Add some delicious fun to your Game Day feast with these football cupcakes! They're an easy way to score big points with your Game Day tailgating guests.
Football cupcakes are the ultimate crowd-pleaser for game day!
Whether you’re hosting a lively Super Bowl party or a casual Sunday viewing gathering, these festive treats are sure to score big points with guests of all ages. Featuring moist, rich chocolate cake topped with playful football-themed frosting, these cupcakes bring fun and flavor together in one delicious package. Plus, they’re surprisingly easy to make—no professional baking experience required!
The beauty of these cupcakes is their versatility. You can use our homemade chocolate fudge cupcake recipe for a decadent base, or save time with your favorite chocolate cake mix.
With chocolate buttercream frosting (recipe here), vanilla buttercream frosting (recipe here), and green-tinted frosting for that "field grass" effect, these cupcakes not only taste amazing but look game-day ready.
They’re the perfect addition to your snack table alongside crispy air fryer chicken wings, Tex-Mex sheet pan vegetarian nachos, and other football faves!
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🌟 Why this recipe works
You're gonna love making these cupcakes for the Big Game!
- Festive and fun: These cupcakes are a conversation starter and the perfect themed dessert for football fans.
- Customizable: You can adjust the colors and decorations to match your favorite team’s colors.
- Kid-friendly: Little ones will enjoy helping with the decorating—a great family activity!
- Crowd-pleasing flavor: The combination of chocolate and buttercream frosting is a timeless hit.
- Easy to transport: These cupcakes are portable, making them ideal for potlucks and tailgates.
🛒 Ingredient notes
- Chocolate cake: Choose between our rich and moist homemade chocolate cake recipe or your favorite boxed chocolate cake mix for convenience.
- Chocolate buttercream frosting: Our easy chocolate buttercream frosting recipe creates the football shape on top of each cupcake and adds a luscious cocoa flavor.
- Vanilla buttercream frosting: Use our vanilla buttercream frosting to create the white football lines, and then add green food coloring to half of the vanilla frosting to create the grass effect.
- Green food coloring: It's not pictured above, but you will need green food coloring to achieve a vibrant, grass-like hue for the green frosting.
✅ Step-by-step instructions
You'll find the full list of ingredients with measurements, as well as more detailed instructions, in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here are some step-by-step photos to show you how to make these cupcakes!
Bake the cupcakes
Start by baking the chocolate cupcakes
Make the frosting
Then make the chocolate buttercream frosting.
Finally, make the vanilla buttercream frosting. Divide the vanilla frosting into two bowls. Add green food coloring to one bowl and stir until all of the white frosting in this bowl is now green; continue to add green food coloring until you get the shade of green you like.
Use a spatula to add each of the frosting colors to their own separate piping bags, fitted with different piping tips to create different piping effects.
For these football cupcakes, you'll need:
- Wilton #21 - chocolate football
- Wilton #3 - white lines
- Wilton #233 - green grass
Assemble the cupcakes
To create the football effect: Place a cupcake on a sturdy, flat surface. Carefully pipe the chocolate frosting on top of the cupcake so that it loosely resembles a football shape. You do this by starting with a small swirl at top then weaving twice from one side to the other until you reach the middle, going wider each time and the widest section being in the middle. Then repeat going side to side toward the bottom, this time creating shorter lines and ending with a small swirl at the end.
To create the football lines: Using WIlton piping tip #3, pipe one straight line down the middle of the football shape, leaving some space of chocolate frosting at both ends. Then pipe three short lines across, starting with the middle and then one slightly above and one slightly below.
Make the green grass: Using piping tip #233, pipe grass strands around the football shape in short movements straight upward from the cupcake. Continue all the way around the cupcake.
Tips for piping frosting
- Use room-temperature frosting: Cold frosting is harder to pipe and may clog your piping tip.
- Practice first: Pipe a few test designs on parchment paper before decorating the cupcakes.
- Steady hands: Keep the piping bag steady and apply even pressure to create consistent designs.
- Clean as you go: Wipe the tip frequently to avoid smudges or uneven lines.
- Chill the cupcakes: If the frosting starts to melt or lose its shape, pop the cupcakes in the fridge for 10–15 minutes before continuing.
👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQs
Yes! Bake the cupcakes and frost them up to two days in advance. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator
Use a plastic zip-top bag with a small corner snipped off as a makeshift piping bag.
Absolutely! Vanilla, red velvet, or even funfetti cake can work well with this decoration.
Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.
Yes. Freeze undecorated cupcakes for up to three months. Thaw and frost them when ready to serve.
Use a cupcake carrier or a sturdy box with cupcake inserts to keep them secure
🍽 Serving ideas
These football cupcakes are perfect for Game Day festivities! Or, to bring to your kid's football practice or game as snacks!
If serving these for Game Day, make it a full tailgating-at-home spread with Air Fryer Potato Skins, Soft Pretzel Bites, Crispy Chicken Air Fryer Wings, and Air Fryer Pigs in a Blanket.
And don't forget to download and print out these Game Day Bingo Cards and Game Day party flag printables for decoration!
🍳 Kitchen tools and equipment
Ready to make this recipe? Here are the kitchen tools and equipment you'll need:
- Mixing bowls
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Cupcake tin and liners
- Piping bags
- Wilton #233 piping tip (for grass)
- Small round piping tip (for football lines)
- Spatula for smoothing frosting
- Cooling rack
- Gel food coloring (green)
- Airtight container (for storage)
More Game Day recipes
Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you really loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!
Football Cupcakes
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- 3½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 3 Tablespoons heavy cream or milk
- ⅕ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- 2½ - 3 cups powdered sugar, as needed
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Bake the cupcakes according to package directions, or use our homemade chocolate fudge cupcake recipe. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
Make the chocolate buttercream frosting
- Add your butter to the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a whisk attachment. Beat the butter for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping down the sides from time to time, until the butter is light yellow, fluffy, and creamy. Don't skimp on this step! It's the key to fluffy buttercream frosting.
- Add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, heavy cream or milk, salt, and vanilla. Beat all of the ingredients together on low for about 1 minute. Then increase the speed to high speed and beat together for about 1 to 2 minutes, just until all of the cocoa powder and powdered sugar are evenly incorporated into the frosting.
- Transfer chocolate frosting to a piping bag fitted with a #21 piping tip.
Make the vanilla buttercream frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer -- or in a large bowl and using a hand mixer -- beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides as necessary. Beat in the powdered sugar until incorporated.Then add the heavy cream, vanilla, and pinch of salt.If the frosting is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar, a couple of tablespoons at a time. If the frosting is too thick, add a little more heavy cream, one teaspoon at a time.
- Divide the vanilla buttercream frosting into two bowls, with one bowl containing about ¾ of frosting and the other containing about ¼ frosting.
- Leave the ¾ frosting white. Transfer the white vanilla frosting to a piping bag fitted with a #3 piping tip.
- Add green food coloring to the bowl with ¼ frosting and stir until all of the white frosting becomes green. Add more drops of green dye as needed and stir until you get the desired green color.
- Transfer the green frosting to a piping bag fitted with a #233 piping tip.
To create the football effect with chocolate buttercream frosting:
- Place a cupcake on a sturdy, flat surface. Carefully pipe the chocolate frosting on top of the cupcake so that it loosely resembles a football shape. You do this by starting with a small swirl at top then weaving twice from one side to the other until you reach the middle, going wider each time and the widest section being in the middle. Then repeat going side to side toward the bottom, this time creating shorter lines and ending with a small swirl at the end.
To create the football lines with white vanilla buttercream frosting
- Using Wilton piping tip #3, pipe one straight line down the middle of the football shape, leaving some space of chocolate frosting at both ends. Then pipe three short lines across, starting with the middle and then one slightly above and one slightly below.
Make the green grass
- Using piping tip #233, pipe grass strands around the football shape in short movements straight upward from the cupcake. Continue all the way around the cupcake.
Notes
- Wilton #21 - chocolate football
- Wilton #3 - white lines
- Wilton #233 - green grass
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a general estimate. Actual nutrition details may vary depending on the exact foods & brands you use to make this recipe. It does not take into account any substitutions, toppings, or optional ingredients.
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