These cute little honey bee cupcakes are almost too pretty to eat! The perfect moist honey vanilla cupcakes and honey buttercream frosting recipe to celebrate warm weather and sunshine!
Save This Recipe to Your Inbox
Enter your email and we’ll send this recipe straight to your inbox.
By signing up, you’ll join our email list and can unsubscribe anytime.
These honey bee cupcakes are so soft and moist that they practically melt in your mouth! The buttercream is so soft, rich and flavorful that it pairs great with the cake.
While the cupcake itself is a little on the denser side, it is packed with flavor and absolutely delicious!
These cupcakes are very easy to make, and all of the ingredients were carefully selected to produce a moist and tender cupcake. With a drizzle of honey and a few edible bees on top they look like the perfect summertime or spring dessert!
For more fun cupcake recipes, check out my Dinosaur Cupcakes, Apple Cider Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting, Nacho Cupcakes, and Easy Pumpkin Cupcakes.
Jump to:
💛 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Simple ingredients: Made with pantry staples like flour, butter, sugar, and honey, these cupcakes are easy to make without any hard to find ingredients.
- Perfect for celebrations: Bee themed treats are great for spring birthdays, baby showers, and Easter. These cupcakes are a fun and budget friendly way to add a themed dessert to any celebration.
- Easy to make: Both the cupcakes and frosting use straightforward steps, making this a great recipe for beginners or anyone wanting a stress free bake.
🛒 Ingredients
Sour cream. Adds richness and a velvety texture. We also use sour cream in our Moist Banana Bread with Sour Cream, Easter Confetti Cake, and Southern Banana Pudding Cake for the same reason.
Honey. Raw or pasteurized honey both work. Raw honey has a stronger honey flavor.
Powdered sugar. Sweetens the frosting while keeping it smooth.
Cream cheese. Use thawed cream cheese for a creamy, tangy flavor.
See the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
💰 Budget-Friendly Tips
Butter savings: Use store-brand butter or watch for sales and freeze extras.
Cream cheese tip: Full blocks are often cheaper per ounce than whipped or specialty varieties.
Stretch the frosting: Pipe lightly or swirl instead of piling it high; flavor goes a long way with honey buttercream.
Make it simple: Skip liners and grease the pan directly if you're baking for home to save a little extra.
🥄 Instructions for Honey Bee Cupcakes
How to make cupcakes:
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2: Prepare a muffin pan by adding 12 muffin liners, and set aside.
Step 3: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Step 4: In a smaller bowl, whisk together the milk, honey, and vanilla, then set it aside.
Step 5: In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using a bowl and hand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until combined.
Step 6: Add in the eggs, one at a time. Beat well after each addition. Add in the sour cream and mix again. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Step 7: Alternatingly, add the flour and wet mixtures, starting and ending with the flour and mixing until combined after each addition.
Step 8: Scoop and fill the muffin liners until they're ⅔ full.
Step 9: Bake 18-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Step 10: Let cupcakes cool for 5 minutes and then remove them from the pan to a wire rack to finish cooling.
How to make the honey frosting
Step 11: Beat together the butter and honey until well combined.
Step 12: Add in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition.
Step 13: Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then add in a teaspoon of milk at a time until consistency is reached (if needed).
Step 14: Pipe or spread on cupcakes as desired and top with Bee themed garnishes.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- Cool before frosting. Make sure Honey Bee Cupcakes are completely cooled before adding frosting. Even slight warmth can cause melting. Chilling the frosting until ready to use also helps it pipe better.
- Easy piping. Use a zip top bag with the corner snipped or a piping bag with a fitted tip. Fill the bag no more than halfway, then twist and tuck the end into your palm for better control and cleaner piping.
❄️ Storage and Make Ahead
Cupcakes: Store frosted Honey Bee Cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Frosting: Keep leftover frosting refrigerated for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.
Make Ahead: Bake cupcakes a day ahead and frost before serving for best texture and appearance.
Serving Tip: Let chilled cupcakes sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving for the best flavor.
🥗 Side Dishes or Pairing Ideas
Serve Honey Bee Cupcakes with coffee, tea, chai, or warm milk, alongside berries, sliced apples, or a fruit salad. Add lemon bars, shortbread cookies, or vanilla ice cream for a dessert spread, and enjoy at brunches, baby showers, spring gatherings, or bee-themed parties.
- Cookie Monster MilkshakeRecipe $2.21
- Oreo Milkshake Without Ice CreamRecipe $2.13
- Jam Shortbread BarsRecipe $3.59 / Serving $0.40
- Peaches and Cream Sourdough MuffinsRecipe $3.66 / Serving $0.31
❓ Recipe FAQs
If you're not a fan of sour cream, trust me- I was once like you haha. But sour cream is AMAZING in baked goods! You can add up to 1 cup worth into most baked recipes and while the batter gets a little thicker, the cupcakes become moister. It's like a magic trick from the baking gods. Trust me!
There are so many different types of honey out there, and I tried several to figure out how different ones react in these cupcakes. If you want a more prominent honey flavor- use the raw honey. If you want it a little more subtle a clover honey like the kind you get in the bear-shaped honey bottles will do.
Keep your completed cupcakes stored in a covered airtight Tupperware container in the fridge. They should last up to a few days this way and still taste great.
🍽️ More Recipes You'll Love
- Lemon Raspberry Bundt CakeRecipe $9.54 / Serving $0.80
- Seedling CupcakesRecipe $7.15 / Serving $0.30
- Cake Mix Coffee CakeRecipe $3.46 / Serving $0.22
- Easter Confetti CakeRecipe $16.91 / Serving $1.06
🐝 If you tried these Honey Bee Cupcakes, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your buzz in the 💬 comments below. I'd truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Honey Bee Cupcakes
Equipment
Ingredients
Honey Cupcakes
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour - ($0.20)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder - ($0.05)
- ½ teaspoon salt - ($0.01)
- ½ cup milk - ($0.10)
- ¼ cup honey - ($0.96)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract - ($0.03)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened - ($0.99)
- ½ cup granulated sugar - ($0.18)
- 2 large eggs - ($0.30)
- ¼ cup sour cream - ($0.25)
Honey Buttercream Frosting
- ¼ cup unsalted butter - ($0.50)
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened - ($0.93)
- 4 tablespoons honey - ($0.96)
- 3 cups powdered sugar - ($1.08)
- 1-3 teaspoons milk, as needed - ($0.03)
Instructions
- Preheat & Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a muffin pan with 12 cupcake liners and set aside.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, honey, and vanilla extract. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed for about 2 to 3 minutes until light and combined.
- Add Eggs and Sour Cream: Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the sour cream and mix until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Combine Batter: Alternately add the dry ingredients and the honey milk mixture, starting and ending with the flour. Mix just until combined after each addition.
- Fill & Bake: Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about two thirds full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool: Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Frost & Serve: Once cooled, frost with honey buttercream and serve.
How to Make Honey Buttercream Frosting
- Cream Base: In a mixing bowl, beat the butter, cream cheese, and honey until smooth and fully combined.
- Add Sugar: Gradually add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Adjust Consistency: Add milk one teaspoon at a time until the desired frosting consistency is reached. Scrape down the bowl as needed while mixing.
Notes
- Cooling Tip: Cupcakes must be completely cool before frosting to prevent melting.
- Make Ahead: Frosting can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Frosting Tools: A piping bag or a zip top bag with the corner snipped works well. Avoid overfilling.
- Honey Flavor: Different honeys produce different flavors. Raw honey gives a stronger taste while clover honey is milder.
- Storage: Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. Frosting can be stored separately for up to 1 week in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer.
Nutritional Information
Save This Recipe to Your Inbox
Enter your email and we'll send this recipe straight to your inbox.
By signing up, you'll join our email list and can unsubscribe anytime.
Comments
No Comments