Name: Super Cute Daisy Cupcakes
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 140 ml Buttermilk (Substitute with milk and vinegar/lemon juice if needed.); 120 g soft unsalted butter (Softened for easy mixing.); 150 g granulated sugar; 2 pieces eggs (Add one at a time.); 1 tablespoon vanilla extract; 160 g all purpose flour; 20 g corn starch; 1 teaspoon baking powder; ½ teaspoon baking soda; a pinch salt; 160 g cream cheese (Room temperature for 1 hour.); 100 g soft unsalted butter (Softened for mixing.); 300 g icing sugar (Sift before adding.); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; to taste yellow and orange food coloring (For decorating.)

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How I Fell for These Little Flowers

I remember the first time I made what I now call Super Cute Daisy Cupcakes. It was a rainy Saturday and I wanted something cheerful, something that would make my kitchen smell like butter and vanilla and look like a spring bouquet. The recipe came together easily and the little daisy faces on top felt like tiny confetti for my coffee break. If you like playful cupcake ideas, you might also enjoy the charming owl cupcakes I tried last year, which gave me a lot of confidence with piping techniques that playful owl cupcakes taught me.

What Goes Into Them

I never hand someone a recipe without telling them what they will actually be holding in their hands, so here it is, the pantry poetry: for the cupcakes you need 140 ml Buttermilk (see my notes below for a substitution if you do not have any), 120 g soft unsalted butter, 150 g granulated sugar, 2 eggs, and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract. Dry things are simple: 160 g all purpose flour, 20 g corn starch, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and a pinch of salt. For the frosting you want 160 g cream cheese that has been at room temperature for one hour, 100 g soft unsalted butter, 300 g icing sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, plus yellow and orange food coloring to paint the daisies. Knowing these measures before you start makes the whole process relaxing, like a conversation instead of a race.

A small aside for those without buttermilk: you can make 140 ml of a quick substitute by mixing milk with a splash of lemon juice or vinegar (about 1 tablespoon) and letting it sit for five minutes until it thickens slightly. It is not the same as cultured buttermilk but it plays nicely here.

Baking the Cupcakes

When I say these are easy cupcakes, I mean they are forgiving. I cream the 120 g soft unsalted butter with 150 g granulated sugar until pale and fluffy, then add the 2 eggs one at a time, folding gently and mixing in 1 tablespoon vanilla extract. Next I alternate the wet and the dry: fold in the 140 ml buttermilk with the flour mixture (that is the 160 g all purpose flour combined with 20 g corn starch, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda and a pinch of salt). I fill paper liners about two thirds full so they have room to bloom without spilling over. Pop them in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) and they usually take about 18 to 22 minutes.

You will know they are done when the tops are lightly golden, spring back if you press them gently, and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. A personal tip: do not overmix once the flour goes in; that keeps the texture tender and avoids tunnels. Another tip: if your batter seems thick, let it rest for five minutes; the cornstarch and flour hydrate and the batter relaxes, giving a slightly lighter crumb.

I often bake these for 20 minutes exactly, then rotate the pan halfway through if my oven runs hot on one side. The house fills with the scent of warm vanilla and butter, which is honestly the best part.

Making the Daisy Decor

The daisies are what make these cupcakes worth every minute. For the frosting I beat the 160 g cream cheese (room temperature for one hour) with 100 g soft unsalted butter until silky. Then I sift in 300 g icing sugar slowly, add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and beat until it is smooth and pipeable. If it becomes too soft, chill it in the fridge for 10 minutes; if too stiff, let it sit at room temperature and beat again. Color a small portion with yellow and a smaller dot with orange food coloring for the centers.

For the decoration I use a simple technique that looks complicated. Put the white (or pale yellow) frosting in a piping bag fitted with a petal tip or a small round tip if you do not have a petal one. Pipe a little yellow or pale white mound for the center, then flick petal shapes around it with quick squeezes; the petals should be thin and slightly curved. Dot the center with a tiny bit of orange to make the eye pop. If you are piping with children, a toothpick works wonders for shaping petals and dragging a tiny bit of color into the middle for a rustic look.

One of my favorite tricks is to keep a damp cloth nearby to wipe tips between colors. Also, pipe a few practice flowers on a plate before decorating the cupcakes themselves; it calms the hands and gives you a rhythm. I learned this while making party trays—practice on a spare paper liner whenever you feel nervous.

A Few Ways to Make Them Your Own

I love that this recipe is a blank canvas. For a citrus twist, fold in a teaspoon of lemon zest into the batter and add a touch of lemon juice to the frosting; the brightness cuts the richness beautifully. If you prefer chocolate, replace 20 g of the flour with 20 g cocoa powder for a cocoa-kissed base, and use white frosting to make the daisies really stand out. For a nutty spin, add 30 g finely chopped toasted almonds to the batter or swap the all purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten-free blend if you need a gluten-free option.

These cupcakes are great for brunch or an afternoon tea; I often serve them with bright, tart berries and a pot of strong coffee or a chilled glass of sparkling wine when guests arrive. If you are planning a bigger spread, these sit comfortably alongside savory bites—once I brought them to a party and they balanced a platter of game-day favorites perfectly, reminding me how versatile cupcakes can be they pair easily with crowd-pleasing party food.

If you want to riff further, try swapping half the vanilla for almond extract or using a little raspberry jam under the frosting for a surprise layer; I did that for a friend’s birthday and it felt like a secret in every bite, much like my attempt to reproduce a favorite candy bar resulted in a surprisingly good Almond Joy twist that Almond Joy cupcake experiment taught me a lot about textures.

Conclusion

If you want to see a visual step by step and another baker’s take on these adorable flowers, I found a lovely writeup that inspired my first attempt at daisies: Super Cute Daisy Cupcakes | Lucia Paula.