Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

These fun and whimsical ice cream cone cupcakes are an irresistible treat with a unique presentation.

Table of Contents

Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes Ingredients
Substitutions And Additions
How To Make This Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes Recipe
How To Serve
Storage
Frequently Asked Questions
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These playful ice cream cone cupcakes look like they jumped off the pages of a children’s storybook. With moist cake baked in an ice cream cone and topped with frosting, they are a magical treat for a little person’s birthday party.

Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes Ingredients

Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes raw ingredients that are labeled

These delightful little cupcakes are crunchy on the outside, extra moist on the inside thanks to the pudding and sour cream, and topped with a sweet vanilla frosting.

The candy sprinkles give the frosting added color, texture, and whimsy, and the wonderful thing about these cupcakes is you can change the colors for any occasion.

For these fun treats, you’ll need:

1 (15.25-ounce) box of white cake mix
3.5 ounces of instant vanilla pudding
4 large eggs
¾ cup of vegetable oil
½ cup of milk
1 cup of sour cream
32 cake-style ice cream cones

PRO TIP:

Cake-style cones are the ones that have a flat bottom rather than a pointed bottom and can easily be found at the grocery store.

For The Frosting:

1 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
6 cups of powdered sugar
2 tablespoons of clear vanilla extract
Rainbow sprinkles, as needed

Substitutions And Additions

CAKE MIX: You can use any boxed cake mix flavor for this fun dessert. Use mermaid sprinkles and funfetti cake mix for a unicorn theme or use a blue velvet cake mix and top the frosting with crushed chocolate chip cookies for a cookie monster theme.

FOOD COLORING: A little bit of food coloring to tint your cake batter and frosting lets you customize your easy ice cream cone cupcakes to any theme.

CHOCOLATE FROSTING: For a fruity twist, replace the chocolate frosting with raspberry or strawberry frosting. The tangy sweetness will complement the cupcakes perfectly.

VANILLA EXTRACT: While vanilla extract is the classic choice, you can experiment with other extracts like almond, coconut, or even orange to give the cupcakes a unique twist. Remember to adjust the quantity to taste, as some extracts can be more potent than vanilla.

How To Make This Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes Recipe

Making these unique cupcakes is just like making traditional cupcakes, with one twist. Instead of lining the cupcake pan with paper liners, stand the ice cream cones in each section of the pan.

Fill the cones with batter, bake, and top with frosting and sprinkles to make a tasty treat that will delight everyone you serve them to.

STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, dry vanilla pudding mix, eggs, oil, milk, and sour cream with an electric mixer.

Mix until everything is just combined, being careful not to over-mix.

cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, oil, milk, and sour cream mixed together

STEP TWO: Place each of the ice cream cones upright in the well of a muffin pan. Fill each cone half full with the prepared cupcake batter.

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

A cookie scoop or ice cream scoop would help to fill the ice cream cones with batter while minimizing the mess.

STEP THREE: Bake in the preheated oven for 14 to 16 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

PRO TIP:

Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your cupcakes at the lower end of the recommended baking time.

bake ice cream cupcake for 14-16 minutes

STEP FOUR: Remove from the oven and let cool completely before frosting.

STEP FIVE: In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the softened butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla.

Turn on low and mix until all the powdered sugar is mixed into the butter. Turn on high and whip for 30 seconds until the vanilla buttercream frosting is light and fluffy.

STEP SIX: Place the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Frost the tops of the cupcakes and top them with sprinkles.

These cupcakes are best served the same day they are prepared.

cupcakes frosted and topped with sprinkles

How To Serve

These homemade ice cream cone cupcakes are best enjoyed at room temperature and make fun treats to serve at birthday parties and other special occasions.

These ice cream cone cupcakes are sure to be the life of your party! What goes better than ice cream cones than a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream with a drizzle of salted caramel sauce on top?

For a colorful beverage to serve along with your delectable cupcakes, try our rainbow sherbet punch or orange sherbet punch.

If you are looking for a more classic cupcake recipe, our cherry cupcakes and funfetti cupcakes would both fit the bill.

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No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream

Storage

Now that you’ve baked up a batch of these sweet treats, here’s how to store them:

ON THE COUNTER: These cupcakes are best served the day they are prepared. The cupcake cones will start to soften over time and won’t be as crispy if you try to make them in advance.

IN THE FREEZER: We don’t recommend freezing these cupcake ice cream cones as the cones will become soggy during the thawing process.

a close up shot of Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes with one split in half

Ice cream cone cupcakes are a great twist on traditional cupcakes because the batter is baked right inside the cone.

Not only do these cones look adorable when served with colorful sprinkles and vanilla frosting on top, but their crunchy cone texture contrasts with a perfectly baked soft cupcake center.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of ice cream cone should I use?

You will want to use flat-bottomed ice cream cones for this recipe so that they are able to stand up on their own.

Can I freeze ice cream cone cupcakes?

This easy dessert will not freeze well, as the ice cream cones will become soggy.

What is the easiest way to store these cupcakes in ice cream cones?

The best way to store or transport the ice cream cone cakes is a pan or container with sides and a tall lid. You could use scrunched-up pieces of aluminum foil around the base of each cone to help keep them standing.

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Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

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These fun and whimsical ice cream cone cupcakes are an irresistible treat with a unique presentation.

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 15

Total Time 45

Servings

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Ingredients

15.25 ounces white cake mix
3.5 ounces instant vanilla pudding
4 large eggs
¾ cup vegetable oil
½ cup milk
1 cup sour cream
32 cake-style ice cream cones, flat-bottomed

Frosting

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
6 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons clear vanilla extract
sprinkles, as needed

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the cake mix, dry vanilla pudding mix, eggs, oil, milk, and sour cream with a hand mixer. Mix until everything is just combined, being careful not to over-mix.
Place each ice cream cone in the well of a muffin pan. Fill each cone half full with the prepared batter.
Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and let cool completely before frosting.
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the softened butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Turn on low and mix until all the powdered sugar is mixed into the butter. Turn on high and whip for 30 seconds until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Place the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Frost the cupcakes, and top with sprinkles. These cupcakes are best served the same day they are prepared.

Notes

Cake-style cones are the ones that have a flat bottom rather than a pointed bottom and can easily be found at the grocery store.
A cookie scoop or ice cream scoop would help to fill the ice cream cones with batter while minimizing the mess.
Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your cupcakes at the lower end of the recommended baking time.

Nutrition

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This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!