Mother's Day Recipe- 4 Best Cupcakes That Will Bring Smile On Her Face

Whether you plan to play a few Mother's Day games or host the family for a delicious Mother's Day brunch, you can't go wrong with a batch of homemade cupcakes. After all, doesn't every mom deserve a Mother's Day dessert that’s sweet, pretty, and made with love? Here, you'll find Mother's Day cupcakes that anyone in the family can make—even the kiddos! So, gather your jimmies (or sprinkles, if you're in that camp), sugar pearls, and a boatload of frosting, icing, and glaze options, and put these cupcake decorating ideas to good use!

When it comes to making cupcakes, or any cakes made from scratch for that matter, the key is to start with a good cake recipe. Choose from your mom's favorite flavors: chocolate, carrot cake, vanilla, or a mocha recipe to match your mom's coffee order! Of course, this list also includes plenty of spring dessert flavors too, like strawberry cupcakes and lemon cupcakes with lavender frosting. Once your cupcakes are baked, you can decorate them to look like spring flowers, pretty berries, and other motifs you'd see in Mother's Day cookies, too. If you're not a pro-baker, don't fret! Take a word of advice from Ree Drummond that when it comes to decorating, "there are no rules."

# Champagne Cupcakes

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

1 15.25 oz box vanilla or white cake mix
1 c. sparkling wine, such as champagne, prosecco or cava
3 eggs
1/2 c. vegetable oil

For the champagne buttercream

2 sticks salted butter, softened (1 cup)
4 1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 tbsp. heavy cream
1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest, optional
1/4 c. sparkling wine, such as champagne, prosecco or cava, at room temperature
Gold and white sparkly sprinkles, for garnish

Method

For the cupcakes

- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk to combine the cake mix, sparkling wine, eggs and oil. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

- Fill each with 3-4 tablespoons of batter. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

- Let cool for 5 minutes in the pans, then transfer the cupcakes to a wire cooling rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.

- For the champagne buttercream: In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, 1-2 minutes.

- Add the powdered sugar, heavy cream, lemon zest (if using) and prosecco.

- Mix on low speed just until combined, then increase to medium-high speed and beat for 1-2 minutes, until light and fluffy.

- Spread the icing on the cupcakes or transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.

- Pipe the icing around the outer edge of the cupcake, spiraling into the center until the cupcake is completely covered. Top with sprinkles and serve.

# Dr Pepper Cupcakes

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

1 c. dried cherries, roughly chopped
1 c. Dr Pepper
1 c. (2 sticks) salted butter
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 c. boiling water
1/2 c. buttermilk
3 large eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/3 c. granulated sugar
2 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

For The Frosting

4 c. Dr Pepper
1 1/2 c. (3 sticks) salted butter, softened
2 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 tbsp. grated lemon zest
1 tbsp. grated orange zest
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Method

- Preheat the oven to 325˚. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper cupcake liners.

- For the cupcakes: Add the dried cherries to a medium saucepan. Pour in 1 cup of Dr Pepper, then bring it to a slow boil over medium heat. Cook it for 5 minutes, then remove it from the heat and set it aside to cool, about 20 minutes.

- In a separate saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder, then pour in the boiling water and whisk it together until smooth. Set this aside to cool.

- In a liquid measuring cup or bowl, combine the buttermilk, eggs, baking soda and vanilla and whisk until combined.

- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, granulated sugar and pumpkin pie spice.

- With the mixer on low, drizzle in the butter-cocoa mixture, then pour in the buttermilk mixture. Add the Dr Pepper–cherry mixture and mix until it’s all combined. (Scrape the sides of the bowl once halfway through.)

- Use an ice cream scoop or 1/4-cup measure to fill the cupcake liners with the batter. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool slightly, then remove them from the pan and allow to cool completely before frosting them.

- For the frosting: Gently boil the Dr Pepper in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced to about 1/2 cup, 20 to 25 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.

- Add the butter to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, then add the powdered sugar, zests and vanilla. Beat the heck out of it, scraping the sides of the bowl a couple of times, until the mixture is light and fluffy.

- With the mixer on low, slowly drizzle in the Dr Pepper reduction until it’s all been incorporated. Continue beating and scraping until the frosting is smooth and perfect. Then frost the cooled cupcakes.

# Key Lime Pie Cupcakes

Ingredients

For the curd and cupcakes:

1/4 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. bottled Key lime juice
1 large egg, plus 1 egg yolk
3 tbsp. salted butter, cut into pieces and chilled
1 15- to 16-ounce box white cake mix (plus required ingredients)

For the frosting:

1 stick salted butter, at room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 c. bottled Key lime juice
4 c.powdered sugar
Graham cracker crumbs and thin lime slices, for topping

Method

- Preheat the oven to 350 ̊. For the lime curd: Combine the granulated sugar, lime juice, egg and egg yolk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and whisk until the sugar dissolves, about 1 minute.

- Whisking constantly, add the butter, a few pieces at a time, waiting until it melts before adding more. Continue whisking until the curd is thick and coats the back of a spoon, 3 to 4 minutes.

- Transfer to a small bowl and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

- Meanwhile, for the cupcakes: Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. Prepare the cake mix according to the package directions for cupcakes. Bake and cool as directed.

- For the frosting: Beat the butter, cream cheese and lime juice in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.

- Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the powdered sugar. Continue to beat until just combined, 1 to 2 minutes.

- Use a paring knife to cut a small hole in the top of each cupcake, about 1/2 inch deep and 1/2 inch in diameter.

- Spoon 1/2 teaspoon lime curd into each hole. Spread the frosting on the cupcakes and sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs. Top each cupcake with a lime slice.

# Double Lemon Cupcakes

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:

Cooking spray
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/4 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. whole milk
3 tbsp.grated lemon zest (from 2 to 3 lemons)

For the Frosting:

3 to 4 cups powdered sugar
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp.grated lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
Candied lemon peel, for topping (optional)

Method

For the cupcakes

- Preheat the oven to 350˚. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners, then coat the liners with cooking spray.

- Beat the butter and eggs in a medium bowl with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until combined, with small bits of butter remaining, about 3 minutes. In another medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, milk and lemon zest.

- Add the butter mixture to the sugar mixture and beat with the mixer until combined. Mix in the flour mixture (switch to a wooden spoon if the batter is too thick for the mixer).

- Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes, then remove the cupcakes to the rack and let cool completely.

For the frosting

- Beat 3 cups powdered sugar, the cream cheese, butter, lemon juice and lemon zest with a mixer until light and fluffy; add more powdered sugar as needed to thicken the consistency.

- Pipe or spread the frosting on the cupcakes. Top with candied lemon peel, if desired.