Mini King Cake Cupcakes (Printable)

Bite-sized cinnamon swirl cupcakes topped with vibrant colored sugar for a festive touch.

# Components:

→ 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

# Directions:

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 melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon for the filling.
06 - Spoon approximately 1 tablespoon of batter into each muffin cup. Top each with a small dollop 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 Advice:

01 -
  • They bake in under 20 minutes, which means you can have festive cupcakes ready before anyone expects dessert.
  • The cinnamon swirl is subtle enough to let the tender crumb shine, but bold enough to make people ask what makes them taste so irresistible.
  • One cupcake is the perfect amount—no overcommitting to an entire slice, just pure indulgence in two bites.
02 -
  • Overmixing the batter is the fastest way to go from tender to tough, so if you're not sure you're done, you probably are done.
  • Room temperature ingredients mix more smoothly and create a more cohesive batter that rises evenly without developing odd tunnels or dense spots.
  • Apply the colored sugar while the glaze is still tacky—waiting even five minutes means the sugar will slide off and leave bare spots that look unfinished.
03 -
  • Use a small ice cream scoop or melon baller to portion batter into the tiny cups—it ensures even sizes and takes the guesswork out of fill amounts.
  • Invest in actual sanding sugar rather than regular sprinkles; it stays crisp and colorful while regular sprinkles absorb moisture and become soft and sticky.
  • If your glaze is too thin, whisk in another tablespoon of powdered sugar; if it's too thick, add milk one teaspoon at a time until you reach that perfect, pourable consistency.
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