Funfetti Cupcakes With Vanilla Buttercream

Homemade funfetti cupcakes add a pop of color to any celebration. This cupcake recipe isn’t overly sweet so it pairs perfectly with homemade American buttercream (that also gets rainbow sprinkles folded in!).

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Funfetti Cupcakes

Funfetti cupcakes scream party and color. These are perfect to whip up for a birthday or anytime you want to celebrate with color.

This is essentially a vanilla cupcake with rainbow sprinkles folded into the batter. I have a 6-inch funfetti small batch cake recipe also.

This funfetti cupcake recipe isn’t overly sweet, which means it pairs perfectly with a swirl of sweet American buttercream.

You’ll fold more rainbow sprinkles into the buttercream, equip a piping bag with a #1M piping tip and pipe a tall swirl. Add a few more rainbow sprinkles on top and then share with everyone (or don’t…I won’t tell…).

Why these are the best funfetti cupcakes

Why bake this recipe? Well, I’m glad you asked!

• cupcakes aren’t overly sweet (in fact most of the sweetness comes from the buttercream)
• a little more fun than a sprinkle-less vanilla cupcake
• homemade cupcakes are fairly simple to bake and taste so much better than store bought
• it’s easy! mix the wet ingredients and then the dry, whisk everything together and pour into a cupcake tin and bake

Ingredients

Before you get started in the kitchen, make to sure to check that you have all of the ingredients!

You can make this recipe using a stand mixer or hand mixer. I recommend using a stand mixer when making buttercream frosting to get the yummiest silky smooth frosting.

unsalted butter: adds lots of good buttery flavor, tenderness, moisture, and contributes to the cakes texture

granulated sugar: creates structure, moisture, caramelization (it’s important not to change the amount of sugar listed in a recipe for this reason), and of course adds sweetness!

vanilla extract: adds delicious vanilla flavor, you can also use vanilla bean paste

egg: adds structure, moisture, and a richness

all-purpose flour: adds structure and a balance to the wet ingredients

baking powder: helps the batter to rise and gives a light airy texture

kosher salt: adds flavor and enhances texture plus the larger the salt crystal, the slower it takes to dissolve, giving a more even distribution

whole milk: adds moisture and a richness that creates a delicious flavor! I only recommend using whole milk but I’ve used 2% in a pinch and it works but it’s less flavorful

rainbow sprinkles: the star of the show, these rainbow sprinkles add color and are tasteless or if you need bulk these are great too! (I put them on ice cream 🙂)

powdered sugar: thickens frosting and adds sweetness

heavy whipping cream: thins out the buttercream, cuts through the sweetness, and helps create fluffy buttercream. I’ve used 2% milk in a pinch, it’s just not as rich so I recommend using whipping cream

Tips to make the best funfetti cupcakes

1. Make sure your cold ingredients are at room temperature before baking. To speed things up, put the eggs in a bowl of warm water and microwave the butter for 30-second intervals on low heat (I use power 3) until just softened.
2. Use rainbow sprinkle jimmies, don’t use nonpareils (the tiny balls) because they bleed color.
3. Avoid natural color sprinkles because they lose color when baked.
4. Fill each cupcake liner to about 2/3 of the way to the top. The recipes makes 12-14 cupcakes. I say 12-14 because filling the cupcakes liners isn’t an exact science and cupcake pans can slightly vary.

How to make funfetti cupcakes

Funfetti batter

Have your cold ingredients at room temperature. My most helpful tip is to measure out all of your ingredients beforehand so when you start baking everything is ready to go!

This is called, mise en place, a French expression for everything is in it’s place and ready to go!

Prepare a standard muffin pan with parchment cupcake liners and preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃).

Use a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or a hand mixer, to beat the butter and then the granulated sugar until lightened in color and fluffy.

Turn the mixer to low speed, add the vanilla extract and the eggs one at a time, mixing in-between. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Always scrape down the bowl to make sure everything is mixed well.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix on low speed. Add the milk and stop mixing when everything is just incorporated.

Gently fold in the sprinkles with a spatula. Pour the batter about 2/3 of the way up into the cupcake liners. To avoid mess, I like to use a cookie scoop or a spoon.

BAKING

Bake for 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

You don’t want to over bake these. When baking it’s helpful to use an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is the correct temperature.

My tip is always set the timer to the lowest time listed in a recipe, check with a toothpick, and add a few minutes as needed. Transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

mAKING THE ABC (american buttercream)

While the cupcakes cool, make the buttercream.

This recipe is my original easy American buttercream recipe, adjusted for 12-14 cupcakes. This makes enough buttercream for piping on tall-ish swirls.

If you don’t pipe them taller, you’ll have leftover buttercream, which you can freeze for up to 3 months in an airtight container or keep in the fridge for a week.

Make sure the butter has softened to room temperature. Equip the paddle attachment to a stand mixer or use a hand mixer to beat softened butter.

Turn the mixer off and add 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time and mix on low speed. After all the powdered sugar is added, scrape down the bowl with a spatula.

Add the salt, vanilla, and whipping cream and mix everything on medium speed. Then, change the speed to low and mix for 5 minutes. If the buttercream is too stiff, add 1 tsp of additional heavy whipping cream at a time until it looks smooth and silky but not wet.

Pour in rainbow sprinkles and mix on low speed until incorporated. You can also fold them in using a spatula.

DeCorating

Make sure the cupcakes are completely cooled before decorating or the buttercream will melt. Prepare a piping bag with a #1M piping tip. Scoop in the buttercream.

If you’re new to piping, I recommend filling up the piping bag halfway with buttercream so it’s easier to control. Hold the cupcake in one hand at an angle. Point the piping tip at the center of the cupcake.

Apply firm pressure and start by swirling the buttercream from the center, outward and the pipe around again to create tall swirls. Add more sprinkles on top!

FAQ’s

Storing

Cupcakes can keep at room temperature for 2 days in an airtight container or a week in the refrigerator. Unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for up to 2 months when wrapped in plastic and stored in freezer safe container. To thaw, move to the refrigerator over night.

Buttercream can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container or keep in the fridge for a week.

Cupcakes are dry

If the cupcakes were overbaked, they will result in dry cake. Check to make sure your oven doesn’t run hot with an oven thermometer.

RECIPE CARD