How many cupcakes does a box of cake mix make?
One box of cake mix makes about 24 standard cupcakes — both Wilton and Betty Crocker give that figure — or about 5 dozen minis or 1 dozen jumbo cupcakes. Fill each liner about two-thirds full.
How to work it out
- 24 guests × 1 × 1 extra = 24 cupcakes
- 24 cupcakes ÷ 24 per box = 1 box · ÷ 12 per pan = 2 pans
The number on the box is two dozen, and for standard cupcakes it is reliable — if the liners are filled about two-thirds full. Overfill them and you get eighteen muffin-topped cupcakes; underfill them and you get thirty flat ones.
Adjust for your project
More options: Extra · Per box
- In dozens
- 2 dozen
- Boxes of cake mix (or batches of a standard recipe)
- 1 box
- Pans to bake (one at a time)
- 2 pans
- Liners
- 24 liners
- Batter per cupcake
- ¼–⅓ cup
- Fill liners about two-thirds full (Wilton). Overfilled cupcakes spill over and run together.
Cupcakes and boxes of mix by number of guests (as above)
| Guests | Cupcakes to bake | Boxes of cake mix (or batches of a standard recipe) | Pans to bake (one at a time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 12 cupcakes | 1 box | 1 pan |
| 24 | 24 cupcakes | 1 box | 2 pans |
| 30 | 30 cupcakes | 2 boxes | 3 pans |
| 50 | 50 cupcakes | 3 boxes | 5 pans |
| 75 | 75 cupcakes | 4 boxes | 7 pans |
| 100 | 100 cupcakes | 5 boxes | 9 pans |
| 150 | 150 cupcakes | 7 boxes | 13 pans |
Standard, mini and jumbo
| Size | Batter in each (Wilton) | From one box of mix | Pans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | ¼ to ⅓ cup | about 24 | two 12-cup pans |
| Mini | a heaping tablespoon | about 60 | two to three 24-cup pans |
| Jumbo | ½ to ⅔ cup | about 12 | two 6-cup pans |
Wilton puts the batter from an average two-layer cake mix at 4 to 5½ cups, which squares with 24 cupcakes at about ¼ cup each. A from-scratch recipe that makes two 8 or 9 in layers makes about the same number. At high altitude, Betty Crocker’s directions change the recipe and get 30 standard cupcakes from a box.
Getting all 24
- Use a scoop. A ¼-cup scoop or a large spring-loaded cookie scoop gives even cupcakes that bake in the same time.
- Two-thirds full. Wilton’s guidance; more than three-quarters and they overflow.
- Do not overmix. Box-mix batter beaten too long bakes into domed, dense cupcakes.
- Bake on the center rack one pan at a time for even tops.
To scale up for a party, see how many cupcakes for 50 people. The same box baked as a single 13 × 9 cake is in how many people does a 9x13 cake feed.
Different size? Use the full Cupcake Calculator.
What you’ll need
- Standard 12-cup muffin panBudget price
Two pans let one batch go in the oven while the next is filled.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Standard cupcake liners (bulk)Budget price
Standard liners fit a standard muffin pan. Buy a bulk box if you are baking for a wedding or a school event.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links to products are affiliate links — they cost you nothing extra and help keep these calculators free.
Frequently asked questions
How many mini cupcakes does a box of cake mix make?
About 60 mini cupcakes — 5 dozen, by Wilton’s figure.
How many boxes of cake mix for 100 cupcakes?
5 boxes at about 24 standard cupcakes per box.
How many jumbo cupcakes does a box of cake mix make?
About 12 jumbo cupcakes, at ½ to ⅔ cup of batter each.
Other common sizes
- How many cupcakes for 50 people — 83 cupcakes (4 boxes of mix)
Sources
- Wilton — How to make perfect cupcakes (opens in a new tab) — One box mix or standard recipe makes about 2 dozen standard cupcakes (¼–⅓ cup batter each), about 5 dozen mini or about 1 dozen jumbo; fill about two-thirds full.
- Betty Crocker — Super Moist yellow cake mix (opens in a new tab) — One box makes one 13 × 9 cake, two 8 or 9 in rounds, or 24 cupcakes (14–18 minutes); 30 at high altitude.