Go Back
Almond cupcake with almond buttercream frosting on white plate
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Almond Cupcakes

For a simple and elegant cupcake choice, almond cupcakes are the way to go. Light and airy and bathed in almond-flavoured sugar syrup, these little cakes stay moist for days. Top them off with some almond buttercream and you have a dessert to be proud of!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Cooling Time10 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Dessert
Servings: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

Almond Cupcakes

  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature (110 grams)
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar (150 grams)
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour (250 grams)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ cup milk (whole or 2%), room temperature (125 millilitres)
  • 1 teaspoon Amaretto liqueur or almond extract

Almond Sugar Syrup

  • ⅔ cup granulated sugar (135 grams)
  • ½ cup water (125 millilitres)
  • 1 teaspoon Amaretto liqueur or almond extract

Decorating Suggestions

  • 1 batch Almond buttercream frosting
  • sprinkles

Instructions

Make the Cupcakes

  • Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and use paper cupcake liners to line a 12-hole muffin pan.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or use a large bowl and a handheld mixer), cream the butter and sugar until it's light and fluffy. This will take about 5 minutes. Keep scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure all of the butter and sugar are incorporated.
  • Add the eggs one at a time into the batter. Continue to mix between each addition.
  • Measure the flour and baking powder into a bowl and mix the milk and Amaretto or almond extract together in a separate bowl.
  • Add one-third of the flour to the butter mixture and beat. Follow with one-third of the milk mixture. Continue to beat the batter. Repeat alternating the flour and milk until everything has been added. Mix only until the last traces of flour have disappeared and the batter is smooth.
  • Spoon the batter into the muffin tin, filling each cup until ⅔ full. The batter will rise up as it bakes.
  • Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 20 - 25 minutes or until the tops of the cupcakes are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cupcake comes out clean.
  • Let the cupcakes cool for 10 minutes in the muffin pan.

Make Almond Sugar Syrup

  • Add sugar, water, and Amaretto or almond extract to a small bowl and microwave for about 1 ½ minutes until all of the sugar has melted. Give everything a good stir to make sure everything is combined.
  • While the cupcakes are still warm, dip the tops into the almond syrup for a couple of minutes, then place on a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Decorate the cupcakes with Almond Buttercream Frosting or another frosting of your choosing.

Notes

Try these cupcakes with my easy Vanilla Almond Buttercream Frosting.
  • Start with room temperature ingredients. Allow the eggs, milk, and butter to come to room temperature before you start mixing. This will ensure a smooth batter.
  • Don’t overfill cupcake liners. Any more than ¾ full and the liners could overflow as the batter rises.
  • Mix lightly. Be careful not to over mix the batter or your cupcakes could turn out dense.

Storage

Unfrosted cupcakes: Keep them at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The cupcakes will become somewhat sticky on the top when they are stored, so ensure the container is tall enough, so the lid doesn’t touch the top of your cupcake domes. You don’t want to tear off the top of the cupcakes when you remove the lid.
Also, don’t stack the cupcakes on top of one another when you’re storing them as they could stick together and the tops could tear when you separate them.
Frosted cupcakes: If you’re frosting with buttercream, they can be kept at room temperature for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
* Adapted from the original recipe 'White Amaretto Cupcakes' from Cupcakes from the Primrose Bakery.