20 Holiday Cupcakes to Make the Season More Festive

Rich and buttery vanilla cupcakes have a tender crumb and make a perfect base for these whimsical elves lost in fluffy frosting. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

My daughter, Elizabeth, came up with this incredible recipe. The cream cheese in the middle is a fun surprise when someone takes their first bite. —Julie Flournoy, Laurelville, OH

Our church Christmas party always includes these pretty cupcakes as my home-baked contribution. The holidays were the sweet inspiration for their cheery garnish of cherries. —Leanne Beagley, Rochester, New York

These cupcakes are sure to dazzle guests, especially children who love the glittery frosting. Display a few on your table for an eye-catching, and delicious, centerpiece.—Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Greendale, Wisconsin

You'll get a double dose of the spicy blend that's frequently used to flavor tea in these moist single-size cakes. Both the cupcake and frosting use the blend, which combines some of the best flavors of the season. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Need an easy decorating idea for cupcakes? Make your own adorable snowmen faces using vanilla frosting, course sugar, chocolate wafers and colored candies. —Karen Tack, Riverside, Connecticut

These luscious cupcakes have a touch of semisweet chocolate in the batter and white chocolate in the filling. They melt away fast at our house. —Patricia Harmon, Baden, Pennsylvania

My kids leave out at least one cupcake for Santa on Christmas Eve. These seemed appropriate! —Sharon Skildum, Maple Grove, Minnesota

My college friend shared this cupcake recipe that has pie crust on the bottom, raspberry jam in the middle and cake on top—scrumptious for a buffet or potluck. —Dana Beckstrom, Salt Lake City, Utah

We use creme de menthe, a liqueur that means “mint cream” in French, to add a cool touch to these impressive mascarpone-frosted cupcakes. —Keri Whitney, Castro Valley, California

I make these flavorful pumpkin cupcakes each Halloween, but they're wonderful year-round. —Amber Butzer, Gladstone, Oregon

If I want a creamier frosting on these, I add more eggnog. The nog lovers in your life won't complain! —Salina Moore, Woodward, Oklahoma

I love these cupcakes that are loaded with chocolate chips and chopped walnuts. My mom makes them for dessert on special occasions or for a sweet autumn snack. -Jacinta Ransom, South Haven, Michigan

I've been baking cakes for years and enjoy trying new combinations of flavors and textures. For this peanut butter cupcake recipe, I blended peanut butter and chocolate. As soon as I took the first bite, I knew I had created something divine! —Ronda Schabes, Vicksburg, Michigan

Smooth cream cheese inside makes these cupcakes so rich. The classic combination of peanut butter and chocolate chips comes through in every yummy bite. You'll be asked to make them again and again. —Shirley Dunbar, Mojave, California

My 3-year-old son loves these! Flecks of vanilla bean in the moist, tender cupcakes gives them special-occasion status. —Alysha Braun, St. Catharines, Ontario

A delightful coconut and ricotta cheese filling is hidden inside these chocolate cupcakes. —Dolores Skrout, Summerhill, Pennsylvania

Topped with a fluffy frosting and chocolate sprinkles, these extra-rich, extra-delicious cupcakes smell wonderful while baking and taste even better! —Mary Bilyeu, Ann Arbor, Michigan

I come from a line of family cooks and have liked to cook and bake since I was young. Mother and Grandmom were always in the kitchen cooking up something delicious. These carrot cupcakes were Grandmom's specialty, and we always have them at family gatherings. —Lisa Ann Panzino DiNunzio, Vineland, New Jersey

To help balance the sweetness of the brown sugar cupcake, we created a unique salty frosting. It's the best of both worlds! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen