Easy Eggnog Cupcakes with Spiced Rum Whipped Cream Frosting

eggnog cupcakes on a platter dusted with nutmeg

Easy Eggnog Cupcakes with Spiced Rum Whipped Cream Frosting

This alcohol-free recipe captures the familiar flavor of spiced and spiked holiday eggnog into a scrumptious batch of cupcakes topped with a spiced rum whipped cream frosting.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 15

Total Time 45

Servings cupcakes

Calories 258kcal

Author Amee

Equipment

2 12-cup muffin tins
Mixing bowls

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

13.25 oz box vanilla cake mix *I used Duncan Hines Super Moist cake mix (if you're using a 15.25 oz box- see notes!)
1 cup prepared eggnog
⅓ cup avocado oil or neutral tasting oil of choice
3 large eggs
1 tsp rum extract
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp nutmeg *freshly grated recommended
¼ tsp ground cinnamon

For the spiced rum whipped cream frosting

2 tsp unflavored gelatin
3 tbsp cold water
3 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tsp rum extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
*freshly grated nutmeg for garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line 21 muffin cups with parchment cupcake liners.
In a large bowl with a hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat the cake mix, eggnog, oil, eggs, rum extract, vanilla extract, nutmeg, and cinnamon on low speed for 30 seconds. Then, increase the speed to high and mix for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times during the process.
Pour the batter into the muffin cups using about 3 tbsp each (I use a 3 tbsp cookie scoop for this), then bake until the cupcakes are set and pass the toothpick test (13-18 minutes-mine were perfect at 15 minutes). Let the cupcakes stand in the muffin pan for 5 minutes before removing and placing them on a wire rack to finish cooling.
Pour the gelatin into a pyrex measuring cup or small bowl. Add the cold water and stir until all of the gelatin has been absorbed. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Add cold heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and both rum and vanilla extract to a chilled bowl (I place it in the fridge while the cupcakes are baking) and beat until thickened but not quite reaching soft peaks. If the gelatin has solidified, pop it into the microwave for 5-10 seconds until it has reliquified (you want it to be liquid but not hot). Stir until smooth. Turn the mixer back on low speed and slowly drizzle in the gelatin. Slowly increase the speed to medium-high and beat until soft peaks form (do not overmix- it should have the consistency of thick shaving cream so you can easily pipe it onto the cupcakes).
Once the cupcakes are cooled completely, use a piping bag fitted with a large star tip to swirl each cupcake with rum whipped cream frosting. No piping bag? Cut off the end from one corner of a zip-top bag to use as a piping bag.
Top each frosted cupcake with freshly grated nutmeg for the perfect finishing touch. Cheers!

Notes

If you are using the larger 15.25 oz box of cake mix, swap the liquid 1:1 with eggnog and the avocado oil 1:1 for the amount of oil needed according to the box directions. The larger size mix makes 24 cupcakes.
I highly recommend using fresh nutmeg and grating it with a microplane zester, if possible. The flavor of fresh nutmeg is far superior to ground nutmeg.
I’ve used Greenwise organic eggnog and Horizon organic eggnog with great results. Some of them have too many additives that can affect both the flavor and texture.
A 3-tablespoon ice cream scoop is just the right amount of batter for each cup, so the batter doesn't spill over while baking.
Chill your frosting mixing bowl. Doing so makes it much easier to whip the cream, sugar, vanilla, and rum extract into a thick, fluffy frosting.

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