Campfire Cupcakes
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Are you ready to embark on a whimsical culinary adventure with me? Today, I have a treat that will ignite your taste buds and spark your imagination—introducing my cute Campfire Cupcakes recipe! These easy chocolate cupcakes are made with a little warm spices, and decorated with a fiery orange frosting. Then topped with pretzel sticks, and mini marshmallows!
Alright, folks, let’s dive deeper into this mouthwatering campfire cupcakes recipe! Now, picture this: you’ve baked a batch of delicious chocolate cupcakes, they’re cooling on the counter, and you’re getting ready to frost and decorate them to look just like a real bonfire! That’s where the magic begins!
To capture the essence of a cozy campfire, we’re going to whip up some irresistible orange frosting for these bonfire cupcakes. This vibrant hue will instantly transport you to those warm, flickering flames.
The creamy sweetness of the orange frosting perfectly complements the rich chocolatey goodness of the cupcakes. Trust me, it’s a match made in cupcake heaven! I used my vanilla buttercream frosting and then tinted it orange with with a little orange and yellow food coloring.
Now, I must confess, I do have a favorite chocolate cupcake recipe that I swear by. It yields the most moist and decadent chocolate cupcakes you’ll ever sink your teeth into. But hey, if you already have a tried-and-true chocolate cupcake recipe that you absolutely adore, feel free to use that instead; or you can just use a box of cake mix.
And don’t forget the mini marshmallows and pretzel sticks! Both of which make these adorable campfire cupcakes truly original. I like to lightly toast the mini marshmallows and then decorate these fun campfire cupcakes with them.
Wouldn’t these be perfect for a camping themed party or camping trip?!
See Also:
- Peanut butter cream cheese frosting is the best frosting to pair with a chocolate or vanilla cupcake!
- When it’s summertime, then it’s time to make these S’mores cupcakes with toasted marshmallow frosting!
- Calling all Oreo lovers with these Oreo cupcakes made with a vanilla cake batter and Oreo frosting.
- Kids are going to love these Cookie dough cupcakes stuffed with edible cookie dough.
- This easy vanilla cupcake recipe is made with melted butter so it comes together in minutes!
Why You Will Love Campfire Cupcakes
- Super easy to make. These are super easy campfire cupcakes. You don’t even need to make your own cake mix. You can just use boxed cake mix.
- Playful Design. This is one of my whimsical cupcake ideas that is super fun to make with kids! With its frosting flame and miniature marshmallows, it is guaranteed to be a hit with anyone young at heart!
- Make Ahead – I recommend making the cupcakes 1-2 days ahead of time, then frost the day of to simplify the process.
Ingredients Needed for This Campfire Cupcake Recipe
- Chocolate Cake Mix: Any variety of cake mix can be used or make my favorite chocolate cupcake recipe instead! If making your own homemade chocolate cupcakes made with cocoa powder then you will just need to add the additional spices.
- Cinnamon: Using a pumpkin pie spice mix will also yield a similar result as using a combination of spices.
- Nutmeg: Using a pumpkin pie spice mix will also yield a similar result as using a combination of spices.
- Allspice: Using a pumpkin pie spice mix will also yield a similar result as using a combination of spices.
- Heavy cream: Whole milk or half and half can be used instead of the cream in the cake if desired. You can also use it in the frosting; however, the texture of the frosting may be different. You should reduce the amount of milk added.
- Vegetable Oil
- Eggs
- Butter: You can use unsalted butter and add a pinch or two of salt. Or salted butter.
- Vanilla Extract: This can be omitted, or some excellent substitutions are maple syrup, bourbon, rum, or almond extract.
- Confectioners Sugar: This can be interchanged for granulated sugar, but please note the texture will not be the same and will create a more grainy finish to the frosting.
- Food Coloring: I used gel pigments for this recipe; a dropper of food coloring will also work great.
- Pretzel Sticks: Any kind of pretzel stick will work.
- Mini marshmallows- Miniature marshmallows are a part of what makes these adorable cupcakes what they are. I like to lightly toast them in the oven first.
- Toothpicks- These will keep the mini marshmallows on top of the cupcake.
How to Make These Campfire Cupcakes
Making the Cupcakes:
Prepare the oven and cupcake pan.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, line two muffin tins with cupcake liners, and set aside.
Combine dry ingredients.
In the bowl of a stand electric mixer or hand mixer, mix together the cake mix, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice on low, just until combined.
Add heavy cream.
Beat in the heavy cream, mixing just until it’s blended through.
Add vegetable oil
Beat in the vegetable oil until the batter is smooth.
Add eggs.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition.
Scoop batter into cupcake liners.
Scoop the batter into prepared cupcake liners using a Tablespoon, cookie, or ice cream scoop. Fill about ⅔ of the way.
Bake.
Bake for 15 minutes or until cupcakes are firm and bounce back after tapping or a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
Let cupcakes cool.
Allow cupcakes to cool on a wire rack for at least one hour. Make sure the cupcakes cool completely before frosting, so it goes on smoothly without melting.
Making the Buttercream Frosting:
Cream softened butter.
Add the softened butter to your bowl in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer. Cream the butter on high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
Add vanilla extract.
Turn the speed down to low and beat in the vanilla.
Add sugar.
Mix in the confectioners’ sugar, beating at low speed, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula until fully incorporated.
Add heavy whipping cream.
Beat the heavy whipping cream with a Tablespoon until the desired consistency is reached.
Divide buttercream frosting and add food coloring.
In two small bowls, divide the frosting evenly. One bowl is for yellow frosting and one is for orange frosting.
Using a toothpick, dip it into your gel food coloring, or if using a dropper, use one to three drops of yellow orange food coloring.
Gently stir in color until your desired shade of orange and yellow is reached. You can also do one drop of red and one drop of yellow to create an orange if needed.
Add yellow buttercream and orange buttercream frosting to large piping bag.
Press alternating colors along either side of the open bag using a clean piping bag and a star-shaped tip. Twist the bag at the top to seal it and push the frosting down the bag.
Pipe unfrosted cupcakes.
Pipe each cupcake with orange and yellow swirls to mimic a fire. I used a large piping bag fitted with a large star tip to get the big swirl.
Add pretzel pieces.
Place pretzel sticks upright around the frosting fire.
Place mini marshmallows on toothpick.
Using one toothpick per cupcake, thread two marshmallows on each toothpick.
Roll or sprinkle cinnamon on the marshmallows to create a toasted effect (optional) and place on your completed cupcake.
Best served immediately!
Recipe Tips
- Be sure to measure your flour accurately. Too much flour = dense, dry cupcake. For a full tutorial on how and why, read this post. For best accuracy, weigh your flour. But you want to spoon and level your flour. spoon your flour into the cup, not packing it down, and then when you get a heaping cup level it off.
- Only cook your cupcakes until just done. I like to have a tiny bit of batter show when I pull the toothpick out of the center. I let them cook in the pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
- Cooled cupcakes work best with frosting. Before you frost cupcakes, make sure they are cooled. If they are not cooled, then the frosting will melt.
- Room Temperature Butter. To make the frosting, make sure to use a room temperature butter. When you cream it, it should be nice and fluffy. Beating it for an extra minute or two really makes a difference!
- Just enough cream. Only add in enough cream to make the frosting nice and stiff, it will feel like it would be too firm to spread on a cake, but in a piping bag, it will be well-defined to make a realistic-looking “fire.”
Recipe Variations
- Homemade Chocolate Cupcakes. You can use a box of chocolate cake mix or you can make the cupcakes from scratch using my chocolate cupcake recipe. You can add the spices to my chocolate cupcake recipe.
- Add red food coloring – You could always tint some of the frosting with red food coloring to give the frosting a little tint of fire red frosting.
- Omit the spices– You can just plain chocolate cupcakes and skip adding the spices if you don’t like them.
Recipe FAQs
Bonfire cupcakes are best stored when allowed to cool to room temperature and stored in an airtight container to maintain freshness. Arrange the cupcakes in a single layer and keep them in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight or heat. Avoid refrigeration if possible, as this will lead to your cupcakes becoming dried out. Refrigeration might be necessary if you need to store them for an extended period, but let them come to room temperature before serving. Please be aware that decorations may change in texture and flavor when stored. These cupcakes are best done directly after decorating.
Yes you can freeze these campfire cupcakes for up to 3 months, in an airtight container. I like to freeze solid unwrapped, then wrap each cupcake in plastic wrap and place in plastic bag or plastic container. I would freeze without the decorations. And decorate once thawed. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
I recommend to use gel food coloring because it’s very concentrated and you don’t need much. But you can use liquid food coloring as well.
More Recipes to Try
Campfire Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 15.25 ounces box of chocolate cake mix * or homemade chocolate cupcakes
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs room temperature
Frosting and Decorations:
- 1 1/4 cups (2 ½ sticks) unsalted butter softened
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 5 cups confectioners sugar sifted
- 3 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- Orange food coloring
- Yellow food coloring
- 16 ounces bag of pretzel sticks
- 10 ounce bag of mini marshmallows
- 24 toothpicks
- cinnamon optional garnish
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) line two muffin tins with cupcake liners, and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or hand mixer, mix together the chocolate cake mix, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice on low, just until combined.
- Beat in the heavy cream, mixing just until it's blended through.
- Beat in the vegetable oil until the batter is smooth.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition.
- Scoop the batter into prepared cupcake liners using a Tablespoon, cookie, or ice cream scoop.
- Fill about ⅔ of the way and bake for 15 minutes or until cupcakes are firm and bounce back after tapping or a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
- Allow cupcakes to cool on a wire rack for at least one hour to ensure the frosting goes smoothly without melting.
Frosting
- Add the softened butter to your bowl in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer. Cream the butter on high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
- Turn the speed down to low and beat in the vanilla.
- Mix in the confectioners’ sugar, beating at low speed, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula until fully incorporated.
- Beat the heavy whipping cream with a Tablespoon until the desired consistency is reached.
- In two small bowls, divide the frosting evenly.
- Using a toothpick, dip it into your gel food coloring, or if using a dropper, use one to three drops of each color per bowl.
- Gently stir in color until your desired shade of orange and yellow is reached. You can also do one drop of red and one drop of yellow to create an orange if needed.
- Press alternating colors along either side of the open bag using a clean piping bag and a star-shaped tip. Twist the bag at the top to seal it and push the frosting down the bag.
- Pipe each cupcake with orange and yellow swirls to mimic a fire.
- Place pretzel sticks upright around the frosting fire.
- Using one toothpick per cupcake, thread two marshmallows on each toothpick.
- Roll or sprinkle cinnamon on the marshmallows to create a toasted effect, optional, and place in your completed cupcake.
- Best served immediately!
Notes
- Chocolate cupcakes: You can use my homemade chocolate cupcake recipe and add in the spices as make as recipe directed.
- Storage: Bonfire cupcakes are best stored when allowed to cool to room temperature and stored in an airtight container to maintain freshness. Arrange the cupcakes in a single layer and keep them in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight or heat. Avoid refrigeration if possible, as this will lead to your cupcakes becoming dried out. Refrigeration might be necessary if you need to store them for an extended period, but let them come to room temperature before serving. Please be aware that decorations may change in texture and flavor when stored. These cupcakes are best done directly after decorating.
- Freezing: You can freeze these campfire cupcakes for up to 3 months, in an airtight container. I like to freeze solid unwrapped, then wrap each cupcake in plastic wrap and place in plastic bag or plastic container. I would freeze without the decorations. And decorate once thawed. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
