These Eggnog Cupcakes are made from scratch with my favorite spice cake and topped with creamy eggnog frosting. The perfect holiday treat!
If you love all things eggnog, you’ll love these Eggnog Truffles too. This Eggnog Fudge is another treat I like to give as gifts this time of year.
Table of Contents
Why These Cupcakes are Best
These Eggnog Cupcakes are pure heaven!
If you’re like me and buy more eggnog than you can drink before the holidays are over, this recipe is a great way to use up those leftovers lingering in the fridge, too.
- Based on my favorite homemade spice cake.
- Real eggnog and rum flavor make the creamy frosting extra festive.
- Sprinkled with nutmeg for a picture-perfect finishing touch.
- Easy to make—and so much better than boxed mixes.
- A perfect handheld dessert for holiday parties!
These cupcakes taste so good, it’s worth running out to the store to pick up a carton (or two) of the Christmas beverage so you can make this recipe!
Ingredient Notes
- Cake flour – The key to cupcakes with a soft, delicate crumb. See my tips and tricks for how to make a cake flour substitute if you don’t have any.
- Egg Whites- our cupcake recipe uses egg whites only. Save the egg yolks to make homemade lemon curd.
- Buttermilk – The acid in the buttermilk helps the cupcakes get fluffy as they bake, while adding moisture. You can use store bought or this homemade buttermilk substitute.
- Spices – A little ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg turn a white cake into a spice cake!
- Eggnog – I recommend low fat. It’s added to the frosting to thin it to the perfect consistency while, of course, giving it the eggnog touch.
- Rum flavoring – For adding an extra touch of “authentic” eggnog aroma. Find it online if your grocery store doesn’t carry it.
PRO TIP: Too much eggnog? Use our vanilla frosting or sour cream frosting on top instead!
Tips and Tricks
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the cake flour makes a WORLD of difference in cupcake recipes like this one. It has a lower protein content meaning the cupcake consistency stays more delicate, and stays soft even days after baking.
But let’s say you don’t have any and don’t have time for a grocery run. Or you just don’t want to buy a whole bag of cake flour for one recipe.
In those cases, you can make a decent substitute with cornstarch and all-purpose flour. Here’s the formula for this eggnog cupcakes recipe.
- Measure out 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour into a bowl.
- Remove ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons of the flour.
- Replace the flour with ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.
- Use in the recipe as directed.
It’s as easy as that!
Recipe FAQs
They are not the same technically; rum flavor is made from artificial ingredients to imitate the flavor of rum. Rum extract is a highly concentrated liquid made from real rum.
Even though they are different ingredients, both rum extract and rum flavor can be used in eggnog desserts. You can use either one in this eggnog frosting.
Yes, boxed spice cake makes a fine swap if you don’t want to make the cupcakes from scratch.
Store these Christmas cupcakes at room temperature in an airtight container. Enjoy within 4-5 days for best taste.
These cupcakes are freezer friendly and will stay good in the freezer for 2 to 3 months. You can freeze them before or after adding the frosting.
More Eggnog Recipes
- Eggnog Cookies
- Instant Pot Eggnog Cheesecake
- Pecan Eggnog Cookies
- Eggnog French Toast Casserole
- Eggnog Cheesecake Bars
Eggnog Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 5 egg whites room temperature
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 ½ cup cake flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
For the Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon rum flavoring
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup low fat eggnog
Instructions
For the cupcakes:
- Line 24 cupcake tins with paper lines. Set aside.
- In small bowl, mix egg whites and 1/4 cup buttermilk. Set aside.
- In mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Add in dry ingredients and mix until combined. Slowly add in egg white mixture. Beat in remaining buttermilk.
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for 18-20 minutes. Remove and cool completely before frosting.
For the frosting:
- Beat butter for 3 minutes until fluffy. Add in nutmeg, rum flavoring, powdered sugar and eggnog. Beat for an additional 3-5 minutes until fluffy.
- Pipe onto cupcakes using your favorite decorator tip. Add a sprinkle of nutmeg if desired! ENJOY.
Notes
- Are rum flavoring and rum extract the same? They are not the same technically; rum flavor is made from artificial ingredients to imitate the flavor of rum. Rum extract is a highly concentrated liquid made from real rum. You can use either one in this eggnog frosting. Do not use real rum as it doesn’t have enough concentrated flavor.
- Can I use a boxed spice cake mix instead? Yes, boxed spice cake makes a fine swap if you don’t want to make the cupcakes from scratch.
- Store these Christmas cupcakes at room temperature in an airtight container. Enjoy within 4-5 days for best taste.
- Can I freeze these cupcakes? These cupcakes are freezer friendly and will stay good in the freezer for 2 to 3 months. You can freeze them before or after adding the frosting.
I have been looking all over your web page for your eggnog donuts recipe. I see where the recipe is talked about but I can’t find the recipe. Please advise. Thank you
You can use this donut muffin to make muffins or put the batter in a donut pan : https://www.shugarysweets.com/christmas-morning-egg-nog-muffins/
What is cup cake flour? Do you mean cake box mix?
She was saying to put in 2 and a half cups of cake flour in. I usually use Swan’s Down brand.
Nope, cake flour is a type of flour. You can find it in the grocery store near the other containers of flour….I use King Arthur Cake Flour.
which cake tip did you use?
Could this be made with the spice cake box mix?
Of course!
I will have to make home-made nog – it doesn’t exist in NZ and I’m super jealous – anyone who has a good recipe I would love to give it a go!
I am with Charlotte. Boiled Custard was our Family Tradition. LOVE Boiled Custard! Eggnog is OK. My husband and Australian Shepherd are CRAZY about Eggnog though. I buy Eggnog for them. I have friends who make homemade Eggnog, but they put too much liquor in it.
PERFECT! I love the creamy, custardy flavor that eggnog imparts on baked goods. I think I like it better as an ingredient than as a stand-alone drink!! These look perfect.
These sound awesome. I don’t like to drink eggnog, but I do love the taste. I think its the nutmeg I like. These would be good to have on the dessert table for Christmas. Thanks for sharing.
Wishes for tasty dishes,
Linda
Always vote for egg nog! This is great ! Thank you!
I bet these are delicious. I have tasted store bought eggnog, but not really drank it. I make boil custard and add rum extract with nutmeg on top. It sure is good.
LOVE egg nog!!! I grew up with a homemade recipe and it was just a couple years a go that I tried the store bought stuff for the first time. I still prefer the homemade, but won’t say no to the store bought stuff!
Can’t wait to try these cupcakes!
Oh, how I love eggnog!!! And lucky for me, the boys love it too, so I am not the only one guzzling cups of calories all month long. LOL! I love that you tweaked your spice cake and used eggnog! They look so good!!!