Funfetti cupcakes are so easy to make from scratch with simple ingredients, so you can ditch the box mix for good! The colorful, vanilla-scented cupcakes turn out fluffy and tender every time, and you’ll love the velvety frosting that gets piped onto each one. Add extra sprinkles on top for a pretty finishing touch.
These festive cupcakes are great for birthdays, but they work for any celebration! You can even color the frosting to match your occasion’s color palette. For more cake recipes, try my vanilla cupcakes, white cake, and lemon cake.
Ingredients
Flour — all-purpose flour makes perfectly tender and fluffy homemade cupcakes.
Leavening — both baking powder and baking soda help the cupcakes bake up fluffy and airy.
Sugar — not only does granulated sugar add sweetness, but it also adds moisture to confetti cupcakes and helps create their fluffy texture.
Butter & salt — since the salt content in salted butter varies among different brands, use unsalted butter and add a measured amount of salt for the perfect balance of flavor.
Eggs — room temperature eggs help to bind the ingredients in the cupcake batter.
Vanilla — vanilla is a key flavor component in funfetti cupcakes, so high-quality vanilla extract is a must. Avoid artificial or imitation vanilla flavorings.
Sour cream — sour cream adds richness and moisture and yields cupcakes with an incredibly tender crumb.
Milk — whole milk contributes moisture to the batter.
Sprinkles — rainbow jimmies are the best sprinkles for this recipe. You can use a standard mix or choose a specific color palette.
Vanilla buttercream — for the rich buttercream, you need butter, salt, confectioners’ sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract.
How To Make Funfetti Cupcakes
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the white sugar and butter. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Mix on medium-low until the eggs are incorporated.
2. Add the sour cream and milk and mix until combined.
3. Gradually add the dry ingredients mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until the batter is smooth.
4. Gently fold in the rainbow sprinkles.
5. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Using a ¼-cup dry measuring cup, scoop the batter, level the top, and add it to one of the muffin cavities. Repeat to fill the other liners.
6. Bake at 350°F for 18 to 23 minutes, or until the tops are dry and the centers are springy to the touch. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Make the vanilla frosting in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a large bowl, using a handheld mixer), and cream the butter and salt at medium speed for 2 minutes or until it is creamy. Sift in the confectioners’ sugar, then drizzle in 3 tablespoons of cream and the vanilla. Beat on low speed for 1 minute. If the frosting feels dry, mix in the additional tablespoon of heavy cream, 1 teaspoon at a time. Increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy.
8. Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a closed star tip and pipe it onto each cupcake. Decorate with more colorful sprinkles.
What Are The Best Sprinkles to Use in Cake Batter?
Just like for my funfetti cookies recipe, rainbow jimmies are the best type of sprinkles as they bake up soft, virtually melting into the cupcake during baking.
I recommend choosing a good brand, as some jimmies can bleed when you stir them into the batter. I typically use Betty Crocker brand when I’m stirring them into a batter or frosting. Don’t let the batter sit for too long before baking the cupcakes, as the jimmies, even a good brand, will eventually start to dissolve.
Avoid nonpareils for the best funfetti cupcakes, as they bleed almost immediately when you stir them into a batter. However, you can use nonpareils or any sprinkles you like to decorate the funfetti cupcakes after frosting them.
Can I Make This In A 13×9-inch Pan?
Yes! To make a funfetti sheet cake, double the recipe and bake in a greased and parchment paper-lined 9×13-inch cake pan for about 45 minutes or until the center springs back when gently pressed. Frost once the cake has cooled completely.
Tips For Frosting Funfetti Cupcakes
- Make sure the cupcakes are completely cooled. I know waiting can be torture, but if you try to frost warm cupcakes, the buttercream will melt and slide right off.
- Soften the butter properly. For the butter to whip properly, it must be softened when you start working on the batter and frosting. You can set it out well in advance to give it enough time to soften enough that you can press a finger into it, and it leaves an indentation but still gives some resistance. If you forget to set the butter out, follow my simple instructions for how to soften butter in a few minutes.
- You can color the frosting! Mix food coloring in at the very end (the end of step 10). If you wish to add sprinkles to make a funfetti frosting like I do on my funfetti cake, gently stir them in at the end and use an open star tip or round piping tip so the sprinkles don’t clog it.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions
Make ahead: You can make cupcakes and frosting in advance! Store the frosting in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, then set it out for an hour or two before using it. Beat it again briefly to restore the fluffy texture before frosting the cupcakes. If making the cupcakes more than a day ahead, I recommend freezing them for optimal freshness.
Freezing: You can freeze frosted or unfrosted cupcakes. If unfrosted, wrap each cupcake in plastic wrap and store them in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. If they’re frosted, flash-freeze them until solid on a baking sheet, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container. Funfetti cupcakes freeze well for up to 3 months. Leave out at room temperature for a few hours to defrost.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Weigh the flour. Using too much flour is a common mistake and can make dry and dense cupcakes. The best way to measure flour is using a kitchen scale. If you don’t have one, fluff the flour in its container, spoon it into the measuring cup, and level it off with a knife.
- Use room temperature ingredients. Set the refrigerated ingredients out about an hour before you start working on this recipe. Room-temperature ingredients incorporate better than those straight out of the fridge.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Once the batter is smooth, stop mixing it. Over-mixing will overdevelop the gluten and cause the funfetti cupcakes to turn out tough instead of light and fluffy.
- Use a measuring scoop to divide the batter. Use a dry ¼ cup measuring cup or a 2-ounce spring-loaded scoop to scoop the batter and level off the top. This will keep you from overfilling the muffin liners, causing the batter to spill over when baking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can double the recipe to make 24 cupcakes. Follow the same baking instructions.
Yes, but follow the method for filling the cupcake liners and baking from my mini cupcakes recipe. The yield will be about 48 mini funfetti cupcakes.
Frosted funfetti cupcakes will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for 24 hours. For longer storage, pop them into the fridge for up to 5 days.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Funfetti Cupcakes recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Funfetti Cupcakes Recipe
Equipment
- Stand Mixer with paddle attachment
- Piping bag
- Large, closed star tip
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 1⅔ cup all-purpose flour (200g)
- 1¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened (113g)
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup sour cream room temperature (120g)
- ⅓ cup whole milk room temperature (80mL)
- ¼ cup rainbow jimmies (50g)
For the Vanilla Buttercream:
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature (113g)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 pound confectioner’s sugar (450g)
- 3 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Colorful jimmies or sprinkles to garnish
Instructions
For the Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the sugar and the butter. Beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Mix on medium-low until the eggs are combined. Add the sour cream and milk and mix until combined.
- Gradually add the flour mixture and mix until the batter is smooth. Gently fold in the sprinkles.
- Using a ¼-cup dry measuring cup, scoop the batter and level the top. Add this amount to one of the muffin liners. Repeat to fill the remaining liners. (Each liner should be about two-thirds full. You may have a small amount of batter left in the bowl, but it’s important not to overfill or the batter will spill over the edges when baking.)
- Bake for 18 to 23 minutes, or until the tops are dry and the centers are springy to the touch. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool.
For the Vanilla Buttercream:
- Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a large bowl, using a handheld mixer), cream the butter and salt on medium speed for 2 minutes or until creamy.
- Sift in the confectioner’s sugar, then drizzle in 3 tablespoons of cream and the vanilla. Beat on low speed for 1 minute, just until combined. If the frosting feels dry, mix in the additional tablespoon of heavy cream, 1 teaspoon at a time.
- Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes until fluffy and creamy.
- Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a closed star tip—pipe about 3 to 4 tablespoons of icing on each cupcake. Decorate with more colorful sprinkles.
Notes
- Weigh the flour. Using too much flour is a common mistake and can make dry and dense cupcakes. The best way to measure flour is using a kitchen scale. If you don’t have one, fluff the flour in its container, spoon it into the measuring cup, and level it off with a knife.
- Use room temperature ingredients. Set the refrigerated ingredients out about an hour before you start working on this recipe. Room-temperature ingredients incorporate better than those straight out of the fridge.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Once the batter is smooth, stop mixing it. Over-mixing will overdevelop the gluten and cause the funfetti cupcakes to turn out tough instead of light and fluffy.
- Use a measuring scoop to divide the batter. Use a dry ¼ cup measuring cup or a 2-ounce spring-loaded scoop to scoop the batter and level off the top. This will keep you from overfilling the muffin liners, causing the batter to spill over when baking.
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