Are you trying to watch your weight? If you are, then a good place to start is by understanding how many calories are in different foods.
In this article, we are going to go over everything you need to know about how many calories are in a cupcake.

How Many Calories Are In A Cupcake?
Your average cupcake with icing will contain about 178 calories per cupcake.
That being said, the number of calories in a cupcake will vastly differ depending on the type of cupcake that is under scrutiny and the recipe that is being used.
Nutritional Information
Your average cupcake is not overly nutritious, but there is still some good in them. As such, it is important for you to understand what nutrients you can find in a regular sized cupcake. We have listed the nutrients below:
- Total Fat – One serving of a typical cupcake has about 5.26 grams of total fat.
- Saturated Fat – There is about 1.311 grams of saturated fat in one serving.
- Trans Fat – There is no trans fat in a regular cupcake.
- Polyunsaturated Fat – There is about 1.14 grams in a regular cupcake.
- Monounsaturated Fat – There is about 2.52 grams in your average cupcake.
- Cholesterol – There are about 10 milligrams of cholesterol in an average cupcake.
- Sodium – On average, there is about 153 milligrams of sodium in a cupcake.
- Total Carbohydrate – There is about 32.54 grams of total carbs in a cupcake.
- Dietary Fiber – On average, there is about 0.5 grams of fiber in a cupcake.
- Sugar – There is a whopping 25.75 grams of sugar in the average cupcake.
- Protein – There is about 1.37 grams of protein in the average cupcake.
- Vitamin D – On average, there is no vitamin D in a typical cupcake
- Calcium – There is about 35 milligrams of calcium in a cupcake.
- Iron – On average, there is about 0.83 grams of iron in a cupcake.
- Potassium – There is usually about 59 milligrams in a cupcake.
- Vitamin A – There is about 35 milligrams of vitamin A in a cupcake on average.
- Vitamin C – Cupcakes do not usually contain vitamin C but some might.
Bear in mind that these values will be different for each different variety of cupcake and even per recipe. As such, the values we have listed above are for an average cupcake with icing.
Frosting Types
There are a ton of different kinds of frosting that can be used on cupcakes.
Because there are so many types of frosting, it is important to understand that each one can have a different caloric value. We have listed some of the most popular types below for you to consider:
- Buttercream – In a single serving of buttercream frosting, there are about 418 calories.
- Whipping Cream Frosting – There are about 350 calories in this kind of frosting.
- Royal Icing – On average, there are about 120 calories per serving.
- Ganache – Typically there will be about 80 calories per serving.
- Glaze – In 100 grams of glaze frosting, there are about 359 calories.
- Cream Cheese Frosting – In one tablespoon of frosting, there are about 68 calories.
- Fudge Frosting – There is about 130 calories per serving of fudge frosting.
- Fondant – In 100 grams of fondant, there are about 373 calories.
Bear in mind that there are a range of frosting types out there, as such we have only mentioned the ones that are most popular above.
On top of that, there are various recipes which can impact how many calories might be in different kinds of frosting.

Toppings
It will be no surprise to you that there are a range of different toppings that you can put on your frosting.
These toppings can affect the caloric content of cupcakes, which is why it is important to consider what toppings will be on your cupcake and the caloric content of each:
- Sprinkles – Just two tablespoons of sprinkles will contain about 107 calories.
- Berries – For mixed berries, there will be about 46 calories per serving.
- Sauces – In 100 grams, there are about 279 calories. This number changes depending on what sauce you intend to use on your cupcakes.
- Candy – In 100 grams there are about 546 calories. This number will change depending on the type of candy you are using.
There are countless other topping ideas out there, the ones we have mentioned here are merely some of the most popular choices.
Caloric Value Of Generic Types Cupcakes
As we said, different cupcakes will have different caloric values. In this section, we are going to take a look at what the typical caloric value of different types of cupcakes might be.
- Chocolate – In general, there will be about 122 calories per chocolate cupcake.
- Red Velvet – On average, there will be about 339 calories per red velvet cupcake.
- Salted Caramel – In general, there are about 350 calories per salted caramel cupcake.
- Vanilla – There will typically be about 291 calories per vanilla cupcake.
- Carrot Cake – Generally there will be about 442 calories per carrot cake cupcake.
It is important to understand that these are general caloric values. Different recipes may mean the caloric value will go up or down.
On top of that, the amount of calories in these cupcakes might differ depending on the store you are purchasing your cakes from.
Final Thoughts
We hope that you have enjoyed reading this article and learning about how many calories are in a cupcake.
As you will have discovered by this point, the number of calories in a cupcake is entirely dependent on what kind of cupcake you are intending to enjoy.
For example, a double chocolate cupcake covered in frosting might have more calories than a poppy seed and lemon cupcake.
If you have enjoyed reading this article, then you may well find that our website will have more fantastic articles there that you will enjoy.
We have a range of articles, which cover similar topics, some of which you are bound to find enlightening to some degree.
Thanks for reading!
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