Soft and fluffy vanilla cupcakes filled with sprinkles and topped with tasty vanilla frosting make these homemade funfetti cupcakes better than boxed mix!
Who doesn't love a good cupcake - from apple pie cupcakes to s'mores cupcakes to carrot cake cupcakes to chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting.
But the original king of cupcakes is funfetti. And that's probably because of the boxed mix options but also who doesn't love colors?
Well you'd be surprised at how easy and so much tastier homemade funfetti cupcakes are.
Why This Recipe Works
- Flavorful - If you are a fan of vanilla you will love these cupcakes as there is vanilla in the batter and frosting.
- Colorful - The great thing about funfetti is using the sprinkles which means you have pops of color in the batter, but also topped on the frosting. You can dye the frosting your favorite color too.
- Party food - Because these funfetti cupcakes can be made ahead of time and the fact that they just are fun to look at, they are great for parties - specifically birthdays! You could also try funfetti donuts.
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Ingredient Notes
- Cake flour - Has less protein and gluten which results in a tender and less dense cupcake.
- Baking powder/soda - Important in giving the cupcakes their rise.
- Sugar - Granulated sugar sweetens the batter, while powdered sugar is used for the frosting.
- Unsalted butter and vegetable oil - Butter adds a rich, creamy flavor to the cupcakes, while the oil contributes moisture.
- Eggs - Act as a binding agent, helping to hold the cupcake batter together, while providing structure and stability.
- Sour cream - Adds moisture and tenderness to the batter.
- Milk - Adds necessary moisture to get the batter to the right consistency.
- Vanilla extract - Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor. Avoid imitation vanilla as it may affect the taste.
- Heavy cream - Thins out the frosting to make it easier to pipe while also adding some richness.
- Sprinkles - Use rainbow jimmies or nonpareils sprinkles for classic funfetti cupcakes. Avoid using sugar pearls or large decorations as they can sink or melt during baking.
Ingredient Swaps
As with any recipe, you can mix up the ingredients for these cupcakes. Some variations include:
- If you don't have cake flour, you can make a substitute by measuring out 1 cup of all-purpose flour, removing 2 tablespoons of it, and replacing them with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Sift or whisk the mixture thoroughly to ensure even distribution.
- I like the combination of butter and vegetable oil for the fat, but you can use all of one or the other.
- I use sour cream in cupcake batters, but Greek yogurt is a great substitute.
- Whole milk is best but coconut milk can be used too. You want something higher in fat content. Skim or low fat milk can be used in a pinch but the texture might be slightly different.
Step-by-Step Photos
Please note full ingredient list and instructions can be found in recipe card below.
Mix together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.
Beat together the butter, vegetable oil and sugar until creamed together.
Beat in the eggs, vanilla extract and sour cream until combined before folding in the dry ingredients.
Add the milk, beating until just combined. Fold in the sprinkles but DO NOT overmix or it will bleed the colors.
Add the batter to a cupcake pan with liners. You want it to be just above halfway full.
Bake at 350°F for 15-18 minutes or until done. Remove and let cool.
Make the frosting by beating together the ingredients until it reaches spreading consistency.
Pipe over on the cooled cupcakes and top with sprinkles.
FAQs
I've always associated sprinkle cupcakes with funfetti, but realize many people call them confetti.
I think this was due to some of the boxed mixes using that name, but I think of Pillsbury which calls them funfetti.
You know the cupcakes are done when you insert a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean.
The key with baking is DO NOT OVERMIX. It’s the death of any baking recipe and with cupcakes, it can lead to something that is dense and just not very appetizing.
So what does not overmixing mean? Well you mix all of your ingredients right until you see the flour disappear.
The other issue can be baking too long. Trust the toothpick test!
To maximize the shelf life of the cupcakes, place them in a covered airtight container or cover with plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out.
• Cupcakes at room temperature will last 1-2 days
• Cupcakes in the fridge will last 1 week
• Cupcakes in the freezer will last 4 months
Equipment
The equipment you use is important to how the cupcakes turn out. What is needed is the following:
- Stand mixer - You can also use a hand mixer with mixing bowls.
- Large bowl - Need a bowl to be able to mix together the dry ingredients.
- Whisk - Used to mix together the dry ingredients.
- Cupcake liners - Keeps the cupcakes from sticking to the pan.
- Cookie scoop - Helps get an even amount of batter in each cupcake pan.
- Cupcake pan - Bakes the cupcakes.
- Piping bag and tips - Makes piping the frosting on the cupcakes much easier.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Use a kitchen scale if possible to properly measure the flour. If you don't have one, spoon the flour into a measuring cup and then level.
- All refrigerated items should be at room temperature, which helps the batter mix easily and evenly.
- Wait until the cupcake batter is completely mixed before folding in the sprinkles as it can bleed the colors.
- When adding the batter to the muffin tin, don’t fill more than ⅔ of the way as they do rise.
- Allow the cupcakes to completely cool before adding the frosting, otherwise it will melt.
Other Dessert Recipes
If you’ve tried these funfetti cupcakes or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Funfetti Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 ¾ cups cake flour (224g)
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup full-fat sour cream, room temperature
- ⅔ cup whole milk, room temperature
- ½ cup rainbow sprinkles
Vanilla Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (2 sticks)
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon heavy cream
- 2-3 drops food coloring (optional)
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two muffin pans with 16 cupcake liners. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.
- In stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add vegetable oil and sugar and beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes until creamed together. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract until combined. Add sour cream and beat until combined.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients until just combined. With mixer still running on low, slowly pour in milk and beat until just combined. Do not overmix. Fold in sprinkles, but do not overmix as it can bleed the colors.
- Fill cupcake liners a little over halfway full. Bake for 14-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. When cupcakes are done remove immediately from tins and leave on a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting. Top with sprinkles.
Vanilla Frosting
- In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, mix butter and sugar. Mix on low speed until blended and then increase speed to medium and beat for about 3 minutes.
- Add vanilla extract and heavy cream and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 more minute, adding some more cream if needed for spreading consistency. If using food coloring, add at this point and mix until you reach desired color. Place in fridge until ready to use on cupcakes.
Notes
- Use a kitchen scale if possible to properly measure the flour. If you don't have one, spoon the flour into a measuring cup and then level.
- All refrigerated items should be at room temperature, which helps the batter mix easily and evenly.
- Wait until the cupcake batter is completely mixed before folding in the sprinkles as it can bleed the colors.
- When adding the batter to the muffin tin, don’t fill more than ⅔ of the way as they do rise.
- Allow the cupcakes to completely cool before adding the frosting, otherwise it will melt.
Chris says
Only had funfetti boxed mix!