French Vanilla Cappuccino Cupcakes are light, fluffy cupcakes with a sweet French vanilla cappuccino buttercream that is out of this world! Made with a doctored-up boxed cake mix!
Check out these Oreo Cupcakes or Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes to bake up another batch of cupcakes made with a boxed cake mix!
We love pretty much any cupcake recipe, but these French Vanilla Cappuccino Cupcakes are at the top of our favorites list! Between the French vanilla cupcakes and frosting made with French vanilla cappuccino powder, the flavoring in these is spot on!
These cupcakes take me back to getting a cappuccino from the machine at the convenience store growing up; it was a special treat at the time that always made me feel more grown up. The quality of the store-bought cappuccino may have been low, but the quality of flavor in these cupcakes is high, just like those childhood memories!
Biting Into A French Vanilla Cappuccino Cupcake
Taste: I made sure to cover all the bases to create the best-tasting cappuccino-flavored dessert! The high-quality flavor in these cupcakes is made possible with ingredients such as French vanilla pudding mix, coffee extract, and French vanilla cappuccino powder.
Texture: Don’t let the boxed mix fool you; with sour cream, whole milk, and oil, these come out amazingly light and fluffy! With each moist bite topped with creamy frosting, the result is anything other than an ordinary boxed mix cupcake!
Key Ingredients
These delicious cupcakes have a few key ingredients that the recipe is built around. First is the vanilla boxed cake mix. This can be any brand you prefer; just make sure it’s a 15 to 16-oz boxed mix.
The second key ingredient is added to it, French vanilla instant pudding mix. This will complete these cupcakes’ standout French vanilla flavoring before moving on to the frosting.
The remaining key ingredients are coffee extract and French vanilla cappuccino powder (affiliate link). These will bring that cozy, smooth cappuccino flavoring to your taste buds, ultimately bringing these cupcakes to life!
Kitchen Tips & Tricks To Make The Best Cupcakes
- Rice Trick – Cupcake recipes made with butter or oil can cause the bottoms of the cupcake liners to become oily and greasy. To prevent this, pour a little bit of uncooked rice into the bottom of each well of the muffin tin. Next, place your cupcake liners on the rice and fill them with batter. While the cupcakes are baking, the rice absorbs any greasy or oily residue, which allows the bottoms of the cupcakes to come out clean and dry!
- Filling – Don’t overfill the cupcake liners! Filling each liner with 3 tablespoons of batter produces nicely shaped cupcakes. I used a medium cookie scoop to put 2 scoops in instead of using a tablespoon to measure the batter. Try to put the same amount in each liner so that all of the cupcakes finish baking at the same time without having any that are under or over-baked.
- Reduce Heat – It’s important to note that the oven is preheated at 400 degrees F. However, 5 minutes after the cupcakes go into the oven, you must reduce the heat to 350 degrees F for the remainder of the baking time. If you forget to reduce the heat, the cupcakes will overbake and could come out dry and crumbly!
- Frosting – Make the consistency of the frosting to your liking by adding a little more heavy cream or powdered sugar as needed.
- Finishing – These cupcakes have a nice, finished appearance when the frosting is piped on with a star tip! I also like to add sprinkles; however, doing so is up to you!
French Vanilla Cappuccino Cupcakes are a fun yet easy way to dabble with making specialty-style cupcakes! Another tasty one to try is these Coffee Maple Bacon Cupcakes that are finished off with a sprinkle of real bacon!
For another level of specialty, try making cupcakes with a fun surprise filling! My Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes and Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes both have a fun, tasty surprise waiting on the inside!
You can always practice making fancy cupcakes for your kids first by baking up a batch of Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes or Chocolate Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cupcakes!
Storage Instructions
Store these cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. If cupcakes haven’t been frosted yet, they can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Cappuccino Cupcakes FAQs
Do I Make The Cake Mix According To The Instructions On The Cake Mix Box?
You do not make the cake mix according to the box mix instructions. Instead, the dry cake mix is added to a bowl in its dry state. From there, the ingredients listed on the recipe card are added to it to create the cupcake batter.
Do I Prepare The Pudding Before Adding It To The Cupcake Batter?
No, the pudding mix powder is added in as is. Therefore, you do not need to prepare the pudding mix according to the instructions on the box.
Where Do I Find French Vanilla Cappuccino Powder In The Grocery Store?
The cappuccino powder is typically found in the aisle by the coffee. If it’s not there, try checking by the hot chocolate mix. You can also order it from Amazon!
Can I Make These Cupcakes Ahead Of Time?
The cupcakes themselves can be made ahead of time. To do so, bake them according to the recipe instructions and then wrap each individually in plastic wrap once completely cooled.
Afterward, place the wrapped cupcakes into an airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months. When you’re ready to serve first, allow them to thaw completely and then top them with freshly made frosting.
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If you’ve tried this recipe, please let me know how you liked it in the comments below and leave a review; I love hearing from you! And don’t forget to tag me – @sugarandsoulco – on Instagram and Pinterest with your photos or join our Sugar & Soul Show-offs Community and share them there, where you can join our recipe challenges and win prizes!
This recipe was originally published in May 2014 and was retested and updated in March 2023.
French Vanilla Cappuccino Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 (15 to 16 oz) box vanilla cake mix or white (unprepared)
- 1 (3.4 oz) box french vanilla instant pudding mix or vanilla (unprepared)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup sour cream
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon coffee extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup Hills Bros. French Vanilla Cappuccino Powder
- 2 teaspoons coffee extract
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- sprinkles optional topping
Instructions
Cupcake:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Set aside.
- Whisk together 1 (15 to 16 oz) box vanilla cake mix, 1 (3.4 oz) box french vanilla instant pudding mix, and ¼ teaspoon salt to a large bowl or stand mixer.
- Add 3 large eggs, ½ cup sour cream, ⅓ cup vegetable oil, ¾ cup whole milk, 1 tablespoon coffee extract, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to the cake mix and beat until fully combined and smooth. About 1 minute.
- Add 3 tablespoons of batter to each cupcake liner (about 2 medium cookie scoops worth).
- Bake for 5 minutes then reduce heat to 350°F and bake for another 13 to 16 minutes until the tops spring back when touched and a toothpick comes back clean from the center.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cupcakes to cool for a few minutes in the pan before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Frosting:
- In a large bowl or stand mixer fitter with a paddle attachment, cream 1 cup unsalted butter for 1 minute.
- Add 4 cups powdered sugar ½ cup at a time, mixing after each addition.
- Add 1 cup Hills Bros. French Vanilla Cappuccino Powder and 2 teaspoons coffee extract and mix until fully incorporated.
- Slowly add ⅓ cup heavy cream, while mixing on high speed, continue to whip for 1 to 2 minutes until the frosting is thick and fluffy. Add a little more heavy cream or powdered sugar as needed to reach your desired consistency.
- Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star tip and frost the cooled cupcakes. Top with sprinkles if desired.
Notes
- How To Store: Store these cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. If cupcakes haven’t been frosted yet, they can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Do I Make The Cake Mix According To The Instructions On The Cake Mix Box? You do not make the cake mix according to the box mix instructions. Instead, the dry cake mix is added to a bowl in its dry state. From there, the ingredients listed on the recipe card are added to it to create the cupcake batter.
- Do I Prepare The Pudding Before Adding It To The Cupcake Batter? No, the pudding mix powder is added in as is. Therefore, you do not need to prepare the pudding mix according to the instructions on the box.
- Where Do I Find French Vanilla Cappuccino Powder In The Grocery Store? The cappuccino powder is typically found in the aisle by the coffee. If it’s not there, try checking by the hot chocolate mix. You can also order it from amazon!
- Can I Make These Cupcakes Ahead Of Time? The cupcakes themselves can be made ahead of time. To do so, bake them according to the recipe instructions and then wrap each individually in plastic wrap once completely cooled. Afterward, place the wrapped cupcakes into an airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months. When you’re ready to serve first, allow them to thaw completely and then top them with freshly made frosting.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Comments & Reviews
Maxine says
Has anyone tried making this as a cake instead of a cupcake?
Julie says
I don’t have instant espresso on hand for the frosting, is there a substitute I could use?
Rebecca Hubbell says
I would just skip it.
Rebekah says
Love the cupcake. It’s literally melt in your mouth!! I didn’t have any problems with them sinking either. But the frosting is just terrible. It’s too gritty with the powdered cappuccino mix. It’s really bad no matter how much cream I added or how much I beat it, the grit never came out. So overall very disappointing because the frosting is what really caught my eye with this recipe. Maybe putting the cappucinno mix in the processor and pulsing until very fine would make a huge difference, but bleh just adding it straight up. Also, the coffee extract made my frosting darker than i would have liked unless there is a clear coffee extract that I’m not aware of. Anyways, flavors are on point with this one but the frosting is absolutely not right. Sad 🙁
STEPHANIE says
I probably shouldn’t ask this but since I had 4 of these in one sitting I’m feeling rather guilty about it. So… dare I ask how many calories are in one of these, minus the frosting?
Rebecca says
Haha… I honestly don’t know. When it comes to cupcakes I try to just live in denial of the calories 😉