These vibrant homemade Funfetti cupcakes bring pure joy to any celebration in just 35 minutes. Light, fluffy, and bursting with colorful sprinkles, they’re the perfect blend of nostalgic charm and scratch-made goodness. Each tender cupcake delivers the ideal balance of sweetness and buttery richness at just 264 calories. Whether it’s birthdays, parties, or simply brightening someone’s day, these festive treats never fail to make everyone smile.
Key Ingredients
- All-purpose flour (1 1/2 cups): The foundation for perfectly textured cupcakes
- Granulated sugar (3/4 cup): Provides ideal sweetness
- Unsalted butter (1/2 cup): Room temperature for best creaming results
- Rainbow sprinkles (1/3 cup): Creates the signature funfetti look
- Whole milk (1/2 cup): Adds moisture and richness
- Eggs (2 large): Ensure proper binding and structure
For the Vanilla Buttercream
- Unsalted butter (3/4 cup): Room temperature for smooth frosting
- Powdered sugar (3 cups): Creates silky texture
- Milk (1/4 cup): Helps achieve perfect consistency
- Vanilla extract (1 tbsp): Adds classic flavor depth
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preparation: Heat oven to 350°F and arrange paper liners in cupcake pan
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in large bowl
- Incorporate Butter: Add butter pieces until mixture becomes crumbly
- Add Wet Ingredients: Mix in eggs one at a time, then milk and vanilla until smooth
- Add Sprinkles: Gently fold in rainbow sprinkles for colorful effect
- Bake: Fill liners 2/3 full, bake 15-20 minutes until toothpick comes out clean
Frosting Instructions
- Cream Butter: Beat butter until light and airy
- Build Frosting: Gradually add powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla
- Finish: Top with rainbow sprinkles after piping frosting onto cooled cupcakes
Baking Tips for Perfect Funfetti Cupcakes
Room temperature ingredients make all the difference in these cupcakes! Take your butter and eggs out of the fridge 1-2 hours before starting. When mixing, stop as soon as the ingredients are combined – overmixing can make your cupcakes tough. Add those colorful sprinkles at the very end with just a few gentle folds to keep their colors from bleeding into the batter.
Storage Tips
Keep your funfetti cupcakes fresh and yummy for up to 3 days by storing them in an airtight container at room temperature. If you’ve already frosted them, pop them in the fridge where they’ll stay perfect for up to 5 days. Want to make them ahead? You can freeze unfrosted cupcakes for up to 2 months – just wrap them well and thaw them overnight before adding the frosting.
Easy Variations
Mix up the fun with these simple twists! Switch out vanilla extract for almond extract to add a nutty sweetness. Try different sprinkle colors to match any party theme – pink and red for Valentine’s Day, orange and black for Halloween, or blue and silver for winter celebrations. For chocolate lovers, fold in some mini chocolate chips along with the sprinkles.
Decorating Ideas
Let’s make these cupcakes extra special! After piping on the frosting with your Wilton 1M tip, try adding a sprinkle border around the edge, or make a simple pattern on top. Kids love helping with this part! For birthdays, stick a candle in the middle and surround it with a ring of colorful sprinkles. You can also top each cupcake with a small candy or chocolate piece for extra pizzazz.
Homemade Funfetti Cupcakes
Equipment
- cupcake pan
- paper liners
- Mixing bowl
- Wilton 1M tip
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup Rainbow sprinkles
For the Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- Rainbow sprinkles for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners.
- In a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Slice the butter into pieces and add to the flour mixture. Mix on low until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- With the mixer on, add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the milk and vanilla and mix until batter is smooth. Fold in the sprinkles with a rubber spatula.
- Fill the cupcake liners about two-thirds full. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool before frosting.
- For the Frosting: In a mixing bowl cream the butter for several minutes until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl down as needed. Gradually add the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla and mix until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Frost the cupcakes (I used a Wilton 1M tip) and add sprinkles as desired.
