These honey cupcakes are soft, moist, and topped with a creamy honey frosting. If you love the sweet flavor of honey, you'll want to try these cupcakes!
This honey cupcake recipe replaces a portion of white sugar with sweet honey. They have a subtle honey flavor that's not too overpowering but definitely noticeable.
When paired with the honey buttercream frosting, these cupcakes are perfect to serve at any and all special occasions.
Check out these mini honey cheesecakes too!
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Why You'll Love These Cupcakes
- They have a fluffy and tender texture.
- They're easy to make using just 2 mixing bowls.
- The honey cake has a subtle almond flavor.
- All you need are simple ingredients!
Honey pairs well with so many flavors, so you could definitely top each cupcake with lemon zest, edible flowers, or even an additional drizzle of honey.
If you are a honey lover, I highly recommend you make these cupcakes!
Ingredients Needed
Here are some notes on the ingredients we'll be using. For the full ingredients list, look at the recipe card below.
- Flour: I used all purpose flour.
- Oil: You can use either vegetable oil or canola.
- Honey: You can use your favorite honey. I personally love Local Hive Honey and used that in these cupcakes.
- Yogurt: Use either plain or vanilla yogurt. You could also use sour cream.
- Eggs: Adding an extra egg white helps the cupcakes to be more light and fluffy.
- Almond Extract: I added a ½ teaspoon of almond extract to the cupcake batter, but if you would prefer honey vanilla cupcakes, substitute it with vanilla extract.
- Milk: I used 2% milk, but you could also use whole milk or even almond milk.
Instructions
Here are the step by step instructions on how to make the best honey cupcakes.
Step 1: Dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Step 2: Wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, honey, yogurt, egg, egg white, and almond extract until combined.
Step 3: Combine the ingredients. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk to the wet ingredients (flour, milk, flour), whisking just until everything is combined.
Step 4: Bake. Fill the cupcake liners ⅔ of the way full and bake for 15-20 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool for 10 minutes in the pan before transferring them over to a wire rack.
Honey Buttercream Frosting
In the bowl of an electric mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the unsalted butter on high speed until creamy (about 1-2 minutes).
Add the powdered sugar, honey, and vanilla extract and mix on low speed until combined (about 30 seconds).
Then increase the speed to high and beat for another 1-2 minutes.
Use a pastry bag and your favorite piping tip (I used the Wilton 6B) to decorate the tops of the cupcakes.
Storage Tips
Keep any leftover cupcakes in an airtight container on the counter for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Expert Baking Tips
- Measuring Flour: To help ensure you don’t add extra flour, follow these three simple steps: 1) Fluff up the flour using a fork. 2) Spoon the flour into your measuring cup. 3) Scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level out the flour.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Use room temperature ingredients if that's what the recipe calls for. This helps to ensure the best quality in both flavor and texture.
- Cupcake Batter: Fill the cupcake liners ⅔ of the way full, which is just under 3 tablespoons of batter. I use a cookie scoop to help with this.
- Cooled Cupcakes: The cupcakes need to be fully cooled before topping with the frosting. If not, the frosting will melt right off.
Recipe FAQs
After lots of cupcake recipe testing in my own kitchen, I find that these 3 methods will result in moist cupcakes every time: using room temperature ingredients, alternating adding the flour and milk mixture, and using yogurt.
Absolutely! Make the cupcakes the night before and either cover the cupcake pan with plastic wrap or keep them sealed in a ziploc bag. Then make the frosting the next day and decorate!
Have you checked the expiration date on your baking powder lately? Commonly enough this will be the reason why your baked goods did not rise properly. The other reason could be because you overmixed the batter.
If you made this recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below. I love hearing from you! Also, please tag me on Instagram and check out my Pinterest for even more recipe ideas.
It brings me so much joy to see you make my recipes. 🙂
Happy Baking!
More Cupcake Recipes
📖 Recipe
Honey Cupcakes with Honey Frosting
Equipment
- 12-count muffin pan
- Mixing Bowls
- Electric Stand Mixer
Ingredients:
Honey Cupcakes
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil (or canola)
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup yogurt (plain or vanilla), room temperature
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 large egg white, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ cup milk, room temperature
Honey Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 2 sticks
- 2 ¼ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners.
Honey Cupcakes
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, honey, yogurt, egg, egg white, and almond extract until combined.
- Alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk to the wet ingredients (flour, milk, flour), whisking just until everything is combined (be careful not to overmix).
- Fill each cupcake liner ⅔ of the way full (just under 3 tablespoons of batter) and bake for 15-20 minutes. Use a toothpick to check the centers for doneness and let the cupcakes cool for 10 minutes in the pan before transferring them over to a wire rack to cool completely.
Honey Frosting
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until creamy (about 1-2 minutes). Add the powdered sugar, honey, and vanilla extract and mix on low speed until combined (about 30 seconds).
- Then increase the speed to high and beat for another 1-2 minutes (frosting should be light and creamy).
- Frost the cooled cupcakes. I placed the frosting in a piping bag and used the Wilton 6B piping tip.
- Store leftover cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes:
- Measuring Flour: To help ensure you don’t add extra flour, follow these three simple steps: 1) Fluff up the flour using a fork. 2) Spoon the flour into your measuring cup. 3) Scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level out the flour.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Use room temperature ingredients if that's what the recipe calls for. This helps to ensure the best quality in both flavor and texture.
- Cupcake Batter: Fill the cupcake liners ⅔ of the way full, which is just under 3 tablespoons of batter. I use a cookie scoop to help with this.
- Cooled Cupcakes: The cupcakes need to be fully cooled before topping with the frosting. If not, the frosting will melt right off.
These cupcakes are soft, moist, and have a subtle honey flavor. I love the honey frosting on top!
I used this recipe to make 3 dozen cupcakes for my daughter’s first “bee” day. They turned out AMAZING! Mine did change color towards the bottoms on the inside and turn a little dark, but it didn’t affect the taste, and I’m sure it was user error. Awesome recipe!
That's so cute!! I hope you had a fantastic day celebrating your daughter's first birthday 🙂 Thank you for letting me be apart of it through my recipe!