Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

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These Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes are made of light and fluffy, rainbow sprinkle-filled cupcake batter baked in ice cream cones and topped with creamy vanilla buttercream. How better to celebrate summer than with a cupcake that looks like ice cream?

Sprinkle Cupcakes Baked in Ice Cream Cones!

I love a fun, unique dessert that turns heads and delights taste buds. These ice cream cone cupcakes do just that. Two classic kid favorites (ice cream cones and cupcakes) are tied into one dessert. It’s a childhood dream.

Ice cream cones serve as the base for these delicious cupcakes. Stand up your ice cream cones in muffin tins, fill them with light, fluffy, rainbow sprinkle-loaded vanilla cupcake batter and bake! Mine are topped with vanilla buttercream and colorful sprinkles, but the options are endless. The end result is so fun and festive!

Why You’ll Love This Fun Cupcake Recipe

There are endless reasons to love these party-ready ice cream cone cupcakes. They really are a treat. Here are a few of my favorite things about them.

• Show-stopping. We see cupcakes and ice cream cones all the time but when was the last time you saw an ice cream cone that was really a cupcake? Maybe never! This dessert is sure to draw eyes.
• Customizable. I love that you can easily swap out the cupcake batter in this recipe for a different flavor and/or use a different buttercream frosting. Check out the section below titled “Easy Variations” for inspiration.
• Nostalgic. As an adult, these rainbow sprinkle-filled ice cream cone cupcakes really bring me back to when I was a kiddo. Two childhood favorites wrapped into one dessert. It’s hard not to be transported back in time.
• Flavor. Maybe it goes without saying but I just want to highlight how tasty these are. I love the delicate vanilla flavor of the cupcake itself paired with vanilla buttercream.
• Texture. The sour cream in the batter makes these cupcakes perfectly moist.

What You’ll Need

Here’s a list of ingredients your will need to make these fun ice cream cone cupcakes. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card below for exact measurements.

Cupcakes

• Ice cream cones – It is best to find cones with a flat base so that they stand up in the cupcake tins.
• All-purpose flour – Feel free to use a 1:1 gluten-free flour instead.
• Baking powder – For the perfect rise and texture.
• Salt – For flavor.
• Unsalted butter – The butter should be at room temperature otherwise it will not cream properly with the sugar.
• Sugar – Sugar adds both sweetness and moisture to the cupcakes.
• Sour cream – For extra moisture. It also helps thicken the batter so that the sprinkles don’t sink to the bottom while baking.
• Vanilla extract
• Milk – I suggest using whole milk or 2%.
• Water
• Egg whites – Make sure the eggs are at room temperature. They will not hold volume well otherwise. These will be whipped and then folded into the batter. This gives the cupcakes a lovely texture and helps keeps the sprinkles afloat.
• Sprinkles – I prefer Jimmies but feel free to use your favorite sprinkles.

Vanilla Buttercream

• Unsalted butter – The butter should be at room temperature. Cold butter will give you a lumpy frosting and melted butter will result in a runny frosting.
• Powdered sugar – For volume and consistency.
• Vanilla extract
• Salt – Adds flavor and cuts the sweetness down a bit.
• Heavy cream – To add a lovely creaminess to your buttercream.
• Sprinkles

Easy Variations

There is so much room to experiment with flavors here. You can really make these cupcakes your own. Here are some fun ideas for you.

• Use a different cupcake batter. Try a different vanilla cupcake such as my Homemade Vanilla Cupcakes or these Moist Vanilla Cupcakes. Feeling adventurous? Try a different flavor altogether. I love these Moist Chocolate Cupcakes, my Strawberry Cupcakes, and these simple Yellow Cupcakes.
• Try a different frosting. Depending on the cupcake you choose, try my Chocolate Buttercream, Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting, this Strawberry Buttercream, or my Fudgy Chocolate Buttercream.
• Have fun with toppings. Not a sprinkle person? Feel free to top these cupcakes with crumbled Oreos or other cookies, chopped-up candy bars, shredded coconut, or toasted nuts.

How to Make Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

Here’s a quick overview of how to make these cupcakes in ice cream cones. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.

Cupcakes

• Prep. Preheat oven to 350°F and place the ice cream cones in the cupcake tins.

• Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Cream the butter and sugar together until light in color and fluffy.

• Add sour cream and vanilla extract and mix to combine.
• Put it all together. Add half of the dry ingredients and mix to combine. Add the milk and water and mix to combine. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix to combine.

• Fold in the egg white. Whip the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the batter, 1 half at a time.
• Fold in the rainbow sprinkles, gently.

• Bake. Add 3 tablespoons of batter to each ice cream cone. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
• Cool. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 2-3 minutes before transferring them to a wire wrack.

Vanilla buttercream

• Mix the butter in the bowl of a standup mixer until smooth.
• Add. Mix. Add half of the powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add the vanilla, salt, and 1 tablespoon of cream. Mix until smooth. Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until smooth.

• Add cream as needed. If you find the buttercream to be a bit too thick, add the remaining cream a little bit at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
• Frost. Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and add sprinkles.

Tips for Success

Are you ready to make some of the cutest, tastiest cupcakes you’ve ever had? Be sure to follow these simple tips and tricks in order to achieve the best outcome.

• Secure the cones. I did not find this necessary but if you are concerned about your cones falling over during the baking process, press aluminum foil around the bottom of the cones in the cupcake cups to help keep them standing.
• Room temperature ingredients. Be sure that the butter and the egg whites in the batter are at room temperature. The butter will not cream properly with the sugar if it is too cold or too melted and the eggs will have a harder time holding volume. It is also important that the butter in the buttercream is at room temperature, otherwise you will end up with a lumpy frosting.
• Don’t skimp on the creaming time. When creaming together the butter and sugar for the cupcake batter, be patient. Cream for 2-3 minutes or until it is fluffy and light in color.
• Fold in the egg whites. To make sure the sprinkles don’t sink to the bottom of the cone, whip the egg whites separately and fold them into the batter just before adding the sprinkles.
• Don’t overfill the cones. If you overfill the ice cream cones, the batter will spill over the sides of the cone while baking.

Can These Be Prepared in Advance?

Unfortunately, I do not recommend preparing these cupcakes in advance. The longer they sit, the soggier the cones will become. This will cause the cones to bend and the ice cream cone cupcakes to fall over. They really are best served the day they’re made.

More Easy Cupcake Recipes

Are you a cupcake fiend like me? If your answer is yes, I highly encourage you to check out some of these other, delicious, unique cupcake recipes from yours truly. Happy baking!

• Cinnamon Sugar Swirl Cupcakes
• Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
• Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes
• Strawberries and Cream Cupcakes
• Unicorn Cupcakes
• Banana Cupcakes
• Marble Cupcakes

See How They’re Made

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