Mini King Cake Cupcakes (Printable)

Tender cupcakes with cinnamon swirl topped in vibrant colored sugar, evoking New Orleans Mardi Gras flair.

# What you 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

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 until evenly distributed.
03 - In a separate bowl, combine milk, melted butter, egg, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth and well incorporated.
04 - Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Do not overmix to maintain tender crumb structure.
05 - In a small bowl, mix the melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon until fully combined.
06 - Spoon approximately 1 tablespoon of batter into each muffin cup. Top each with a small dollop of cinnamon filling and 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 before glazing.
09 - Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and pourable consistency is achieved.
10 - Drizzle glaze over cooled cupcakes. Immediately sprinkle with alternating bands of green, purple, and gold sanding sugar. Allow glaze to set completely before serving.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • They're small enough to bake in under 20 minutes, making them perfect for last-minute celebrations or when you want the reward without the wait.
  • The cinnamon swirl feels fancy but requires just a toothpick and a gentle hand—no special skills needed.
  • You can actually eat them without colored sugar ending up everywhere (okay, most of it stays off your face).
02 -
  • Overmixing is the biggest mistake I made the first time—it turns these delicate cupcakes dense and rubbery, so stop stirring the moment you don't see dry flour.
  • The cinnamon swirl only works if you swirl gently with a toothpick; aggressive swirling just blends it into the batter and you lose that beautiful spiral.
03 -
  • Room-temperature ingredients are non-negotiable here—they blend together smoothly and create a better crumb than cold ingredients fighting each other.
  • If you want to hide a plastic baby for tradition, press it into the top of a cooled cupcake after glazing (never bake it inside—safety first).
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