Sundae Cupcakes are what happens when you take a birthday cupcake and fully commit to the ice cream sundae bit - a tender vanilla cupcake with a scoop of thick buttercream on top instead of piped frosting, drizzled with Hershey's Sundae Dream chocolate sauce, finished with rainbow sprinkles and a maraschino cherry on top. They look exactly like a little ice cream sundae, and people absolutely lose their minds over them at parties.
One batch makes 16-18 cupcakes. Prep is 20 minutes, bake time is 14-16 minutes. The trick that makes these work visually is the ice cream scoop - you're scooping the frosting the same way you'd scoop ice cream, which gives you that rounded dome shape that reads immediately as a sundae. Hershey's Sundae Dream chocolate sauce is specifically what you want here; it's extra thick and stays in place rather than running down the sides. Assemble right before serving for best results - the cherry will seep color into the frosting the longer it sits.
The cupcake base itself is a from-scratch vanilla that's worth having in your rotation even outside the sundae context - the sour cream keeps it moist and tender for days, and it's sturdy enough to hold the scoop of buttercream without collapsing. If you love fun party cupcakes, also try these Summer Cupcakes and these No Churn Strawberry Ice Cream for more fun summer dessert ideas.
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- Unsalted butter, softened
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla
- Sour cream
- Flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
For the frosting and decoration
- Unsalted butter, softened
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla
- Salt
- Milk (optional)
- Rainbow sprinkles
- Maraschino cherries
- Hershey's Sundae Dream chocolate sauce (extra thick)
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
How to Make Sundae Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a standard muffin tin with cupcake liners and set aside.
Step one: In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the softened butter and sugar until smooth.
Step two: Add the eggs, vanilla, and sour cream and mix to combine, scraping down the sides often.
Step three: Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix well.
Step four: Divide the batter between the cupcake liners, filling each about ½-⅔ full. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until just starting to turn golden and the center is set. Allow to cool completely before decorating.
Step five: For the frosting - combine the softened butter, vanilla, salt, and about half the powdered sugar in a stand mixer. Mix on low until combined. Add the remaining powdered sugar and milk if needed - you want the frosting thick but not dry and crumbly. Once combined, bump up to medium and whip for about a minute until smooth and fluffy.
Step six: Once cupcakes are completely cool, use an ice cream scoop to scoop a round mound of frosting onto each cupcake.
Step seven: Drizzle with chocolate sauce in a star shape.
Step eight: Add rainbow sprinkles, then press a maraschino cherry on top, pressing down slightly so it doesn't slide off with the chocolate.
Hint: Assemble these right before serving - the chocolate will drip and the cherry will start to seep color into the frosting the longer they sit. Bake and frost ahead, but do the chocolate and cherry at the last minute.
Recipe Tips for Success
- Hershey's Sundae Dream is the right chocolate sauce for this - it's extra thick and stays where you drizzle it. Regular chocolate syrup is too thin and will run down the sides.
- Use a real ice cream scoop for the frosting - this is what gives you the rounded dome shape that reads as a sundae. Piped frosting won't give you the same effect.
- Keep the frosting on the thicker side. If it's too soft it won't hold the scoop shape and the cherry will sink in.
- Press the cherry down firmly when you place it - the chocolate sauce makes the surface slippery and a loose cherry will slide off.
Storage
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. For best results, assemble just before serving - the chocolate will drip and the cherry will seep color into the frosting the longer they sit. Use Hershey's Sundae Dream specifically - it's extra thick and stays in place. Use an ice cream scoop for the frosting to get the rounded dome shape. Keep frosting thick so it holds the scoop shape.
Sundae Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- ½ c unsalted butter softened
- 1 c sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 t vanilla
- ½ c sour cream
- 1 & ½ c flour
- 1 t baking powder
- ½ t baking soda
- ½ t salt
For the frosting and decoration
- 1 c unsalted butter softened
- 4 c powdered sugar
- 1 t vanilla
- ½ t salt
- 2-3 t milk optional
- Rainbow sprinkles
- Maraschino cherries
- Hershey's Sundae Dream chocolate sauce extra thick
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a standard muffin tin with cupcake liners and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the softened butter and sugar until smooth.
- Add the eggs, vanilla, and sour cream. Mix to combine, scraping down the sides often.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Divide the batter between the cupcake liners, filling each about ½-⅔ full.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes or until just starting to turn golden and the center is set. Allow to cool completely before decorating.
- For the frosting - combine the softened butter, vanilla, salt, and about half the powdered sugar in a stand mixer. Mix on low until combined
- Add the remaining powdered sugar and milk if needed. Mix on low until combined, then bump up to medium and whip for about a minute until smooth and fluffy.
- Once cupcakes are completely cool, use an ice cream scoop to scoop a round mound of frosting onto each cupcake.
- Drizzle with chocolate sauce. Add rainbow sprinkles, then press a maraschino cherry on top, pressing down slightly so it doesn't slide off.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is just an estimate and may vary based on specific ingredients used.
