Tessa's Recipe Rundown
TASTE: Joy and nostalgia in every bite! Sweet vanilla with a hint of almond and a touch of tang from the cream cheese frosting.
TEXTURE: Light and tender, while the frosting is ultra smooth and creamy.
EASE: These cupcakes could be on your kitchen counter in just 1 hour!
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: Much easier to make, transport, and serve than a layer cake but just as festive.
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Nothing screams joy like rainbow sprinkles. One bite of my Funfetti Cupcake recipe will have you feeling like a kid again… all thanks to a few special ingredients!
Everything you love about box mixed confetti cupcakes but with far better flavor, this recipe is bound to become a highly requested birthday favorite.
I adapted this cupcake recipe from my Funfetti Sheet Cake (which underwent dozens of test batches), making some alterations to yield picture-perfect cupcakes.
This recipe is kid-approved and easy enough to make it a fun baking project to enjoy with your little ones (though fighting may ensue over who gets to lick the icing spatula!).
You could even switch out the rainbow sprinkles for different colors to celebrate any holiday, such as green and red for Christmas, pink for Valentine’s Day, or red and blue for 4th of July.
Key Ingredients for Funfetti Cupcakes
Melted Butter: Unlike most cupcake recipes which cream room temperature butter and sugar, my recipe utilizes melted butter for a texture that feels more like box mix (with way better flavor, obviously!). You’ll still need room temperature butter (and cream cheese) for the frosting.
All-Purpose and Cake Flour: Half of each creates a perfectly light, fluffy, and tender cupcake that can stand up to a generous amount of frosting. I strongly advise sticking with this exact ratio. I prefer Swans Down cake flour.
Sour Cream and Buttermilk: It took a TON of testing to yield the perfect moist and fluffy texture with balanced flavor (not too sweet), and this combination was the key. It’s worth the trip to the store, promise!!
White and Brown Sugar: White granulated sugar is what’s traditionally used, but a touch of brown sugar helps add more moisture and a bit of extra flavor.
Vanilla and Almond Extract: The almond is optional, but I highly recommend it for that quintessential funfetti flavor.
Funfetti Sprinkles: It wouldn’t be funfetti without rainbow sprinkles! Be sure to use brightly colored sprinkles and store them in a dry, cool, and dark place to extend their life and brightness. Do not use nonpareils (small, crunchy sprinkles), as their color will bleed into the batter.
Sprinkle of Science
This recipe was tested with both of my favorite cupcake pans: the Wilton Perfect Pan and the USA Cupcake Pan. The individual cavities are slightly larger in the USA pan, so you may get two fewer cupcakes (15) than if using the Wilton pan.
Avoid black colored cupcake tins, which will over-brown or even scorch the bottoms and edges of your cupcakes.
Not all cupcake liners are made equally! I like these cupcake liners from Amazon because they don’t stick and are a great value.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Be sure to use a brick of full-fat quality cream cheese, such as Philadelphia, for best results. If you find your frostings are often gritty, try using organic powdered sugar made with tapioca starch instead of cornstarch for a smoother consistency.
If you’d prefer, you can also use my Buttercream Frosting recipe instead of the cream cheese frosting.
My favorite cupcake frosting tip is the Wilton 1M. It makes you look like a pro even if you have zero artistic capabilities!
Can I Double This Recipe?
Yes. Simply double all the ingredients. You’ll need three 12-cavity cupcake tins or will need to completely cool, wash, and dry pans between batches.
Storage & Make ahead
Store: in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day, then place in the fridge for up to 3 days, letting come to room temperature before serving.
Freeze: For the best results, freeze baked (unfrosted) cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 1 month. When you’re ready to enjoy, thaw overnight in the fridge, then bring to room temperature before frosting and serving.
Note: I don’t recommend freezing the frosted cupcakes. Condensation will form on the frosting, causing the sprinkles to bleed.
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Equipment
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (127 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (113 grams) cake flour, sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup (120 grams) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (119 grams) buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons (38 grams) lightly packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, optional – if not using, add ½ teaspoon additional vanilla
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (72 grams) rainbow sprinkles, plus more for decoration
For the frosting:
- 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
- 4 ounces full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 4 cups (500 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
- Splash of heavy cream or full-fat milk, as needed
Instructions
Make the cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with liners, set aside.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, heat butter in 30-second increments until melted. Set aside, cooling until just warm.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, sifted cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, gently whisk together the sour cream and buttermilk. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the cooled, melted butter and both sugars. Cream together on medium speed for 2 minutes, until light and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, blending on medium-low speed after each until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla and almond extract (if using), and mix on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Alternating between wet and dry ingredients, add half of the sour cream/buttermilk mixture and half of the flour mixture to the mixer, mixing on medium-low speed after each addition until just combined. Repeat this step twice. Be careful not to overmix. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Using a spatula, gently fold in the sprinkles. Use a large cookie scoop (3-tablespoon size) to scoop slightly heaping spoonfuls of the batter into the prepared cavities, filling 2/3 full.
- Bake for about 16 minutes, or until the tops are very lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let cool 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to cooling rack to cool to room temperature before frosting.
Make the frosting:
- While the cupcakes are baking, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter and cream cheese. Mix together on medium-high speed until light, creamy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl, then add in the vanilla and salt and mix until just combined.
- Add in the sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl to prevent any clumps. Beat on medium-high speed for about 1 minute, until light and fluffy. If you need a stiffer consistency for decorative piping, add more powdered sugar. If your frosting is too thick, add a splash of milk or heavy cream and beat until combined.
- Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes, or use an offset spatula to spread the frosting onto each cupcake, then top with rainbow sprinkles. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day, then place in the fridge for up to 3 days, letting come to room temperature before serving.
- Store frosted cupcakes for up to 1 day in an airtight container at cool room temperature, or in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Photos by Jess Gaertner.
Can you substitute the eggs for something else? I am making cupcakes for my nieces class for her birthday and I was told there are two kids that have egg allergies.
Hi, Michelle! I’m so sorry, but I haven’t had success with any egg substitutes for this recipe.
My friend Katarina, who wrote the book Elements of Baking about baking substitutions, says for each egg removed, you need to: Increase the flour by 20g (2.5 tablespoons), add 2 tablespoons whole milk or sour cream, and add 1/4 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar.
I have not tried this, but I do trust her guidance. I hope that helps!!
Hello, I purchased your cookie cookbook before going vegan. I have loved so many cookies and your pumpkin coffee cake we always bake for friends. When I saw this cake, I decided to try and make it vegan for my son’s birthday. Used flax eggs, vegan sour cream and made my own vegan butter milk. It came out DELICIOUS! He is not plant based but liked it all the same. Thank you being such an amazing baker.
Wow, thank you so much for sharing this! We’re thrilled to hear your vegan version turned out so delicious and that your son loved it 🙂 Thanks for baking along with us!
I made these this week for a special event at my child’s school. We did an ‘ice cream cone’ cupcake version and they turned out amazing! We live in New Zealand so don’t get the ‘right’ type of sprinkles, but they still tasted amazing, but were more ‘tie-die’ effect. A big hit and definitely will do again. I did find I needed to chill the frosting as was quite runny, even with an extra cup powdered sugar – maybe our house was too warm! We used a smooth piping tip, to make a ‘soft serve’ design. Will absolutely make again.
Lindsay, your funfetti ice cream cone cupcakes turned out SO cute!! Thanks for sharing a pic 🙂 I think you’re right about the frosting — if you had to add an extra cup of powdered sugar, it’s worth double-checking that your butter isn’t warmer than cool room temperature (around 67°F or 19°C) next time. That should help the frosting hold its shape without extra sugar. You could also place the frosting in the fridge for about 15-30 minutes to chill, then rewhip to see if that helps before adding additional sugar. Either way, your cupcakes look amazing and I love your ice cream cone idea!
Made this for a family dinner (happened to be Grandparent’s Day so timing worked out great)! They were loved by all. I actually find it difficult to find a confetti cake recipe that’s better than the box but this was 100% the winner!
Your cupcakes look perfect, Kimber! Thanks so much for your kind comment, we’re so happy you love this recipe! 🙂