Funfetti Cupcakes

Published April 21, 2014. Updated March 9, 2020

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These homemade Funfetti Cupcakes are incredibly moist and fluffy and they’re topped with the most incredible Vanilla Buttercream Frosting. These easy cupcakes are perfect for birthdays, holidays, or as a weekend treat! They’re so simple, yet so delicious.  

Funfetti Cupcakes topped with vanilla buttercream and sprinkles

The BEST Funfetti Cupcakes

Oh funfetti, how I love you! I’ve never cared much for the boxed funfetti cupcakes — except for when I was a child, of course, because boxed cake was all I knew.

But these! These homemade cupcakes have changed my outlook on funfetti cupcakes forever. They are soft, moist and fluffy, and in my opinion their flavor is utterly perfect.

And the vanilla buttercream frosting is to. die. for. The easy buttercream frosting recipe is one I posted a long time ago, but it will forever be my all time favorite (likely to be yours too).

Enjoy the cupcakes! And Happy Birthday if that’s what your making them for :).

Funfetti Cupcakes Ingredients

For the funfetti cupcakes, you’ll need:

  • All-purpose flour
  • Cake flour
  • Baking powder
  • Salt
  • Unsalted butter
  • Granulated sugar
  • Eggs
  • Vanilla and almond extracts
  • Milk
  • Sprinkles

And for the fluffy vanilla buttercream, you’ll need:

  • Butter
  • Powdered sugar
  • Heavy cream
  • Vanilla extract

Funfetti Cupcake with lit candle on top and more cupcakes on cake stand in background

How to Make Funfetti Cupcakes

  • Whisk together the dry ingredients.
  • In a separate bowl, whip the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
  • Mix in the egg, egg whites, and the two extracts.
  • Alternately mix the dry ingredients and the milk into the butter mixture.
  • Bake the cupcakes 17 – 19 minutes.
  • Make the vanilla buttercream (see my notes below on how to make buttercream perfectly every time).
  • Frost the cupcakes as desired.

How to Frost Cupcakes

For these funfetti birthday cupcakes, I used a Wilton 2E piping tip. Leave room at the top of the piping bag so it’s easy for you to apply constant pressure to the vanilla buttercream when piping it onto the cupcake.

You can also use the back of a spoon to smooth out a mound of frosting. Once it’s covered in sprinkles, no one will be able to tell the difference!

How to Store Cupcakes

Store these cupcakes in the fridge in a tightly sealed container (if the container doesn’t have a lid on it, these funfetti cupcakes will quickly dry out!). Let the birthday cupcakes come to room temperature before eating them, for the best flavor and texture.

Funfetti Cupcake in paper liner topped with lit birthday candle

Tips for the Best Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

I just wanted to throw in my recommendations for buttercream frosting since it’s been a while:

  • Really whip the butter. I am talking until it’s basically white. Really pay attention to the shade of the butter when whipping, making sure it becomes very very pale.
  • Use heavy cream. Cream makes everything better, and creamier of course. It also whips up much better than milk does in frosting.
  • Lots of butter. Yes, there are days I try to be a little healthier and reduce the amount of butter I add to my buttercream frosting, but on those days it’s just not quite as good. This is an indulgent frosting and sometimes it’s definitely worth it.
  • Use some salted butter. I’ve found my favorite ratio is 2:1 (2 being unsalted and 1 being salted). I’ve tried several times to add the salt on my own, so I can control the amount of salt. But the salt seems to stand out too much that way and doesn’t ever seem to fully dissolve into the frosting. In my opinion, a bit of salted butter is the way to go. No salt at all and the frosting seems to buttery and too sweet. Salted butter just adds a little contrast and enhances the sweetness.
  • Ratio is important. Son’t add any more/less powdered sugar than listed or the proportions won’t be right and your texture wont be spot on. Scoop and level the powdered sugar when measuring (rather than pour or spoon and level).
  • Chill the bowl. If you are working in a fairly warm environment, begin with a chilled mixing bowl and chill the buttercream a bit before you begin piping. Work in a few batches while piping so the frosting doesn’t all melt (and lose its fluff) in the piping bag from the warmth of your hands.

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5 from 3 votes

Funfetti Cupcakes

These homemade Funfetti Cupcakes are incredibly moist and fluffy and they're topped with the most incredible Vanilla Buttercream Frosting. These easy cupcakes are perfect for birthdays, holidays, or as a weekend treat! 
Servings: 12
Prep30 minutes
Cook20 minutes
Ready in: 50 minutes

Ingredients

Funfetti Cupcakes

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Instructions

  • For the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift all-purpose flour and cake flour into a mixing bowl. Add baking powder and salt and whisk dry mixture, 20 seconds, set aside.
  • In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, whip together butter and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy (occasionally stop mixer and scrape down sides and bottom of bowl throughout entire mixing process).
  • Mix in egg, then mix in egg whites one at a time, blending until combined after each addition. Mix in vanilla and almond extract. 
  • Working in three separate batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture, add 1/3 of the flour mixture, alternating with 1/2 of the milk and mixing just until combined after each addition. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in sprinkles.
  • Divide mixture among 12 paper lined muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full (about 1/4 cup in each). Bake in preheated oven 17 - 19 minutes until toothpick inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean.
  • Allow to cool in muffin tin several minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Cool completely, then pipe (I used the Wilton 2E tip) or spread vanilla buttercream frosting over cupcakes and sprinkle with rainbow nonpareils. Store in an airtight container.
  • For the frosting: In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip butter on medium high speed until nearly white and very fluffy, about 7 - 8 minutes, frequently scraping down the sides of the bowl. 
  • Add in powdered sugar, heavy cream and vanilla extract and mix on low speed until blended, then increase speed to medium and beat until very light and fluffy, about 5 - 6 minutes, frequently scraping down the sides of the bowl.

Notes

  • *If you don't want a lot of frosting like what's pictured, you could be okay with half the recipe. It's so good though, I think you'll want the full recipe.
Nutrition Facts
Funfetti Cupcakes
Amount Per Serving
Calories 417 Calories from Fat 225
% Daily Value*
Fat 25g38%
Saturated Fat 15g94%
Cholesterol 78mg26%
Sodium 204mg9%
Potassium 109mg3%
Carbohydrates 46g15%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 34g38%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 771IU15%
Calcium 49mg5%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.