Homemade Funfetti Cupcakes (from scratch!)
Believe it or not, I had no idea what funfetti was until about seven years ago. Once I started to read food blogs, I discovered this phenomenon, which is basically a boxed white or yellow cake with flecks of rainbow colors baked right in. Not surprisingly, these cakes, cupcakes and cookies are extremely popular with kids and a lot of people have fond memories of enjoying them at childhood birthday parties. I probably missed this whole trend for a variety of reasons: (1) my mom always ordered our birthday cakes from the same bakery, year after year; (2) I was never a fan of cakes, so once I was old enough to realize there were options outside of traditional birthday cakes, I started requesting ice cream cakes and cheesecakes for my birthday; (3) I don’t remember my mom ever baking a cake from a box mix. Like, ever. Maybe she did and I just don’t remember it, but I don’t think they were really on her radar, either.
I can see why the funfetti concept is so popular – who doesn’t love bright colors and sprinkles?! It’s so festive and fun and totally appropriate for any birthday party (kids or adults, I say). I’ve never had the box mix version, but was all-in on creating a homemade version. Sprinkle fun!
Truth is, funfetti are totally easy to make right at home, all you need is a basic vanilla cupcake recipe and some rainbow sprinkles. I’ve been trying out some different vanilla cupcake recipes and really love this one that I stumbled upon over at Cookies and Cups. Shelly adapted it from the Back in the Day Bakery cookbook, and I think they’re fabulous. They have a really distinct butter flavor (score!) and are nice and moist. The only thing that could make them better? Sprinkles!
Save This Recipe
Enter your email address, and we'll send it straight to your inbox!
Once the cupcakes were baked and cooled, I topped them with my favorite vanilla buttercream frosting and more sprinkles, of course.
Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, or just another special kind of day, I can’t think of anything more fun and cheerful than these. I also love that they kind of look like ice cream cones with sprinkles on top :)
One year ago: Vanilla Cream-Filled Doughnuts
Two years ago: Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes and Broccoli Cheese Soup
Three years ago: Traditional Mardi Gras King Cake
Four years ago: Asiago Bagels
Five years ago: Baked Oatmeal
Six years ago: Royal Crown’s Tortano
Funfetti Cupcakes (from scratch!)
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 1¾ cups (218.75 g) cake flour
- 1¼ cups (156.25 g) all-purpose flour
- 1¾ cups (350 g) granulated sugar
- 2½ teaspoons (2.5 teaspoons) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup (244 ml) whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup (80 g) rainbow sprinkles
For the Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:
- 2 cups (454 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 5 cups (600 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- Rainbow sprinkles, for decorating
Instructions
- Make the Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners; set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flours, sugar, baking powder and salt, and mix together on low speed for 1 minute. With the mixer on low, add the butter, a few cubes at a time, continuing until all the butter has been added and the mixture resembles coarse sand.
- Keeping the mixer on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions. Slowly pour in the milk and vanilla and mix until combined. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes, until batter is smooth, scraping the sides of bowl as needed. Using a rubber spatula, gently stir in the sprinkles.
- Fill the liners two-thirds full (about ¼ cup of batter) and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the centers are set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Make the Frosting: Using the wire whisk attachment of your stand mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl once or twice. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar. Once all of the powdered sugar is incorporated, increase the speed to medium-high and add the vanilla, mixing until incorporated. Whip at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Frost the cupcakes as desired (I used the Ateco #808 decorating tip) and garnish with additional sprinkles. Frosted cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Would you use this recipe for a rectangle cake instead of cupcakes, as well?
Hi Melissa, I have never tried making that modification, so I can’t say for sure how it would turn out. If you try it, let me know how it goes!
PLEASE ANSWER ASAP! do the sprinkles melt in the cupcake or do they harden?
They melt.
I love these. Fun and cheerful is right! Pinned!
By 1 3/4 cup of cake flour do you mean 1 cup plus 3/4 of a cup of cake flour, or just 3/4 of a cup of cake flour? thanks
1 cup plus ¾ of a cup.
Hi there, love funfetti cakes. Love that you’ve given a homemade recipe. Just wondering what sized eggs do you use for this recipe? Thank you
Hi Lani, I use large eggs for everything, unless stated otherwise.
I just made these for Easter using pastel colored sprinkles. I was hesitant to use cake flour because other cupcakes I made with cake flour before had an awful texture, but these came out great! I halved the recipe (it made 15 cupcakes). I took them out at 15 minutes and the middle was still liquidy. I put them in for an additional 5 minutes and they were great. They had nice domes. The frosting was awesome too. I appreciate that you factor in lots of frosting for your cupcakes. That’s how I like mine too! I’ll definitely be making these again! This recipe will join my collection along with your margarita cupcake recipe which is one of my favorites!
Hi! I found your recipe when looking for something to make for my daughter’s third birthday. I ended up making the cupcakes from a box (due to lack of time) but made your frosting and loved it! I will definitely be saving the cupcake recipe to try next year!!!
We included your recipe in a round-up of birthday tradition ideas here.
Thank you for sharing!!
First time baker, making these four my husbands birthday. Are your flour measurements sifted, or not sifted? Thanks!
Hi Marci, If the flour is ever to be sifted, it will indicate that in the directions; otherwise, not sifted. Enjoy the cupcakes! :)
Omg! I am so excited to make these cupcakes this weekend. My daughter and son are on a youth bowling league and Saturday is their last day for the season. All the kids work so hard and do very well so I wanted to do something nice for them. I originally was searching for a vanilla and chocolate cupcake recipe to make so that they had a choice. I printed off both of your vanilla and chocolate recipes all the while thinking that this would just be too much work; considering I will be making about 9 dozen cupcakes. Somehow I completely missed this recipe. As I was showing off all of your different cupcakes to my husband I saw the answer to my dilemma. Who doesn’t like Funfetti cupcakes. Even though the kids wont have a choice between chocolate and vanilla I think they would gobble these up without thinking twice. I have been on your sight before and snagged a recipe but I will tell you that I am here to stay!!! You rock!!! :)
Hi, I made these recently for my peanut/tree nut allergic daughter. She absolutely LOVES them. I would love to have them as a staple recipe for her during last minute events/parties. I am not good with measurements, can you help me halve the recipe for 12 cupcakes?
Hi Heldy, I used a ½ recipe to make my shamrock shake cupcakes; you can use that as a guide (just don’t add the mint extract or the green food coloring!): https://www.browneyedbaker.com/2014/03/12/shamrock-shake-cupcakes/
I just made these tonight to take to school for a surprise. I love the icing! These are very yummy. I ran out of milk, so I had to add 1/4 cup of whipping cream. Hopefully it didn’t change the outcome too much!
I make these all the time for my kids by scratch. I’m a big organic baker though so I buy the India tree natural dye sprinkles/jimmies. Same effect just without the dye which I love. Natural candy store.com or amazon has them. They are the best ones I’ve used thick as the artificial ones. They also make natural dye decorating sugars which are amazing as well! I have used the decorating sugars in batter for a fun fetti work great too!
Hi I made these cupcakes on Monday. On Tuesday my mom texted me and asked me if I could make another dozen(turns out she had taken some to work and people wanted more). My mom came home today and said they were a hit :)
Do you think I could add sour cream to this recipe? My oven cooks a little weird and I often have to make up for it in terms of moisture.
Hi Morgan, So happy to hear they were a hit! I have no idea what adding sour cream would do to the cupcakes. If you’re finding that they’re dry, you might try reducing the baking time.
Just wondering if you had an issue with the sprinkles sinking. I was planning on making this a cake instead of cupcakes. I usually dust choc chips in a little flour to stop them from sinking and was wondering if you suggest I do this as well.
Hi Jen, I know what you mean with chocolate chips, but as you can see, I didn’t have a sinking issue with the sprinkles. I think they’re light enough to stay put in the batter. Enjoy! :)
Hi I was wondering if buttermilk could be used instead of whole milk. Do you think it would mess up the recipe at all? Thanks! And these look delicious by the way!
Hi Lisette, I have not tried using buttermilk, so I can’t say for sure how they would turn out.
These look so beautiful. I don’t think I could ever stop eating them.
Love the idea of making funfetti cupcakes. My grandson-in-law had a funfetti cake for his groom’s cake. I have to make these for him.
Can I substitute regular salt for kosher salt? Thanks :-)
Hi Carolyn, Yes, but you should only use about ¾ tsp of table salt.
Question : cake flour? Does it have to be self-rising?
I love your blog and have made several of your recipe. I want to bake these for Saturday for a baby shower ! Thank you ;)
Hi Janie, Actually, the cake flour should definitely NOT be self-rising. Never use self-rising flour of any kind in a recipe unless the recipe specifically calls for it.
Hi,
I was wondering how soon in advance can you make these for a party? Are they ok to make two days before?
Thank you!
Nevermind. I now see they can be stored for three days. Thanks! :)
hi, i was wondering how should the batter look like ?
thank you so much!
My batter was pretty liquidy. I was a little scared to mix them for 2 minutes on medium high because I was afraid that it would make them dense but that wasn’t a problem at all!
I’m such a kid at heart! I absolutely love funfetti cakes and it’s perfect for any birthdays for any age! Definitely going to do funfetti cake for my next birthday!
Thanks for sharing such a lovely (and I know will be tasty) post!
SusanLoves…
Made these at 5 am today for my son to take to school for his birthday!! The recipe was so easy to follow I didn’t even have to drink my morning coffee before making them :)
They turned out great and I had them done in about an hour and half. Absolutely beautiful!!
In our house “cake mix” is a four letter word so my son was shocked to see funfetti! One taste and you know without a doubt they’re from scratch! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. It’ll be in my arsenal for years to come.
I just made these over the weekend and they were AWESOME! To anyone else who makes these, I “made” cake flour by taking away 2 Tbsp of flour (per cup) and adding 2 Tbsp of Cornstarch to my all purpose flour. I think I did a total of 3.75 TBSP, because of what the recipe says. I was also a little confused by the addition of the butter, I’ve always creamed the butter together with the sugar. It worked out really nicely though, the cake had a very nice texture to it. I LOVED the butter cream! It was not too sweet and turned out very fluffy! I did a half cut less than the recipe said to use, and I thought it was perfect.
Thanks for submitting this! It was a huge hit at my daughter’s bday party. I did some funfetti, some just regular cake with a raspberry preserve filling and then the plain buttercream frosting. Also the regular cake with some cocoa powder added to the buttercream frosting. ALL WERE WONDERFUL!
These look amazing! So cute. I was wondering if I could halve the recipe just by dividing all the ingredients by 2 or if there’s a special way to do it for these cupcakes?
Hi Joanna, I actually made a half batch just this morning, and it worked out just fine simply dividing everything by two. Enjoy! :)
I made these yesterday but all the sprinkles sunk to the bottom during cooking. I tried looking online for why this happened but no luck. Are there special kinds of sprinkles U should use?
I just used the regular sprinkles from the grocery store, nothing special. They shouldn’t sink to the bottom unless they’re unusually large.
Hi! Try tossing the sprinkles in some flour before you put them in the batter. This is what you do for blueberries & chocolate chips in muffins. Hope that helps. :-)
I made these yesterday for my daughters 10th Birthday party, and they were a HUGE hit!!! Delicious and pretty!!
Can I freeze these?
Hi Melissa, Yes, You can freeze them un-frosted.
I’ve been obsessed with confetti/funfetti items as of late. These look absolutely delectable. I’m definitely going to remember these!
-Warren, Blog to Taste
Michelle, Michelle~~
Your photos are absolutely beautiful!! Maybe today’s recipe & the simplicity of “sprinkle cupcakes” made the cupcake & the sprinkles (jimmies) just POP!! Love to see what you’re up to each day! Keep up the fun!!
I love baking cupcakes so I definitely have this on my list, I’m making red velvet this weekend!
http://laurenslittleblogs.blogspot.co.uk/
xx