Dr Pepper Cupcakes Recipe
These easy Dr Pepper Cupcakes are soft, moist, and packed with rich chocolate flavor thanks to a can of Dr Pepper and a simple chocolate cake mix.
Using soda in cake batter helps create incredibly fluffy cupcakes with very little effort.
If you love nostalgic soda desserts, this cupcake recipe is the perfect easy treat for birthdays, parties, bake sales, or anytime you want a fun twist on classic chocolate cupcakes.
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Why You’ll Love These Dr Pepper Cupcakes
- Made with boxed cake mix for an easy shortcut
- Rich chocolate cupcake flavor with subtle cherry and caramel notes
- Perfect for parties, holidays, and potlucks
- Moist, fluffy texture every time
- Simple pantry ingredients
How to Make Dr Pepper Cupcakes with a Cake Mix
- Start by preheating your oven to 350°F and lining a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the chocolate cake mix, Dr Pepper, eggs, and oil until the batter is smooth and fully mixed. Be careful not to overmix, since that can make the cupcakes dense instead of light and fluffy.
- Fill each cupcake liner about ⅔ full and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, use a small knife or cupcake corer to cut a hole into the center of each cupcake.
- Fill the center with frosting for a fun surprise inside every bite!
- Frost the tops of the cupcakes and add optional toppings like chocolate syrup, sprinkles, or maraschino cherries.
Want your cupcakes to stay soft and moist for days? Check out my tips for how to keep cupcakes fresh so your desserts taste bakery-perfect even after storing them.
Don’t Forget To…
- Scroll down to print the full recipe with step-by-step instructions and exact measurements.
- Check out my Kitchen Essentials for the pans, mixing bowls, and baking tools I use to make this recipe a breeze.
- Save or share this recipe on Pinterest!
Absolutely! Coke, root beer, or cherry cola also work well in cake mix cupcakes.
Yes! Freeze unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Check Out These Soda Inspired Desserts
- Learn the best soda and cake mix combinations to create moist cakes and cupcakes with fun flavor twists using simple pantry ingredients.
- These Orange Soda Cupcakes are light, fluffy, and bursting with bright citrus flavor for an easy dessert everyone will love.
- Root Beer Float Cupcakes combine classic root beer flavor with creamy frosting for a nostalgic dessert inspired by the popular drink.
- This 7Up Pound Cake is rich, buttery, and incredibly moist with a hint of lemon-lime flavor from the soda.
Dr Pepper Cupcakes recipe
Ingredients
- 1 box dark chocolate fudge cake mix
- 1½ cup of Dr Pepper soda cherry flavored
- 2 jars maraschino cherries one jar with stems
- 8 tbsp butter softened
- 6 oz cream cheese (softened
- 7 c powdered sugar approx.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Lightly spray cupcake pan (18 individual) with a non-stick baking spray. Can use cupcake liners in pan if desired.
- Cut cherries from one jar into quarters. Reserve the juice.
- Mix box of chocolate cake mix and the Dr. Pepper until combined in a large mixing bowl.
- Fold in the cherries.
- Pour batter into cupcake pans until ⅔ full.
- Bake on center rack of the oven for approx. 25 min. or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
- Cool cupcakes on wire rack.
- Using an apple corer or spoon, remove centers of cupcakes.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add in powdered sugar, one cup at a time.
- Halfway through, pour in 6 tbsp. of the cherry juice.
- Continue mixing, adding in more sugar until the icing is a spreadable consistency.
- Using a #1M icing tip (or tip of choice) and a piping bag, pipe the icing into each hole in the cupcakes and then onto the tops of each cupcake.
- Top each with a whole cherry.
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