Almond Cupcakes with Whipped Almond Buttercream Frosting

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These almond cupcakes are soft, moist, and filled with sweet almond flavor. They’re topped with a silky whipped almond buttercream that makes them feel especially beautiful without being difficult to make. I love serving them for bridal showers, baby showers, birthdays, and holidays, but they’re just as welcome as a weekend treat. If you love classic bakery-style almond cake, this is one recipe you’ll want to save.

My Family is Obsessed with Almond Cake and Here’s why. e

Almond desserts have always been part of my family. My mom grew up eating almond cake because of her Dutch roots, and the rest of us happily jumped on the bandwagon when she introduced it to us.

We loved it so much that my sister served almond cake at her wedding—and I served the exact same cake at mine. So yes, you could say we take our almond cake pretty seriously.

Because of this obsession, I had to make sure I created and an almond cake recipe for the blog. This recipe is a semi-homemade recipe that has received numerous five star reviews and comments. It’s definitely a keeper!

So how do we make these beautiful almond cupcakes?

Key Ingredients

This is a traditional cupcake recipe made with simple baking ingredients. Here are a few ingredients that make the biggest difference:

• Unsalted butter: Let the butter soften properly before beginning. Softened butter creams smoothly with the sugar and helps produce a light, tender cupcake.
• Whole milk: Whole milk adds richness and moisture. I recommend using it instead of lower-fat milk for the best texture.
• Pure almond extract: This provides the defining sweet almond flavor in both the cupcakes and frosting.
• Vanilla extract: Vanilla softens and rounds out the almond flavor.
• Room-temperature eggs: Room-temperature eggs blend more evenly into the batter and help prevent overmixing.

TIP: Make sure all cold ingredients are room temperature. Room temperature ingredients mix more evenly with the other ingredients. Cold ingredients can hinder the creaming process causing over-mixing which will create a dense cupcake. 

How to make almond cupcakes and almond buttercream frosting:

As you can see the process to make almond cupcakes is simple! The key to success is to have the ingredients prepared and ready to go and to not over-mix the batter. 

Whipped Almond Buttercream Ingredients:

• Confectioners sugar: Confectioners sugar (powdered sugar) is used to create buttercream frosting. It absorbs liquid very well and once mixed together had a smooth and creamy finish. 
• Unsalted butter: Butter adds wonderful flavor and helps add structure to create a smooth yet pip able frosting. 
• Salt: A little salt balances the sweetness and enhances the almond flavor. 
• Almond & vanilla extract: Both almond and vanilla flavor the frosting. It’s warm and sweet!
• Boiling water: This secret ingredient helps dissolve the confectioners sugar creating a silky texture without adding any dairy flavor to the frosting. 

Tips for success: 

• Start with room-temperature ingredients. Softened butter, room-temperature eggs, and room-temperature milk blend into a smoother batter.
• Cream the butter and sugar thoroughly. Beat them for approximately 3 minutes, until the mixture looks light and fluffy. It’s important to incorporate are into the batter so the cupcakes turn out light and fluffy.
• Do not overmix the batter. Once you begin adding the flour, mix only until everything is combined.
• Fill the liners evenly. This allows all 12 cupcakes to finish baking at approximately the same time.
• Watch the cupcakes closely. Begin checking them at 15 minutes so they don’t become dry.
• Cool them completely. Even slightly warm cupcakes can melt the buttercream.
• Let the sugar mixture cool before adding butter. If it is still warm, your buttercream may become too loose to pipe.
• Keep whipping the frosting. The buttercream will initially look lumpy and watery. Continue whipping until it transforms into a fluffy frosting.

Can I Make These Ahead?

Yes. Bake the cupcakes one day ahead and store them in an airtight container once they have cooled completely.

The buttercream can also be prepared ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container. Let it return to room temperature, then whip it again briefly to restore its light texture before decorating the cupcakes.

How to Store Almond Cupcakes

Store frosted almond cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–5 days. Let them sit at room temperature for a little while before serving so the cake and buttercream can soften.

Unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap each cooled cupcake in plastic wrap and place them together in a freezer-safe container or bag. Thaw the cupcakes at room temperature before frosting.

Can I Make Mini Almond Cupcakes?

Yes. Divide the batter between lined mini muffin cups and begin checking them earlier since mini cupcakes bake much faster than standard cupcakes.

The exact baking time will depend on the size of your pan, so remove them when the tops spring back lightly and a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

Jess’s Final Thoughts

These cupcakes are light and fluffy, and that silky almond buttercream is so good I could practically sleep in it.

If you make them for a shower, birthday, holiday—or simply because you love almond desserts—I would love to hear what you think. Please leave a comment and rating below, and come follow me on Instagram for more simple recipes from my kitchen.

The best cupcake ever.

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Yield: 12 cupcakes

Almond Cupcakes with Almond Buttercream Frosting

4.4 Stars (51 Reviews)

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These almond cupcakes are soft, moist, and filled with sweet almond flavor. Each cupcake has a delicate crumb and is topped with silky whipped almond buttercream frosting. They’re a beautiful dessert for weddings, showers, birthdays, holidays, and other special occasions.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 15 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

Almond Cupcakes

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• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup (1 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1 cup whole milk, room temperature

Whipped Almond Buttercream Frosting

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• 4 cups confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)
• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter (3 sticks), room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup boiling water

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners and set it aside.
2. Add 1½ cups all-purpose flour, 1½ teaspoons baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt to a medium bowl. Whisk until combined and set aside.
3. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a handheld mixer, beat ½ cup softened unsalted butter and 1 cup granulated sugar for approximately 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
4. Add 2 large room-temperature eggs, 1½ teaspoons pure almond extract, and ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract. Mix until combined. The mixture may look slightly lumpy at this stage, which is okay.
5. Add one-third of the flour mixture and mix on medium-low speed just until incorporated. Add half of the 1 cup whole milk and mix until combined. Repeat with another third of the flour mixture and the remaining milk. Add the final third of the flour mixture and mix only until combined. Do not overmix.
6. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners, filling each approximately three-quarters full.
7. Bake the cupcakes for 15–20 minutes. Begin checking them at 15 minutes; mine are usually ready at approximately 17 minutes. The cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached.
8. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 1–2 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. To prepare the buttercream, bring ½ cup water to a boil. Add 4 cups confectioners’ sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
10. Carefully pour the ½ cup boiling water over the confectioners’ sugar. Mix on low speed for 4 minutes, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure all the sugar has dissolved.
11. Mix in 2 teaspoons pure almond extract, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
12. Check that the sugar mixture has cooled to room temperature before adding the butter. If it is still warm, let it cool for a few minutes.
13. Add 1½ cups softened unsalted butter and mix on low speed for 3 minutes. The mixture may initially look thin, watery, or lumpy.
14. Increase the mixer to medium speed and continue whipping for 2–10 minutes, or until the buttercream becomes light, fluffy, and similar in appearance to whipped cream.
15. Pipe the buttercream onto the completely cooled cupcakes. Decorate with sprinkles and serve.

Notes

Cupcakes will last 3-5 days in an airtight container stored in the refrigerator.

You can also freeze cupcakes for up to six months. To prevent freezer burn, individually wrap cupcakes in plastic and then foil. Thaw them at room temperature and then frost before serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 501Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 222mgCarbohydrates: 67gFiber: 0gSugar: 54gProtein: 4g

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Cupcake recipe slightly adapted from Taste and Tell and Frosting slightly adapted from Wicked Good Kitchen.

Photo credit: Culinary Captured