Dr. Pepper Cupcakes

When it comes to making fun cupcakes you really can’t go wrong. Dr. Pepper cupcakes are adorable but they’re also indulgent. Who doesn’t love a double dose of chocolatey goodness?!

These cupcakes use cocoa powder in both the frosting and the cake mix to really compliment the Dr. Pepper flavor. There’s so many layers of flavor in these tasty little cakes you’ll never want to make any other kind!

For the cupcakes part of this recipe you’ll need some pretty standard baking ingredients. I’ll lay them out for you here but you can always find the full amounts and ingredients in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

This recipe uses a yellow cake mix, vegetable oil, eggs, Dr. Pepper soda, cocoa powder, and some brown or black cupcake liners to complete the overall aesthetic of the recipe.

You can absolutely swap out the cake mix for one that is conducive to any dietary restrictions you might have. There are a lot of great options out there these days for gluten free baking.

Use a cake mix (yellow or white is best) and follow the rest of the instructions. Apart from the cake mix itself you shouldn’t have too many issues with finding gluten in the other ingredients!

To make the Dr. Pepper frosting for these easy cupcakes you will need a few more ingredients and supplies for piping the frosting onto the cupcakes. Check out the list here and get the full amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the post!

The frosting recipe will require salted butter, powdered sugar, chocolate syrup, cocoa powder, half and half or whole milk, and Dr. Pepper soda. That’s all you’ll need for the icing itself.

To decorate the cupcakes you will need a piping bag and a large round frosting tip, paper straws, and red sanding sugar. Those last two things are optional if you don’t want to get too fancy with the decorating, it’s no big deal. It won’t impact the overall taste of the cupcakes!

When you head into the kitchen to make some of these great cupcakes you’ll want to have the best tools on hand.

I like half sheet baking pans that are quality (hello no noisy pops or sloshed cookie dough from twisting), I line my cookie sheets with silicone baking mats. These are great for all kinds of baking and not just cookies! My husband loves them for making biscuits, pizzas, and more!

Of course mixing bowls, a mixer, spatula, and some whisks should be on your list if you don’t have ones that you love. I also like to have a set of cooling racks so that my recipes can properly cool before they’re scarfed down by my family!

Making Dr. Pepper cupcakes is easier than you think. Even the tasty frosting is whipped up from scratch (more on that below) but for now let’s prep these easy and tasty cupcakes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray or line a standard muffin tin.

Steps 1-2: Add cake mix to a large mixing bowl. Using a hand or stand mixer, add in your oil, eggs, and soda, and mix on medium until well incorporated. Mix in 1 cup of cocoa powder.

Step 3: Add batter into the muffin tin until each is about 2/3 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

The icing for these cupcakes is homemade but don’t worry, it’s not super complicated. In just a few more simple steps you’ll have a flavorful and delicious frosting that is also Dr. Pepper flavored to really bump up the overall experience of your cupcakes.

Step 4: In a large mixing bowl, using an electric hand or stand mixer, cream the butter, and beat until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).

Step 5: Mix in the cocoa powder and chocolate syrup.

Step 6: Mix the half and half or milk and Dr. Pepper soda together. (If you don’t, the soda on its own will break your frosting)

Step 7: Slowly mix in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, while adding a bit of the liquid mixture from Step 6 in between each cup. Continue to mix for 1-2 minutes or until creamy, but don’t over mix!

Step 8: Prepare a piping bag and fill the bag with frosting and frost your cupcakes. Add your red sanding sugar and straw if desired. Enjoy! Makes 24 cupcakes.

If you like making cupcakes you will definitely want to try some of these other tasty treats. Cupcakes are the best because you can eat them on the go, share them, and include them in dessert trays.

For those of you looking for other delicious cupcake recipes be sure to let us know in the comments which are your favorites. These cupcakes are easy to make and perfect for sharing with coworkers, friends, family, and even classmates for your kids!

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