These Boozy Eggnog Cupcakes are the perfect addition to the holiday table. A light and fluffy eggnog cupcake topped with an extra-silky bourbon eggnog buttercream.
Eggnog is one of my favorite holiday treats. I always have have while trimming the tree and opening presents on Christmas Eve. It’s rich and creamy and full of nutmeg flavor – and that’s what I wanted to bring to these cupcakes!
Find other eggnog recipes like this eggnog cheesecake or these eggnog scones here!
Ingredients
This cupcake recipe is a riff on my favorite vanilla cupcake base! It has a light texture and just the right amount of sweetness.
- Cake flour. This provides the light texture in the cupcakes.
- Baking powder. This provides the lift and that slight dome to the top of the cake.
- Ground nutmeg. I prefer to use freshly ground nutmeg by grinding whole nutmeg on a microplane.
- Unsalted butter and neutral oil. Using both fats provides the flavor of butter with the extra moisture that the oil provides.
- Granulated sugar.
- Whole eggs.
- Eggnog. This is used as our typical milk in a cake recipe to bring that extra lightness to the cake.
Tips for Making Eggnog Cupcakes
Cupcakes are a simple classic, and easier to accomplish than a stacked layer cake. These eggnog cupcakes are no different! There are a few key elements to making these perfect!
Cream the butter and sugar well. To begin, whip the butter and sugar really well, this is called “creaming” the butter and sugar. It’s important to really whip a lot of air into the ingredients at this stage so the air can turn into a light cupcake when baked.
Add the dry ingredients and eggnog slowly. There’s a process to adding the flour mixture and eggnog is a 5-step process. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then 1/2 of the eggnog, so you alternate between flour-eggnog-flour-eggnog-flour. This prevents overmixing (aka – tough cupcakes) and the batter from splitting.
Consistent Sizing. When spooning the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners, it’s important to keep the amount consistent so you don’t have some smaller ones that are cooked before big ones on the tray. I like to use an ice cream scoop for precise scooping.
Making the Eggnog Buttercream
My favorite buttercream is always a Swiss meringue buttercream. I go into full details on how to make this buttercream on my other post because it is a bit more involved than an American-style buttercream.
Our Swiss meringue eggnog buttercream starts with a meringue (yes, and egg white meringue!) and adds lots of butter to give an extra silky, not-too-sweet buttercream. Once together we will add a bit of eggnog, bourbon and nutmeg!
Piping Buttercream Swirls. Making a swirled topping on a cupcake is never required. A knife spreading the buttercream on will taste just as good! However to achieve the look I have here, I used a piping bag and a 829 piping tip from Ateco.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely, use your favorite eggnog addition – rum or brandy are popular! Or skip it all together!
Make a homemade cake flour by substituting 1/4 cup (30g) of the flour with 1/4 cup (28g) of cornstarch.
Looking for other holiday desserts?
Boozy Eggnog Cupcakes
Equipment
- Standard 12-cavity Muffin Tin
Ingredients
Eggnog Cupcakes
- 240 g cake flour
- 1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 113 g unsalted butter room temperature
- 248 g granulated sugar
- ¼ cup canola or vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tablespoon bourbon optional
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup eggnog room temperature
Eggnog Buttercream
- 1 recipe Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- 3 tablespoons eggnog room temperature
- 1 tablespoon bourbon optional
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Eggnog Cupcakes. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 cupcake tins with 15 liners, set aside.
- Sift together cake flour, baking powder, nutmeg, salt in medium bowl. Set aside.240 g cake flour, 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- In the bowl of a stand-mixer fitted with paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with hand-mixer, whip together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. About 5 minutes on high. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula as needed.113 g unsalted butter, 248 g granulated sugar
- Add in oil. Add eggs in one at a time, on low, fully mixing one in before adding the next. Add vanilla and bourbon if using. Continue scraping down sides of bowl as needed.1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil, 3 large eggs, 1 tablespoon bourbon, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Slowly add 1/3 of the flour mixture. Alternate adding 1/2 of the eggnog until everything is combined. Using a rubber spatula, make sure the bottom of the bowl is fully mixed in as well.3/4 cup eggnog
- Fill cupcake liners two-thirds full, bake for 18-20 minutes until light golden brown and cakes spring back when touched. Allow to cool completely.
- Eggnog Buttercream. While cupcakes are baking, prepare Swiss Meringue Buttercream according to directions. When ready, add eggnog, bourbon and nutmeg. Top cooled cupcakes with buttercream.1 recipe Swiss Meringue Buttercream, 3 tablespoons eggnog, 1 tablespoon bourbon, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Notes
- Cupcakes may be made in advance. Wrap iced ,or un-iced, cupcakes tightly and store in freezer for up to two months.
- Store leftover cupcakes in airtight container in fridge. Allow cupcakes to come to room temperature before enjoying.
Disclaimer: We test all recipes using the metric weights shown, we cannot guarantee outcomes when switching to US measurements.
