We love cupcakes for almost as many reasons as we have favorite cupcake recipes. They’re adorable, they’re supremely portable and they put a smile on everyone’s face. When you need a tried-and-true dessert option, look to these recipes. We've got you covered with birthday party classics, fondant-adorned masterpieces, treats that taste just like your favorite cocktail and more. Get out your muffin pan and get inspired! A great choice, no matter the occasion? Classic chocolate cupcakes. This might be the only chocolate cupcake recipe you'll ever need. We love them for the deep, rich chocolate flavor and their moist and springy interiors. It's the perfect cake base for any frosting. A little coffee in the batter pumps up the depth of the chocolate, and the oil keeps them supremely moist.

This dessert has all the flavors of banana pudding in a handheld treat. The cake is infused with vanilla cookie crumbs and studded with bits of banana, while a silky soft mixture of white chocolate and cream create a filling that tastes just like vanilla pudding. A swoop of frosting finishes off the dessert: perfect for when a craving strikes.

Everyone will love these iconic, moist, super chocolatey devil's food cakes filled with yummy cream, but they will make those of us of a certain age—you know who you are, if you had a cellophane-wrapped version of these tucked in your lunchbox growing up—particularly gaga.

Chocolate-dipped cupcakes in a cone not only fool the eye in a delightful way—as in, how can those ice cream cones sit at room temperature looking cute throughout the party?—and they also give you a fun new way to eat them, right out of a cone. These adorable treats will surprise and delight all of your guests.

What makes it German chocolate cake? That almond-infused cake topped in a coconut-pecan frosting. It’s classic for a reason, and fans agree that Ina's version is the recipe you should turn to you when you're craving this classic flavor combo.

These vanilla cupcakes taste as delicious as they look (which is often not the case when it comes to vanilla cupcakes!). Mixing flour with cornstarch gives the cake a light and airy texture, and a bit of added vegetable oil ensures that they stay perfectly moist. Each cupcake is topped with a swirl of creamy, fluffy vanilla buttercream that’s super easy to make.

Those of us who love the combination of chocolate and peanut butter can barely get enough of it, and these cupcakes are for us. Ina uses two different sugars for her chocolate cupcakes — brown sugar to add molasses flavor and white sugar to keep the texture light. Once baked, she dollops the cupcakes with a decadent peanut butter frosting. Top with some chopped peanuts to make them oh-so extra.

Kardea says, "These handheld pineapple upside-down cakes are the perfect treats to serve at a party. To take them over the top, I like to pipe my favorite version of stabilized whipped cream (using cream cheese as the stabilizer). The tartness of the cream cheese pairs so nicely with the sweet, caramel-flavored pineapple." We love how even their look evokes that retro cake that they are inspired by.

Feeling nostalgic? These clever cupcakes embody so many soda fountain favorites all in one. Chocolate syrup in the batter evokes its egg cream inspiration, while malt powder in the frosting, which is divided into a vanilla and a chocolate that can be swirled together, reminds of how egg creams and malteds always remain a little bit uncombined, so that each sip—or in this case bite—gives you a fresh combination.

The pure white, billowy frosting on these vanilla cakes call to mind marshmallows both in texture and in flavor—not surprisingly, as they are based on marshmallow crème. They lend themselves to excellent decorating options, as sprinkles on them pop, and they can be held at room temperature.

The chocolate portion of these cupcakes is derived from a Depression-era recipe with made with no butter, eggs or milk, sometimes called “wacky cake” from the recommendation to mix the ingredients together right in the baking pan. Obviously, this would be a messy proposition with cupcakes, but the cake’s one-bowl composition appeals, as does its intensely moist, springy texture. Dolloping a rich cheesecake-like filling into each one renders an appealing swirl and creamy center (and yes, the chocolate always remains at the bottom, hence the name). We love a cupcake with enough visual appeal that no frosting is necessary.

Get ready for the tea party set to lose their minds. These whimsical treats are packed with strawberries—literally—for pink, berrylicious cake with a juicy strawberry center, covered with clouds of whipped topping and exceedingly cute (yet easy-to-make) strawberry butterflies.

If you’re looking for something sweet yet beyond the expected for a grown-up gathering, you might find it in these. The cakes themselves carry the richness of bittersweet chocolate, but it’s the frosting that makes it. A fluffy seven-minute frosting infused Earl Grey tea pairs so beautifully with the cakes beneath, a little lemon juice really bringing out the citrusy bergamot in the tea.

These boozy, semi-scratch cupcakes are loaded with citrus flavor, thanks to a generous pour of White Claw Natural Lime Hard Seltzer. We upped the ante by adding a spiked lemon curd filling, and topped each cupcake with a dollop of vanilla frosting for a grown-up treat.

Fudgy and brownie-like, these cupcakes would be excellent candidates for a gathering with a toppings bar. Pre-scooping and refreezing the ice cream will prevent the desserts from getting too soupy too fast, and give everyone time to sing a second round of "Happy Birthday."

These sweet bites of sunshine are inspired by the pie of the same name. The cakes themselves are intensely lemony, and a glaze, infused with limoncello, gives extra citrus oomph to the meringue frosting.

You had us at fudgy, brownie-inspired cakes, studded with melty chocolate chips; but these morsels also get crowns of peanut butter-cream cheese frosting, the slight tang underlining the salty-sweetness of the peanut butter.

Traditional angel food cake is leavened egg whites for an angelic-white crumb that’s light as a feather—but here, we’ve transformed it with sprinkles throughout, because, birthday party. A whipped cream cheese frosting offsets the sweetness, and more sprinkles on top are a must, because…birthday party.

Ganache just sounds fancy—describe your cupcakes with ganache frosting at a party and watch the eyebrow-raised responses: “Ooh!” But making it is a cinch, which is why every home baker should try it. Here, it tops a basic chocolate cupcake, but it equally complements yellow cake, white vanilla cake, we could go on…

Do you like getting caught in the rain? These cupcakes are filled with a pineapple curd that's made with an optional tablespoon of rum. The combination of pineapple and rum really drives home the flavor of piña coladas. The drink umbrellas, too, are optional… but not really.

Ina's take on this classic keeps the essentials—a chocolatey cake tinged with red, and a cream cheese frosting that offsets the sweetness. These come together quickly, too, ready in under an hour.

These peanut butter and chocolate confections taste just like your favorite candy bar. Feeling intimated by nougat? Don’t worry — it’s just marshmallow crème and peanut butter!

These cupcakes are a no-brainer, jaw-dropper option to bring to a beer-tasting party, or any other beer-forward gathering. Ground cloves and orange zest enhance the natural flavors already present in hefeweizen, a traditional wheat beer from Germany. Here, there is hefeweizen in both the cakes and the frosting, and the orange slice topping lends its fragrance, besides being a clever nod to the traditional garnish for a glass of wheat beer.

These cupcakes gain retro appeal with the inclusion—in both the cake and as a topping—of chopped walnuts. The cream cheese frosting complements the very straightforward chocolate-walnut cakes.

These cupcakes hit on all the classic notes of a Moscow Mule. It starts with a buttery vanilla cake that's loaded with dried and crystallized ginger and is finished with a simple lime syrup. The cupcakes are also topped with a vanilla and lime buttercream, which you can optionally spike with vodka. For the full Moscow Mule effect, use copper-colored liners.

Spoil your favorite camper—or just s’more lover—which is all of us, really—with these cupcakes that are a feast for the eyes and tastebuds. Ree Drummond bakes moist chocolate cakes right on top of a graham cracker crust, then crowns them with marshmallow frosting that, of course, gets toasted. The resulting cupcakes are nothing short of OTT.

Whether it’s for Pride, the best darn kids’ party ever, or to win the bake sale, these cupcakes will simply take the cake. Getting those tiny colorful stripes to look so impressive is really not hard—our favorite kind of recipe. The fluffy white frosting is the only fabulous accessory these need, but go ahead and shower them with sprinkles if you need to take it to another level.

Hummingbird cake is sort of banana-bread-meets-spice-cake. Tossing nuts, fruits and other fillings with a small amount of flour before incorporating them into the batter helps them disperse evenly — without this step, add-ins sink to the bottom during baking.

These cupcakes are proof that a great chocolate cake is like the little black dress of the recipe box—you can change it up and go in all sorts of directions with it. Here, the addition of malted milk powder in the cake and crispy rice cereal atop a chocolate caramel frosting evokes candy bars in cake form.

You can have your favorite drink and eat it too with these fun, party-ready cupcakes. We took boxed red velvet cake mix and added a hefty dose of White Claw Black Cherry Hard Seltzer. Each baked cupcake is then stuffed with oozy, boozy jam to bump up the cherry taste, swirled with fluffy vanilla frosting and finished with a cocktail cherry on top!

Perhaps the only thing that can evoke more squeals than a cupcake—is a mini cupcake. The cake itself couldn’t be more classic, with a moist, subtle spice and a cream cheese frosting. But candied ribbons of carrot elevate these to petits fours status.

Why should lemon have all the fun? A creamy meringue crown also complements the gentle spice of apple cakes, for an absolutely stunning and unexpected dessert.

These are the ne plus ultra of the cupcake world, and will of course be exactly the right dessert to take to the barbecue, Superbowl, or anywhere else that bacon-loving friends congregate. A little espresso in the cakes pumps up their bitter edge, the perfect foil to the creamy, butterscotchy dulce de leche frosting and candied bacon on top. Seriously.

With fresh cake (in place of ladyfingers) soaked in coffee and coffee liqueur, and a froth of mascarpone frosting, these adorable cups turn traditional tiramisu on its head. A sprinkling of cocoa powder on the lightened mascarpone gives this cupcake a coffeehouse look.

Molly says, "Sometimes you just need a little bite of cake"—and these cupcakes take care of that craving. They’re super moist and topped with a sweet and creamy salted honey frosting. Great for celebrations like birthdays and Rosh Hashanah, thanks to the addition of apple pie spice and honey…mmm!

Kardea says, “Kids (and kids at heart) are going to love these nostalgic cupcakes that take the flavors of peanut butter and jelly and transform them into a fun dessert. I like to use a cupcake corer to take out the centers to be filled with jelly, but you can also use a small paring knife if you prefer."

Lime frosting with a minty garnish hints at the brightness beneath. A whole fresh strawberry center will surely deliver delight.

These cupcakes have all the richness of cheesecake, but in a sweet little package, complete with a creamy frosting and graham cracker crust. To make crumbs, pulse graham crackers in a food processor, or put them in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.

These swirled cupcakes have all the graphic personality of a Holstein cow, and split the difference when you can't decide between chocolate and vanilla. These are fun to look at, fun to make and, best of all, fun to eat.

Enticing from your first glance, these cupcakes are even better once you bite into their centers, filled with Key lime curd. They perfectly capture a Key lime pie's signature combination of sweet-sour citrus and cool creaminess, and get a clever ring of graham cracker crumbs around their edges to really bring their namesake home.

These delightful cakes from Melissa d'Arabian bring Creamsicle vibes from the orange juice and zest both in the cake and frosting. Though the latter is made from white chocolate, it truly carries the flavor of the citrus rather than being chocolatey.

Go ahead buy the cupcakes: This preparation allows you to focus on the presentation. Like a community garden come to life, this patch gains its magic in numbers. Add one or more fondant creatures, fun flowers and fresh strawberries.

Sunny Anderson's recipe of slightly boozy cherries, chocolate and marshmallow cream shrinks a Bavarian favorite to hand-held size. Dry off the maraschino cherries on a paper towel before topping each cupcake, to keep the color from bleeding into the frosting.