Eggnog Cupcakes with Whipped Eggnog Buttercream

Deliciously moist and fluffy eggnog cupcakes topped with the silkiest whipped eggnog buttercream!

Guys. Can you believe we’re only 16 days away from Christmas??

Seriously, why is it that December seems to go by the quickest out of all the months? And it’s the BEST one too!! I can’t get enough of the fun decorations, colorfully-lit neighborhoods, Christmas movie marathons, and most importantly, holiday baking! If I had it my way, December would last for 5 months. NOT one. I’ll remember that when I become president someday 😉

Luckily, this year I get to experience the most wonderful time of the year in the most Chrismasy of places…New York City!! In fact, as you’re reading this I’ll hopefully be standing in front of the Rockefeller Christmas Tree, captivated by its thousands upon thousands of twinkling lights. New York City truly is magical around this time of year. Not only does the city have such a positive and festive atmosphere, but it’s absolutely brimming with exquisite restaurants and unique eateries. It’s also my time to do a little “research” by experiencing alllllllll the sweet things since the dessert options are literally endless. As a matter of fact, my S’more Pie was inspired by a dessert I ate at a NYC restaurant called The Smith. I can’t help but feel absolutely inspired when I return from trips like these, so I have no doubt I’ll come back with some delicious new dessert ideas!

Speaking of delicious, these Eggnog Cupcakes with Whipped Eggnog Buttercream are now my new favorite way to enjoy eggnog!

Now I’m sure you’ve seen countless eggnog cupcake recipes all over Pinterest. So you might be wondering, “What makes THESE cupcakes so darn special?”

Well for one thing, they’re super duper fluffy! Not a dry crumb to be seen! The sweetness of the eggnog definitely comes through in these cupcakes because they’re not overwhelmed by any spices, which tends to be the case with most eggnog cake/cupcake recipes. I decided to keep the spices to a minimum so that the creamy sweetness of the eggnog would really shine. Just a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and a 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg is all you need to round out the delicious flavor of the eggnog. Surprisingly, not a lot of eggnog is added to the batter–only a half cup to be exact. Since eggnog has such a distinct flavor, not a lot is needed to achieve that richness.

Moving on to the whipped eggnog buttercream. Now, I know that eggnog cupcakes with eggnog buttercream might sound like eggnog overkill, but trust me on this one, guys…you’re gonna want to bathe in this buttercream after you taste it.

It’s unbelievably silky, exceptionally creamy, and pairs absolutely perfectly with the cupcakes. Another thing I love about this whipped buttercream is that it’s not overly sweet. Unlike American buttercream which is usually a mixture of 1 cup of butter and 4-5 cups of powdered sugar, this buttercream only contains 1 and 1/2 cups of sugar. The process of making whipped buttercream is a little more involved than American buttercream, but it’s really not very difficult.

You start off by whisking some flour and eggnog together in a saucepan, and cooking it until the mixture has a thick, pudding-like texture. Once this mixture cools completely, you beat some butter brown sugar, vanilla, and a dash of salt together until light and fluffy. I used brown sugar instead of white sugar because I thought the maple flavor would pair well with the eggnog. After the butter and sugar are whipped up, the flour mixture is mixed in. Now, this is the stage where it can get a little tricky. Similar to how we all go through that awkward pre-teen stage, this frosting goes through that same awkward stage as well. Because as the flour mixture is combined with the butter-sugar mixture, it starts to look curdled. I’ve made this whipped buttercream recipe several times, and I have yet to NOT go through that ugly curdled stage, so it’s totally normal! You just have to keep beating it and trust that it’ll eventually come together. 

And when it does finally come together, it has the most beautiful texture. It’s so light, silky smooth, and perfect for piping! Not to mention, the sweetness of the brown sugar with the creamy eggnog makes this buttercream nothing short of heavenly. 

Whether you have a holiday party coming up, or just ADORE eggnog, these cupcakes are guaranteed to be a hit!

Eggnog Cupcakes with Whipped Eggnog Buttercream

Deliciously moist and fluffy eggnog cupcakes topped with the silkiest whipped eggnog buttercream!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 22 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 52 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 18 Cupcakes

Ingredients

  

For the Cupcakes:

• 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ cup eggnog

Whipped Eggnog Buttercream:

• 7 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 ⅓ cup eggnog
• 1 ¼ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 ½ cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

 

Make the Cupcakes:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF degrees. Line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt until combined; set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until lightened and creamy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Beat in the Greek yogurt and vanilla on medium speed.
• Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Add the eggnog, then mix until just combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
• Fill cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 19-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with few crumbs attached. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the Buttercream:

• In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk flour and eggnog together, stirring constantly, until it thickens. It should look like thick pancake batter. Remove from heat and immediately pour milk mixture into a bowl to cool completely.*
• After the milk mixture has come to room temperature, use a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a beater to cream the butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt together on medium high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Add the completely cooled eggnog mixture, and beat it for about 7-10 minutes on high until it looks like whipped cream. The mixture will look curdled at first, but as you continue whipping it, it should come together. If you can still see streaks of butter, keep beating it until you can’t.**
• Frost or pipe buttercream onto cupcakes, as desired. Garnish with sprinkles.

Notes

*The milk mixture can be refrigerated to speed up the cooling process.

**If you're still having trouble with the buttercream coming together, try switching out the whisk attachment for the paddle attachment.