cupcakes.

Get the Dole Whip Cupcakes recipe.

To make these cupcakes really feel like a Moscow Mule in dessert form, we added ginger beer to the cupcake batter. It's an easy hack that lets you skip the eggs, oil, and water that the box calls for and gives you all of the gingery flavor you love. Don't worry, we put the vodka in the frosting.

Get the Moscow Mule Cupcakes recipe.

There’s not too many desserts that can beat out our love for carrot cake. A perfect spring dessert, this classic recipe truly never disappoints with its warming, lightly spiced cake and rich and decadent cream cheese frosting. The only thing better? Shareable, bite-sized carrot cake cupcakes.

Get the Carrot Cake Cupcakes recipe.

The best part of this recipe? The fluffy cream cheese-mascarpone frosting. It's the perfect topping, and is what really makes these the best-ever red velvet cupcakes (that, and perfectly chocolate-y cake).

Get the Red Velvet Cupcakes recipe.

When you don't have time to grab or make Boston Cream doughnuts or pie, make these cupcakes instead. They've got everything you loves about the OG, but are way easier (and cuter!).

Get the Boston Cream Cupcakes recipe.

If cinnamon rolls seem too tricky for brunch, make these instead. Is there anything better than cinnamon sugar?

Get the Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cupcakes recipe.

Let's be real: The filling of the cannoli is the best part. That's why these cupcakes are so amazing—they're stuffed to the brim with the good stuff.

Get the Cannoli Cupcakes recipe.

These Champagne and orange cupcakes are the perfect addition to brunch. They're also a great way to finish off an opened bottle of sparkling wine afterward too.

Get the Mimosa Cupcakes recipe.

These pretty cupcakes look so intricate, but they're actually beyond easy to make. Once you master the technique, turn it into a colorful garden (and try it out on our sunflower cupcakes too!).

Get the Succulent Cupcakes recipe.