Mini King Cake Cupcakes (Printable Version)

Tender cinnamon swirl cupcakes topped with festive colored sugar, perfect for Mardi Gras celebrations.

# 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 Topping

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

# How to Prepare:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 24-cup mini muffin tin with paper liners or grease lightly.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
03 - In a separate bowl, combine milk, melted butter, egg, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
04 - Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Do not overmix.
05 - In a small bowl, mix the melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon for the filling.
06 - Spoon about 1 tablespoon of batter into each muffin cup. Top each with approximately 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon filling, then swirl gently with a toothpick.
07 - Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
08 - Cool cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth and pourable.
10 - Drizzle glaze over cooled cupcakes. Immediately sprinkle with alternating bands of green, purple, and gold sanding sugar for a traditional King Cake appearance. Allow glaze to set before serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • They're small enough to enjoy without guilt, yet substantial enough to feel like real dessert—the perfect balance I've searched for.
  • The cinnamon swirl technique is easier than it sounds, and watching it spiral into the batter never gets old.
  • These freeze beautifully unfrosted, so you can frost them fresh whenever the craving hits.
02 -
  • Don't skip the room temperature step for milk and eggs—cold ingredients can break the emulsion and leave your batter grainy.
  • The cinnamon swirl filling should stay on top of the first layer of batter, not sink to the bottom, so don't overfill or it'll get buried.
  • If you want to hide a plastic baby like traditional King Cake, insert it after baking into the frosted cupcake—never bake it inside.
03 -
  • Toast your cinnamon in a dry pan over low heat for 20 seconds before using—it wakes up the spice and makes it taste fresher and brighter than straight from the tin.
  • If your glaze is too thick, warm it gently in the microwave for 5 seconds instead of adding more milk; warmth thins it without diluting the flavor.
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