Vanilla rum cupcakes with eggnog buttercream are a decadent and festive dessert that will make your holiday season complete.
I am my mother’s first child, and as such I was her guinea pig. She was determined to have healthy children and that meant I wasn’t allowed much sugar at all. My “candy” was carob peanut clusters and “pop” was soda water mixed with unsweetened cranberry juice.
Mom also gave me eggnog on a regular basis. Her eggnog was milk with a splash of vanilla and an egg beaten in. No cooking. Just a raw egg.
And I loved it. Seriously.
If you’re cringing right now you aren’t alone. I’m right there with you thinking about the fact that I actually drank such a thing. And not only did I drink it but I remember actually requesting it.
I voluntarily put myself in the position to drink a raw egg.
Then at some point I decided it was gross and stopped drinking it. Or maybe it’s just that my siblings were born and mom didn’t care so much about health anymore. If M&Ms made me quiet then so be it.
I became reacquainted with eggnog in high school when I worked at a coffee shop and we had to stock eggnog by the bucketful in December because people needed their eggnog lattes.
Those buckets of eggnog bore zero resemblance, of course, to my mom’s eggnog, and I found I kinda had a taste for it. In small doses at least.
Hence these cupcakes. They’re the perfect vehicle for a dollop of eggnog-y frosting. Any bigger and my teeth would ache just looking at it but these little cupcakes with their eggnog buttercream are the perfectly delicious little package. The cake is sweet and moist but not overly flavored because the eggnog buttercream is really the star of the show.
Top with some red and green sprinkles and you are holiday party-ready. And I’ve found that no one will turn down eggnog flavored anything this time of year.
I added rum to my buttercream because I like tradition, but you can omit it if you like. No problem at all.
But my thinking is that at this point in the holiday season rum can only help the situation. . . Have a lovely week!
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon rum flavor
- 1 1/4 cups whole milk
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 7 tablespoons eggnog
- 5 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon rum (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners and set aside.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small mixing bowl.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter on medium speed until light and smooth, about 2 minutes. Add sugar and beat for 2 minutes more. Stop mixer and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then beat in vanilla and rum flavoring.
- Add dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Continue mixing until flour is just incorporated. Divide batter evenly between prepared muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake cupcakes for 20 minutes, until just golden brown. Cool completely before frosting.
- Beat butter in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. With mixer on low, beat in eggnog until well combined. Slowly add powdered sugar, rum, and salt. Increase mixer to high speed and beat 3 minutes more, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. If buttercream is too thick add a bit more eggnog; if it’s too thin add a bit more powdered sugar.
- Frost cupcakes, serve, and enjoy. I used a large star tip to pipe the frosting.
Sage says
These were delicious. My family loves them – even the ones who normally won’t eat sweets .
laura marquis says
so cute!!
chworthington@q.com says
I love the eggnog in my latte too. It was so good. I am going to make this one and take them to a party.
Kelsie says
You’ll love them, Helen!
Kelsie says
Thank you, Laura! 🙂