Funfetti Cupcakes

5 from 1 vote

Homemade Funfetti Cupcakes are such a fun dessert. They're full of flavor and crunch and much easier to make than you might think!

Prep Time30

Cook Time20

Total Time50

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 515kcal

Prepare your cupcake tin by lining it with muffin liners and preheat your oven to 175℃ / 347℉ (no fan).
In a large bowl, cream the room-temperature butter and sugar for a few minutes until it's light and fluffy, then whip in the room temperature eggs one by one, and finally mix in the vanilla extract.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. This is your dry ingredients. Reduce the mixer speed to low speed and add the dry ingredients in thirds alternating with the room temperature milk. Do not overmix the batter at this point.
Then, mix in the funfetti sprinkles, just until combined.
In a small bowl, mix vinegar with the baking soda. It will be super bubbly. Then, immediately fold the vinegar mixture into the batter just until it's combined.
Pipe or spoon the batter evenly into the cavities of your cupcake tin, filling each one about ¾ full. Bake the cupcake for about 20-22 minutes at 175℃ / 347℉ or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not overbake them, as they can dry out.
Cool the baked cupcakes on a cooling rack. They must be at room temperature before frosting.

Using your stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the room-temperature butter at medium-high speed for 3 minutes until it becomes light in color and fluffy in texture.
Add in the powdered sugar tablespoon by tablespoon at low speed, then turn the mixer back on medium-high speed and whip it for another 4 minutes or until the mixture becomes light, fluffy, and increases in volume.
Then, add the vanilla extract, salt, and heavy cream and continue whipping for another minute until it is smooth and silky. Lastly, mix in the sprinkles just for a few seconds until thoroughly combined.
If you want to color the frosting, add a very small amount of food coloring at the end.
The frosting should have the perfect pipeable fluffy texture. If, for some reason, it is too thick, add some more cream (1 tablespoon at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar (1 tablespoon at a time).
Note that this Funfetti frosting texture is best straight after making it when the butter is at the right temperature (room temperature), and the mixture is freshly whipped. I like to use the frosting immediately or store it at room temperature in a piping bag for a few hours. If stored in the refrigerator, you will need to bring it back to room temperature before using it and might need to give it another minute or two to whip in the stand mixer to increase the volume again.

Transfer the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a nozzle and chill it for 30 minutes before using. Then, frost the cupcakes one by one, and decorate them according to your liking with fresh fruits or sprinkles.
The cupcakes are best served fresh. Any leftovers can be stored refrigerated for 2-3 days in an air-tight container.
Bring them back to room temperature before serving for the frosting to soften.

Ingredient notes:

Measure your ingredients with a Digital scale for accuracy.
All cupcake ingredients must be at room temperature to properly emulsify: eggs, butter, and milk.
Use good quality high fat (82%) butter for making buttercream and cupcakes
It is key to use high quality vanilla for the best flavor, feel free to try my homemade vanilla extract.

Technique notes:

Make sure you read my Expert tips section above to maximize your success. A short recipe alone is not able to cover all the necessary details, and science behind baking.
The baking soda and vinegar mixture is my signature baking hack for making cupcakes super moist and fluffy, do not skip it.
The temperature and texture of the butter are key when making buttercream. Wait until it is soft, however, avoid last-minute microwaving.
Note that the buttercream texture is best when the butter is at the right temperature (room temperature), and the mixture is freshly whipped. I like to use the frosting immediately or store it at room temperature in a piping bag for a few hours. If stored in the refrigerator, you will need to bring it back to room temperature before using it and might need to give it another minute or two to whip in the stand mixer to increase the volume again.
I recommend the paddle attachment to avoid unnecessary air bubbles. To get your buttercream fully silky, without air bubbles, mix the cream at the end by hand with a rubber spatula for a few minutes.
Add the rainbow sprinkles at the very end, avoid overmixing.
Baking these cupcakes takes 22 minutes in my oven. However, you should focus on the texture, not the time. Apply the toothpick test (it should come out clean) to avoid overbaked cupcakes. Do not overbake them, as that will result in a dry texture.