Description
Boozy bourbon eggnog cupcakes are the perfect easy dessert to ring in the holidays! We are doctoring up a boxed cake mix and you will never know that these are semi-homemade. Loaded with spicy holiday flavor and a hint of bourbon, these tender cupcakes will be a huge hit at Christmas!
Ingredients
Scale
Eggnog Cupcakes
- 1 Yellow Box Cake Mix - I use Duncan Hines
- 3/4 Cup Eggnog
- 1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
- 1/4 Cup Bourbon*
- 1/3 Cup Sour Cream
- 3 Eggs
- 1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg
- 1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla
Eggnog Frosting
- 2 Sticks Butter - room temperature
- 4 Cups Powdered Sugar
- 1/4 Cup EggNog
- 1 Tablespoon Bourbon*
- 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla
- 1/8 Teaspoon Nutmeg
- 1/8 Teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1/8 Teaspoon Salt
Instructions
Eggnog Cupcakes
- Preheat oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place cupcake liners in a cupcake baking tin.
- Make batter. In a large bowl, add the package of yellow cake mix. Add eggnog, vegetable oil, bourbon, sour cream, and eggs in a small bowl and whisk together until combined. Pour over the cake mix and add spices. Gently whisk the batter together until just combined - do not overmix.
- Bake. Fill each cupcake liner about 3/4 of the way full. Place in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick - stick it in the middle and the toothpick will come out clean or just with a few crumbs on it and that is how you know the cupcakes are finished baking.
- Cool. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack until completely cooled.
Eggnog Frosting
- Make frosting. While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting. Place the butter in a stand mixer and beat on high for 3-5 minutes until light, fluffy, and white in color.
- Add 2 cups of powdered sugar. Place a tea towel over the stand mixer (to prevent sugar from getting everywhere) and turn on low to start mixing with the butter. Mix for 2-3 minutes, gradually turning the speed up to medium once the sugar starts to get mixed in.
- Add in eggnog, bourbon, vanilla, and spices. Turn on low and mix until just combined.
- Add in the last remaining 2 cups of powdered sugar. Turn on low and mix until just combined. Scrape down the sides, and then turn on high and mix for 3-5 minutes until the frosting has turned light, fluffy, and light in color.
- Remove from the stand, and scrape down the bowl with a spatula. Mix for a minute or two with a spatula to get all the air bubbles out.
Decorating
- Piping: Place a Wilton 1M tip in a piping bag. Twist the bag to seal and decorate each cooled cupcake with a large swirl. Repeat until all cupcakes are frosted.
- Spreading: Using an offset spatula, take a generous amount of frosting and spread it out on the tops of each cupcake, decorating as desired.
- Sprinkle each cupcake with come nutmeg to finish decorating and garnishing.
Notes
- If you prefer not to use bourbon in the recipe - omit it completely from the batter and bumped up the vanilla to 1 tablespoon. Omit from the frosting and add 1 teaspoon of vanilla instead. It will alter the flavor slightly but will still be a delicious spiced recipe! Most of the alcohol cooks out of the actual cupcake, but not in the frosting - so you can omit it from the frosting and keep it in the cupcake to have a hint of the flavor if you would like as well.
- Store leftovers covered tightly in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Sww post for how to freeze and make in advance.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- 20 minutes:
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert - Cupcakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 285
- Sugar: 29.9 g
- Sodium: 189.3 mg
- Fat: 12.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 39.1 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 2.4 g
- Cholesterol: 50.9 mg