Mini King Cake Cupcakes (Printer View)

Tender cupcakes with cinnamon swirl and colorful sugar topping, perfect for Mardi Gras.

# What you'll need:

→ Cupcake Batter

01 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
06 - 1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
07 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
08 - 1 large egg, room temperature
09 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Cinnamon Swirl Filling

10 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
11 - 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
12 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

→ Glaze

13 - 1 cup powdered sugar
14 - 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
15 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Colored Sugar

16 - 2 tablespoons green sanding sugar
17 - 2 tablespoons purple sanding sugar
18 - 2 tablespoons gold sanding sugar

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 24-cup mini muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease.
02 - In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until evenly distributed.
03 - In a separate bowl, combine milk, melted butter, egg, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth and fully incorporated.
04 - Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and fold together just until combined. Avoid overmixing to maintain tender crumb structure.
05 - In a small bowl, stir together melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon until well combined.
06 - Spoon approximately 1 tablespoon of batter into each muffin cup. Add a small dollop of cinnamon filling and gently swirl with a toothpick.
07 - Bake for 16 to 18 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
08 - Allow cupcakes to rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until the mixture reaches a smooth, pourable consistency.
10 - Drizzle glaze over cooled cupcakes. Immediately sprinkle alternating bands of green, purple, and gold sanding sugar in traditional King Cake pattern. Allow glaze to set completely before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They're bite-sized, which means you can eat three without guilt and still feel like you're showing restraint.
  • The cinnamon swirl is genuinely addictive—it's tucked right in the middle where you least expect it.
  • Decorated in minutes with colored sugar, so you get that impressive Mardi Gras look without the stress of fondant work.
  • Makes 24 cupcakes, perfect for sharing or keeping a stash hidden in your freezer for unexpected moments.
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients really do matter here—cold eggs and milk won't incorporate smoothly into the butter, leaving you with a slightly grainy batter that bakes differently than you'd expect.
  • The glaze-to-sugar timing is everything; if you wait too long after glazing, the sanding sugar won't stick, so have your colored sugars measured and ready before you start drizzling.
  • One cupcake should hide a tiny plastic baby figure for the traditional King Cake surprise—place it on top after baking and cooling so no one accidentally bites into plastic.
03 -
  • Use a small ice cream scoop to portion the batter evenly into each muffin cup—it's faster than a spoon and ensures every cupcake bakes at the same rate.
  • If your sanding sugar doesn't stick after you sprinkle it, the glaze wasn't wet enough; adjust your milk ratio next time so it's glossy and drips slightly off a spoon.
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