The Sweetest Summer Cupcake Recipes

By Kelly Vaughan

Raymond Hom

Although we believe cupcakes are a timeless treat, these fun summer desserts really take the cake!

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Raymond Hom

We don't know anyone who would turn down a cupcake, especially one that radiates summer like the options we've rounded up here. Some are fancy cupcakes, some are fun, but all are completely unique and totally delicious. They utilize the very best of fresh summer berries, sport bright frostings, and taste as light as a summer breeze. If we had to choose the ultimate summer cupcake, we'd go with this epic Sunflower Cupcake Cake—it serves as both the sweetest party centerpiece and treats for the whole crowd.

Though many of these cupcakes are fruity, we're also sharing inspiration for dressing up classic vanilla and chocolate cupcakes. Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes, Nectarine Cupcakes, and Huckleberry Cupcakes with Sweet Cream are low-maintenance in their decorating techniques. Others, like Piped Rose Cupcakes, Flour-and-Bee Cupcakes, and Flower Cupcakes, require a pastry bag and steady hand. The end result will knock your socks off and be totally worth the effort.

Head to the grocery store to stock up on ingredients so you can start baking; you'll need plenty of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour for these recipes. Some recipes call for cake flour, which may not be in your pantry if you're an infrequent baker. Cake flour has a lower protein count than all-purpose flour, which means that it will produce a lighter cake with a finer crumb texture.

Whether you bring these cupcakes to a backyard barbecue, potluck dinner party, kid's birthday, or just make them for everyone to snack on, we guarantee they'll go fast! Hand-held treats like these are a no-brainer addition to your best summer ever.

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Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

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Unfussy and delicious, these cupcakes have the same easy-going approach that makes traditional strawberry shortcakes so popular. There's no frosting necessary; just scoop diced, macerated strawberries into the center of the cupcakes, then spoon a dollop of whipped cream on top.

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Sunflower Cupcake Cake

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Make any party more memorable with this mighty centerpiece cake that's shaped like a sunflower. A small round cake topped with blackberries sits at the center. Radiating outward are petals made of of mini cupcakes in three sunny shades of yellow.

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Orange Curd Cupcakes

Mike Krautter

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There's orange flavor in every bite of these cupcakes: zest in the batter, homemade orange curd as a filling, and dried orange slices on top of the vanilla frosting.

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Key Lime Cupcakes

Mike Krautter

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Take a trip to Key West, Florida, without ever having to leave the kitchen. These cupcakes offer the best of both worlds—a soft, vanilla cupcake with the crispy graham cracker crust and zesty topping found in a key lime pie. It's like having two desserts in one!

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Raspberry-Swirl Cheesecake Cupcakes

Sang An

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Turn a classic cheesecake recipe into a portable, crowd-friendly dessert. These cupcakes use a cup of raspberries for vibrant color and sweet flavor so stock up at your local farm.

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Nectarine Cupcakes

Dana Gallagher

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Sweet, juicy nectarines add fresh stone fruit flavor to these cupcakes which are simply frosted with whipped cream. Use peaches, plums, or apricots in place of nectarines if your prefer.

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July 4th Cupcakes

Gentl & Hyers

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Everyone will go crazy for these festive cupcakes. You can show off your stars and stripes with blue frosted dots and red licorice. Make the cupcakes in advance and freeze so you can minimize prep time on the holiday.

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Pink Meringue Cupcakes with Raspberry Curd

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There's no cake in this "cupcake"! It's actually a rosy-hued meringue baked in a paper-lined muffin tin. Each billowy cake is cut in half crosswise and filled with raspberry curd, fresh raspberries, and crème fraîche.

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Flower Cupcakes

Tosca Radigonda

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Mimic your spectacular summer garden with an array of colorful flower cupcakes. Arrange them on a cake stand decorated with green crepe paper leaves for a bountiful bouquet.

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Starfish Cupcakes

Con Poulos

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Graham cracker crumbs create edible sand to dust over frosted cupcakes. A starfish made out of marzipan completes the beachy feel.

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Bug Cupcakes

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With cupcakes as cute as these, you can feel good about bugs taking over your celebration. Gumdrop heads and licorice antennae transform innocent cakes into surprising insect creations!

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Huckleberry Cupcakes with Sweet Cream

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Berries and cupcakes go together so well. Here we use huckleberries to top simple sweet cream-covered cupcakes but blueberries would be just as delightful.

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Piped Rose Cupcakes

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Create a garden of roses—no green thumb required. All you need is a steady hand to pipe pretty pink roses; after they've chilled, carefully transfer each flower onto a cupcake.

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Margarita Cupcakes

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A grown-up cupcake, these Margarita-inspired treats have tequila in the lime curd filling and plenty of lime flavor in the cake plus a dreamy cream cheese frosting, lime zest, and flaky salt on top. (You can omit the tequila for kid-friendly treats!)

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Flower-and-Bee Cupcakes

Con Poulos

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Adorn homemade (or store-bought cupcakes) with Swiss Meringue Buttercream and easy-to-make marzipan bees (we promise they don't sting!).

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