Ice Cream Cupcakes

These cute-as-a-button Ice Cream Cupcakes are sure to be a hit with kids of all ages. They combine two favorite desserts, cake and ice cream, into one fun treat, all served in a crispy edible ice cream cone. Perfect for birthday parties, summer parties, or anytime you’re craving a sweet Southern-style dessert.

Easy Ice Cream Cupcakes Recipe

For these cute-as-a-button Ice Cream Cupcakes, I’m giving you two delicious serving options. If you’re making them ahead for a birthday party, bake sale, or celebration, top them with homemade buttercream frosting scooped onto the cupcakes to resemble classic scoops of ice cream. It’s an adorable presentation that holds up beautifully and can be decorated with sprinkles, cherries, or colorful candies.

If you’re serving them for dessert at home or at a summertime gathering, top each cupcake with a real scoop of your favorite ice cream just before serving. Either way, you’ll end up with a fun, nostalgic treat that’s guaranteed to delight kids and adults alike.

Key ingredients to make simple Ice Cream Cupcakes: (Scroll down for full printable recipe card and quantities.)

• Flour – All purpose flour forms the base of the cake batter.
• Leavening and Salt – Baking powder gives rise to the cupcakes while baking and salt balances the flavor.
• Fat – Solid vegetable shortening or butter for richness.
• Whole Eggs – Large eggs stabilize the batter.
• Liquid – Buttermilk or whole milk for moisture.
• Flavoring – Vanilla extract adds creamy floral notes to the taste. .
• Ice Cream – A scoop of ice cream in any flavor you love.
• Buttercream Icing – Salted butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, strawberry extract and heavy cream.
• Decorations – Store-bought hot fudge sauce, maraschino cherries, sprinkles and broken sugar cones and waffle bowls.

How to Make the Best Ice Cream Cupcakes Recipe

• Heat Oven Prepare Pan – Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 18 cups of two standard size cupcake pans with liners. Set aside.
• Sift Dry Ingredients – Use a whisk to sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
• Creamed Ingredients – Beat butter with sugar then add the eggs. Beat until fluffy and combined.
• Combine – Add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk beginning and ending with flour. Add vanilla extract, beat just until evenly distributed.
• Divide Cupcake Batter – Use a scoop to divide the batter between evenly filling each liner about 2/3 full.
• Oven – Bake per the recipe until the top springs back when touched or a toothpick inserted into the center comes back clean.
• Cool – Cool in the pan for 5 minutes then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.
• Make Buttercream Icing – Cream the butter gradually adding powdered sugar. Add vanilla beating until combined. Scoop onto the cupcakes.
• Ice Cream – If using ice cream, place a scoop on top.
• Decorate – Warm hot fudge sauce in the microwave just until drizzle consistency (not hot). Drizzle the buttercream with chocolate and decorate with sprinkles while chocolate is still wet, topping with a cherry and broken sugar cone pieces. Place into a cupcake keeper and chill until serving.
• Chill or Freeze – Chill buttercream topped cupcakes or freeze ice cream topped cupcakes until serving.

Kitchen Equipment to Make Ice Cream Cupcakes

• Two 12 cup muffin tin and paper cupcake liners. You’ll only use 18 wells of the cupcake pan.
• Electric mixer. You can use a hand mixer or a stand mixer.
• Balloon whisk.
• Large bowl, medium bowl, small bowl.
• Measuring cups and measuring spoons.
• Ice cream scoop.

Recipe Variations, Tips and Substitutions

• Ice Cream Topping – You can use ANY of your favorite flavors of ice cream that you like. Vanilla ice cream, strawberry ice cream or chocolate ice cream.
• Hot Fudge – For a shortcut, you can use a store-bought hot fudge sauce or Magic Shell. You could top these with caramel and a dollop of whipped cream, too.
• Decorations – Maraschino cherries (with or without the stem) broken sugar cones, jimmies and sprinkles. Use any of your favorite ice cream toppings.
• Nuts – You could sprinkle with chopped peanuts, pecans or walnuts.
• Cake Mix Hack – Can I use a cake mix? You sure can! If using a cake mix makes life a little easier, go right ahead. A butter or yellow cake mix is a great choice, and chocolate cake mix is perfect if you’d like to offer a variety of flavors. These Ice Cream Cupcakes are all about having fun, so don’t be afraid to mix things up and make them just the way your family loves them.
• Buttercream Icing – Should you serve these frosted with homemade buttercream frosting you can serve them in cupcake liners without the waffle cone bowl. The garnishes of maraschino cherries, sprinkle and broken sugar cones is the same either way.
• Serving Options – Should you serve these cupcakes topped with a scoop of ice cream you can remove the cupcake liner, place the cupcake into a waffle cone bowl, top with a generous scoop of ice cream. Next, drizzle the ice cream with melted chocolate or magic shell, colorful sprinkles and garnish with a maraschino cherry and a piece of broken sugar cones and serve.

Storage and Leftovers

• Make-Ahead Tip – When making these topped with ice cream, you can still make them in advance and simply freeze until serving. When doing so, fully assemble with the liner, then remove the liner prior to popping into a waffle cone bowl for eating.
• Bake the Cupcakes in Advance – If you want to assemble these Ice Cream Cupcakes just before serving, bake the cupcakes up to 2 days in advance and store chilled in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to make the final cupcakes.
• Freezer – You can freeze ice cream cupcakes for up to 2 months.

More Cupcake Recipes to Make

• You’ll thrill your dessert lovers with my hand held Banana Pudding Cupcakes!
• These Chocolate Samoa Cupcakes are topped with toasted coconut and drizzled with caramel.
• Red Velvet Cupcakes are perfection for showers, weddings and special events.
• Red White and Blue Cupcakes are ready for any Patriotic celebration.
• The Double Chocolate Cupcakes are topped with a homemade peanut butter cream that’s to die for.
• Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes are a nostalgic dessert that never gets old.
• Start your morning with a Caramel Macchiato Cupcakes with your cup of joe.
• Devil’s Food Cupcakes from Recipe Girl.

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Helpful Kitchen Items:

• Cupcake Pan
• Ice Cream Scoops
• Mixer
• Measuring Set