This is the best Funfetti Cupcakes Recipe, as these cupcakes are incredibly fluffy and have the perfect texture (a soft, moist crumb). Topped with creamy vanilla buttercream, these are the Perfect Funfetti Cupcakes!
Homemade Funfetti Cupcakes
It’s no secret that cupcakes with sprinkles inside are a universal favorite among kids (and I’d be willing to bet, adults also). Next to strawberry cupcakes, funfetti cupcakes were my go-to birthday choice. (I mean, when you think birthday cupcakes, what’s the first flavor to come to mind?? It’s always cupcakes with sprinkles for me.)
There’s something incredibly fun about brightly colored sprinkles, especially when baked in every bite of cake. Somehow, someway, sprinkles just make everything better.
These Funfetti Cupcakes (with vanilla buttercream) are made from scratch with the loads of colorful sprinkles, plenty of sweet flavor, and a light and fluffy texture that is to die for.
Three Reasons These Are Perfect Sprinkle Cupcakes:
- Texture: I’ve already mentioned this twice before, but the texture of these cupcakes is outstanding. Made with buttermilk, sour cream, cake flour, and egg whites, it’s nearly impossible for these cupcakes not to be perfectly fluffy with a moist, tender crumb.
- Flavor: This is a white funfetti cupcake, meaning I use my favorite white cake recipe as the basis. White cake is a little sweet, with a subtle butter flavor, a bit of vanilla, and a bit of tanginess from the buttermilk and sour cream.
- Simple: This is a fairly simple from scratch funfetti cake recipe. The most difficult part is whipped the egg whites before folding them into the batter (and that is also very simple to do).
Other Recipes To Try Next:
- Funfetti Vanilla Cupcakes: These cupcakes are a little bit denser than these Perfect Fluffy Funfetti Cupcakes. The Funfetti Vanilla Cupcakes are based off of a yellow funfetti cake recipe while these Perfect Funfetti Cupcakes are based off of a white cake base.
- Strawberry Funfetti Cake
- Funfetti Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
- Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream: Save the yolks and use them for this ice cream!
In need of a single serve dessert?
If you’re craving cake but don’t need a dozen cupcakes, try this easy Vanilla Mug Cake or this Molten Chocolate Lava Mug Cake instead!
Funfetti Cupcake Ingredients:
- Egg Whites: This is a funfetti white cake recipe so it uses only egg whites. The yolks add too much color. The whipped egg whites give the cake extra volume.
- Cake Flour: Cake flour is a must, because it makes for extremely tender, fluffy cakes. It’s a much more delicate flour than all purpose flour and you can truly taste the difference in homemade cakes.
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Unsalted Butter: Unsalted butter is my go to choice in baking because I like to control the salt content in my baked recipes.
- Granulated Sugar: There’s no brown sugar in this recipe because it would add too much moisture, change the flavor, and change the color of the batter.
- Vanilla Extract: This gives the white cake batter a nice subtly sweet flavor.
- Buttermilk: This adds a rich texture, and gives a very moist, delicate crumb.
- Sour Cream: This adds moisture and richness to the overall cake batter.
- Sprinkles: These can’t be the best funfetti cupcakes, confetti cupcakes, sprinkle cupcakes without sprinkles, you know?
Vanilla Buttercream Ingredients:
- Unsalted Butter
- Powdered Sugar
- Heavy Cream
- Vanilla Extract
- Almond Extract: This is optional, but it adds an extra layer of flavor to the vanilla frosting.
- Salt
- Food Coloring: I used purple and blue food coloring gel to make these colors, however you can leave the frosting as is.
How To Make Funfetti Cupcakes From Scratch:
- Egg Whites: Whip egg whites until stiff peaks. Set aside.
- Sift Dry Ingredients: Begin by sifting the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.
- Cream the Batter: With a standing mixer or a hand mixer, cream the softened butter until it is light and fluffy (about 1 minutes or so). Add in the granulated sugar and continue to cream the batter until light and fluffy.
- Mix Dry and Wet Ingredients: Whisk buttermilk and vanilla extract together. Then, alternately add the dry ingredients and wet ingredients to the butter batter. Mix until just combined. Add in sour cream, and mix until combined.
- Egg Whites: Gently fold the egg whites into the batter, gently folding until the egg whites are combined.
- Sprinkles: Lastly, gently fold in the sprinkles.
- Bake: Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 of the way full and bake until a cake tester comes out clean and the cupcakes ‘spring back’ when touched in the center.
- Frosting: Cream the butter with a mixer until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes (it seems like a long time, but it makes for very fluffy frosting). Add in powdered sugar and heavy cream. Add in vanilla and almond extracts, and a pinch of salt. Mix until well combined.
- Decorate: Using a piping bag or a knife, frost the cupcakes.
Storage Tips and Tricks
- Room Temperature: You can store funfetti cupcakes at room temperature in an airtight container for 2-3 days (depending upon how warm it is in your house). If storing on the counter, the buttercream frosting will be slightly looser and not quite as stiff.
- Fridge: You can store the cupcakes in the fridge as well, covered in an airtight container. They can last longer in the fridge than at room temp. However, I suggest letting the cupcakes come to room temperature before serving.
- Cold cupcakes are often dry, and letting them reach room temperature makes them soft and fluffy again.
- Freezer: You can store unfrosted funfetti cupcakes in the freezer in an airtight container (if you store in an airtight container, I suggest flash freezing the cupcakes first so they don’t stick together) or you can wrap them individually in plastic wrap and then place in an airtight container.
- I have never frozen frosted cupcakes so I don’t know how these would turn out frosted first, then frozen.
- Making Ahead of Time: Lastly, you can make these the day before. Store unfrosted funfetti cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature (or in the fridge). Make and store the frosting in the fridge.
- Let the vanilla buttercream reach room temperature before frosting the cupcakes. Serve.
Substitutions
*I highly suggest using the real ingredients if possible. However, if you are in a pinch, you can use these homemade subtitutions.
- Homemade Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a homemade version by mixing lemon juice (or vinegar) with milk. For this recipe, measure scant 1/2 cup of milk (the milk should just be below the 1/2 cup line) and squeeze a little lemon juice until the 1/2 cup mark is reached. Allow it to sit five minutes before stirring and using.
- Homemade Cake Flour: If you don’t have cake flour, you can make your own by using a combination of all purpose flour and cornstarch. This recipe calls for 1 3/4 cup cake flour. If you are substituting, use: 3 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch + 1 2/3 cup all purpose flour.
- Frosting: You can use milk instead of heavy whipping cream, and you can omit the almond extract if you prefer.
FAQ’S
What Sprinkles Are Best For Funfetti Cupcakes?
I suggest using jimmies for funfetti cupcakes, which are the oblong shaped sprinkles. These hold up better when baking, as lots of other types of sprinkles can dissolve in the batter or even melt when baked.
I opted for a blend of purple and teal jimmies, however you can use any color or colors you want. Rainbow jimmies are the classic funfetti cupcakes go-to!
Are Funfetti Cupcakes The Same as Confetti Cupcakes?
Yes, so both funfetti cupcakes and confetti cupcakes refer to cupcakes made with sprinkles. Most of the boxed mixes refer to sprinkle cupcakes as funfetti cupcakes, but confetti is an alternate name.
How To Frost Perfect Funfetti Cupcakes:
- Technique: If you’re interested in doing a two color frosting, like I did with these cupcakes, divide the vanilla buttercream frosting into two bowls (or as many bowls as you’d like, depending upon how many colors you’d like to do).
- Add food coloring to each bowl, and mix until combined.
- I used gel food coloring, and I used purple and blue.
- Take a large piping bag with the tip in place (I used the Wilton tip 4B, but you can use whatever tip(s) you like), and put it in a large cup. Fold the ends of the piping bag over the sides of the cup.
- Next, take the first color of frosting and put it, as best as you can, on one side of the bag. Then, take your second color and put it on the other side of the bag.
- Twist the end of the piping bag to seal it up and then squeeze the frosting on a plate until you see two colors coming out of the tip.
- Finally, frost cupcakes as desired.
- Alternately: You can use a knife or a spoon to spread your frosting—you do not have to pipe! Top with sprinkles.
Final Tips and Tricks For Making Perfect Homemade Funfetti Cupcakes:
- Sift Ingredients: Don’t skip this step! Sifting the dry ingredients makes for very light and fluffy cupcakes.
- Measure: When measuring the cake flour, spoon and level it into your measuring cups. This ensures that it isn’t ‘packed,’ which can lead to dry and dense cupcakes.
- Don’t Over Bake: Cupcakes can dry out easily if over baked, so keep a close eye on them near the end of their baking time. As soon as they ‘spring’ back when touched in the center, they’re done and ready to cool.
- Variations: You can turn this into a 2 layer 8” or 9” cake. Just divide the batter between two cake pans. Alternately, you can make these into mini cupcakes. Just note the baking time will differ for both mini cupcakes and layer cakes.
Hello, gorgeous. I’ll take a dozen!
Funfetti Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream
Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
22 mins
Total Time
1 hr 22 mins
This is the best Funfetti Cupcakes Recipe, as these cupcakes are incredibly fluffy and have the perfect texture (a soft, moist crumb). Topped with creamy vanilla buttercream, these are the Perfect Funfetti Cupcakes!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: funfetti cupcakes
Servings: 18 cupcakes
Ingredients
Funfetti Cupcakes
- 4 egg whites
- 1 3/4 cups cake flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1/2-2/3 cup jimmies, sprinkles
Vanilla Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar
- 3-4 Tbsp heavy whipping cream (or milk)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)
- salt, to taste
Toppings:
- Sprinkles
Instructions
Funfetti Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners (this recipe makes about 18 cupcakes). Set aside.
- With a standing mixer or hand mixer, whisk egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, sift dry ingredients together (cake flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda). Set aside.
- With a hand mixer or standing mixer, cream the unsalted butter until it is light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add in the granulated sugar, and continue creaming the mixture until light and fluffy, about 1 more minute.
- Whisk the buttermilk and vanilla extract together.
- Alternately, add the dry ingredients and buttermilk mixture to the butter and sugar mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing after each addition until just combined.
- (I add in 1/3 of the dry ingredients, mix until just combined. Then add in 1/2 of the wet ingredients, mix until combined. And so forth.)
- Add in the sour cream, mixing until just combined.
- Next, gently fold in the egg whites, folding until the egg whites are fully combined.
- Finally, add in the sprinkles (I used 1/2 cup, but you can use up to 2/3 if you prefer more sprinkles), and gently fold the sprinkles into the batter.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared cupcake tins, filling about 2/3 of the way full. Tap the cupcake pans on the counter (this helps release any air bubbles).
- Bake for 19-22 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean and the cupcakes ‘spring’ back when touched in the center.
- Allow to cool before frosting.
Frosting:
- With a standing mixer or hand mixer, cream the unsalted butter until light and fluffy, and pale yellow in color (about 2-3 minutes).
- Add in 3 1/2 cups of powdered sugar. Mix until combined.
- Add in 3 Tbsp heavy whipping cream, mixing until combined.
Add in vanilla extract and almond extract, and a pinch of salt (salt offsets the sweetness of the buttercream). Mix until well combined.
- If the frosting seems too thin, add in the remaining 1/2 cup of powdered sugar. If the frosting is too thick, add in the remaining Tbsp of heavy cream.
- If using food coloring, add the food coloring to the frosting.
- Next, with a tip and piping bag or with a knife, frost the cupcakes and top with sprinkles.
Here are some other recipes to try next:
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