How To Make Butterfly Cakes | Perfect Wings, Light Crumb

Butterfly cakes are vanilla cupcakes split and filled with jam and buttercream, with the top cut into “wings.”

If you’re learning How To Make Butterfly Cakes, start with soft vanilla cupcakes, let them cool, then fill and set the wings so they stand tall.

The goal is a tender crumb that cuts cleanly and a filling that doesn’t ooze. Once you’ve done a batch, the wing cut feels less fussy and more fun.

What Butterfly Cakes Are

Butterfly cakes begin as plain cupcakes. After cooling, you slice off the top, cut that piece in half, and return the two halves after filling. Those halves sit like wings, which is where the name comes from.

The classic version uses jam plus vanilla buttercream. The jam brings fruit flavor and moisture, and the buttercream props up the wings so the cakes keep their shape on a platter.

Ingredients For Soft Butterfly Cakes

You don’t need a long list. You do need fresh baking powder, cool-soft butter, and eggs that aren’t ice-cold. Those choices help the batter blend smoothly and rise evenly.

Skip tasting raw batter and wash hands, tools, and counters after handling eggs. The FDA egg safety page spells out practical steps for buying, storing, and handling eggs.

Cupcake Batter Ingredients

• All-purpose flour: Structure with a tender bite.
• Baking powder: Lift and lightness.
• Fine salt: Balances sweetness.
• Unsalted butter: Rich flavor and even crumb.
• Granulated sugar: Sweetness plus gentle browning.
• Eggs: Bind and add bounce.
• Milk: Softens the crumb.
• Vanilla extract: Classic bakery flavor.

Filling And Finishing Ingredients

• Jam: Strawberry and raspberry are traditional, but any smooth jam works.
• Buttercream: Vanilla buttercream holds the wings in place.
• Powdered sugar: Optional dusting for a clean finish.

Tools That Make The Job Easier

• 12-cup muffin tin and paper liners
• Hand mixer or stand mixer
• Rubber spatula
• Cookie scoop or tablespoon measure (for even portions)
• Serrated knife (clean wing cuts)
• Piping bag with a star tip (optional)

Making Butterfly Cakes At Home With A Tender Crumb

Plan on 45–60 minutes from start to baked cupcakes, plus cooling time. Cooling is where patience pays off. Warm cakes tear, and the wings look ragged.

Prep The Pan And Oven

Heat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-cup tin with paper liners. Set butter, eggs, and milk out for 20–30 minutes so they blend without lumps.

Mix The Dry Ingredients

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. This spreads the leavener through the flour so the cupcakes rise evenly.

Cream Butter And Sugar

Beat butter and sugar until paler and smoother, about 2–3 minutes. Scrape the bowl once or twice so no thick butter stays stuck on the sides.

Add Eggs And Vanilla

Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in vanilla. If the mixture looks a little curdled, keep going. It usually comes together once the flour and milk go in.

Finish The Batter Gently

Add half the dry mix, then half the milk. Repeat. Stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears. A few small streaks are fine; a final spatula fold finishes the job.

Fill The Liners Evenly

Fill each liner to about two-thirds full. If some cups are taller than others, the wing cut gets annoying. Even portions keep the tops closer in height.

Bake Until Set

Bake for 16–20 minutes, until the tops spring back when tapped and a toothpick shows moist crumbs. Rest the pan for 5 minutes, then move the cupcakes to a rack.

Cool Fully Before Cutting

Cool to room temperature. If the cupcakes still feel warm in the center, wait. You’ll get cleaner wings and less smearing.

Ingredient Roles And Smart Swaps

Butterfly cakes don’t demand perfection, but they do reward small choices. If you swap ingredients, do it with a reason: dairy-free, a softer crumb, or a different flavor.

Ingredient	What It Does	Swap Or Note
All-purpose flour	Gives structure	Cake flour makes a finer crumb
Baking powder	Creates lift	Use fresh for a fuller rise
Butter	Adds richness	Plant-based sticks work; keep them cool-soft
Sugar	Sweetens and browns	Castor sugar dissolves fast if you have it
Eggs	Bind and add bounce	Use large eggs for steady results
Milk	Softens the crumb	Whole milk is plush; oat milk works too
Jam	Adds fruit flavor	Warm thick jam briefly and stir smooth
Buttercream	Fills and holds wings	Beat well for a lighter texture

Cutting The Wings Neatly

This is the only “fiddly” part. Go slow. Short sawing motions with a serrated knife keep the crumb intact.

Slice Off The Top

Cut a thin cap from the top of each cupcake, about 1/2 inch thick. Thick caps crack more easily when split.

Split The Cap Into Two Wings

Set the cap flat and cut it in half. If the cupcake domed, trim a sliver from the underside of the cap so the wings sit at a neat angle.

Scoop A Small Pocket

Use a teaspoon to scoop a small crater in the center of the cupcake. Don’t dig to the liner. You just need space for jam and buttercream.

Filling And Decorating Butterfly Cakes

Jam first, buttercream second, wings last. That order keeps the jam from smearing into the frosting and keeps the wings from sliding.

Add The Jam

Spoon 1–2 teaspoons of jam into the pocket. Keep it below the rim so it doesn’t squeeze out when you set the wings.

Add Buttercream That Holds Its Shape

Pipe a swirl or spoon a mound of buttercream over the jam. If it feels stiff, beat in milk by teaspoons. If it feels loose, chill for 10 minutes, then beat again.

Set The Wings

Insert the two wing pieces into the buttercream at a slight angle, cut sides facing out. Press just enough so they stand upright.

Finish Right Before Serving

Dust powdered sugar over the wings right before you set the platter out. Dusting too early turns the sugar into a glossy patch on the buttercream.

Make-Ahead And Storage Plan

Butterfly cakes taste best the day they’re filled, but you can split the work across a day without losing quality. Keep filled cakes cool if your room is warm, since buttercream softens quickly.

For storage timelines and fridge-freezer handling, the USDA’s FoodKeeper app is a handy reference for home kitchens.

Task	Best Timing	Notes
Bake cupcakes	Up to 1 day ahead	Cool, wrap airtight, store at room temp
Make buttercream	Up to 3 days ahead	Chill airtight; bring to cool-room temp and re-whip
Fill and set wings	2–6 hours before serving	Best texture and cleanest wings
Short room-temp hold	Up to 2 hours	Keep out of sun and away from heat vents
Refrigerate filled cakes	Same day	Lid or wrap so they don’t pick up fridge odors
Serve after chilling	After 20–30 minutes on the counter	Buttercream softens and the crumb tastes fresher
Freeze unfilled cupcakes	Up to 2 months	Wrap well; thaw wrapped at room temp before filling

Troubleshooting: Fixes For Common Butterfly Cake Problems

If something went sideways, it’s usually one small thing. Here are the usual culprits and the easy fixes.

Flat Or Sunken Tops

• Check baking powder freshness.
• Bake soon after mixing; don’t let batter sit around.
• Keep the oven door shut for the first 12 minutes.

Dry Cupcakes

• Pull them when a toothpick shows moist crumbs.
• Measure flour carefully; packed cups add extra flour.
• Stop mixing once the flour disappears.

Greasy Liners

• Cool on a rack so steam doesn’t soak the paper.
• Use standard liners; thin liners spot more easily.
• Use cool-soft butter, not melted butter.

Wings That Tear Or Slide

• Cool cupcakes fully before cutting.
• Cut a thinner cap and split it with short, gentle strokes.
• Pipe a taller buttercream mound so the wings have a stable place to sit.

Recipe Card: Classic Butterfly Cakes

This recipe makes 12 butterfly cakes with jam and vanilla buttercream. For mini cakes, use a mini muffin pan and start checking at 10 minutes.

Classic Butterfly Cakes

Yield: 12 cakes   |   Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes (includes cooling)

Ingredients

• 150 g all-purpose flour (1 1/4 cups, spooned and leveled)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 115 g unsalted butter, cool-soft (8 Tbsp)
• 150 g granulated sugar (3/4 cup)
• 2 large eggs, cool-room temp
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 120 ml milk (1/2 cup)
• 8–10 Tbsp jam
• Vanilla buttercream (recipe below)
• Powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-cup tin with paper liners.
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. Beat butter and sugar until paler and smoother, 2–3 minutes. Scrape the bowl.
4. Beat in eggs one at a time, then mix in vanilla.
5. Mix in half the dry ingredients, then half the milk. Repeat. Stop once the flour disappears.
6. Fill liners about two-thirds full. Bake 16–20 minutes, until tops spring back.
7. Cool 5 minutes in the pan, then move to a rack. Cool fully.
8. Cut a thin cap from each cupcake. Split caps in half to make wings.
9. Scoop a small pocket in each cupcake. Add 1–2 tsp jam.
10. Pipe or spoon buttercream on top of the jam. Set wings into the cream at an angle.
11. Dust with powdered sugar right before serving.

Vanilla Buttercream

• 115 g unsalted butter, cool-soft (8 Tbsp)
• 240 g powdered sugar (2 cups)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1–2 Tbsp milk
• Pinch of salt

1. Beat butter until smooth, about 1 minute.
2. Add powdered sugar in two additions, beating on low at first.
3. Add vanilla, salt, and 1 Tbsp milk. Beat 2 minutes until light.
4. Add more milk by teaspoons if you want a softer pipe.

Storage

Unfilled cupcakes keep 1 day airtight at room temp. Filled cakes taste best the same day; chill if needed and let sit 20–30 minutes before serving.

Serving Notes That Keep Them Looking Sharp

Space the cakes out on a platter so the wings don’t bump. If you’re stacking trays for transport, place a sheet of parchment between layers so frosting doesn’t smear.

A calm ride helps more than fancy garnish. If the wings lean during travel, nudge them back into the buttercream once you arrive.