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!
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!
Hey dear ,
I would like to thank you for this recipe ,I was searching for top 10 cup cakes and suddenly I visited your website.well it’s good .I read all the detail procedure of cupcake.my request is please upload videos ,that can be more easy to understand and trying these recipes at home also.
Love from India..
Once again thank you.
Made terrible, dry cookie-like cupcakes.
How much cotton candy extract would you recommend I add to the frosting? And in place of vanilla?
The cupcakes turned out very tasty and fluffy
Yumm…these looks like real fun-baking. Surely going to bake this weekend.😋
Yumm, the looks like ral fun baking. Going to bake this weekend.😋
I was wondering, do I need to use kosher salt or is sea salt okay? Also, my icing came out way too sugary and runny, but I used the right measurement, so I’m a bit confused. Otherwise, the recipe was great!
Hi uh..wondering do i have to use cake flour and is there another substitute for it? also can i use almond flour instead of all purpose flour i only have almond flour.
Hi Lisa, Cake flour really helps to give these a light and tender crumb. All-purpose flour will make give them a slightly heavier/denser texture. I cannot speak to baking with almond flour, because I’ve never done so.
Hi! I’ve made this many times as cupcakes and it’s always great. Can I use this recipe for a cake and what do I do?
Yes, you can! You can use this for a 9×13-inch cake or 8″ or 9″ layer cake. Bake times will be a bit longer. Enjoy!
Hello,
I made cupcakes twice and love texture. if I am making a cake, should I split dough for 2 parts or bake everything as one layer and cut after?
I swear this was different recipe with yogurt and and almond extract? Did it change? Where’s the old one if so?
Nope, I never had a cupcake recipe with yogurt and almond extract, must have been a different site!
You might be thinking of Sally’s Baking Addiction funfetti but while that’s a good recipe too, this one is easier.
The cupcakes were not moist at all! I wouldn’t try this again at all! The cake taste like cornbread and once they cooled down they were rock hard! Ughhhh disappointing
Hi love the recipe it’s delicious awesome and was fun to make
Hello. I am making these for my son’s birthday but a few of his friends have allergies to corn starch and corn syrup. This recipe looks safe. I just wanted to double check. Thank you.
Just be careful with the powdered sugar. Almost all powdered sugar sold in grocery stores have added cornstarch. You can buy powdered sugar in Trader Joe’s without cornstarch. I need to do this when I bake for a friend. I have learned to always check the labels.
These cupcakes are easy to make, delicious and so pretty!
Thanks so much for this recipe it was very good. The cupcakes had a pound cake type consistency and taste which I’m thinking was because of the way the butter was put in. Do you know of a way to make this more like a cupcake and springy cake type texture? Or did I do something wrong?
We made the fun fetty cupcakes and they were delicious this website helped us make them
HI! Recipe looks great…do you know what the cook time would be on these for 2-8 or 9 inch rounds for cakes? Would this recipe be enough for two rounds? Thank you in advance!
Hi Amanda! This would be enough for two rounds. Bake time I’m estimating would be around 23-28 minutes for 9-inch and 26-31 minutes for the 8-inch. Enjoy!
disappointing. Pretty sure I followed recipe as written. cooked for time allocated, and removed from oven: still wet. Added 5 more minutes. Still wet. Added 3 more minutes and removed, because it HAD to be cooked by now, right? Nope. As they cooled, the finished product significantly depressed. Eventually, the wetness underneath rose to the surface. I have wet, soggy cupcakes. Will not be repeating.
The yield for me was closer to three dozen. I added a little almond extract and a little extra sprinkles. Did not have any texture issues, as these are as fluffy and delicious as you want them to be!
tasted like Play Doh. Hard as rocks. The batter was thiccccc and resembled pizza dough. Still ate them all tho lmaoooooo
Ok I made these last night with many interruptions from my kids. I followed the recipe exactly and they turned out great! I haven’t frosted them yet but had to taste one. This recipe made perfect light and moist cupcakes. I baked 12 with lots of batter left over to bake more. Will definitely be adding this to my go to recipes. Thank you!
Hi there – I made these and had the same problem that others had – with them staying flat – even after baking them for longer than the recommended time and following the ingredient directions exactly. Also, I found that this recipe would have easily made 30 regular cupcakes. The batter was very thick. I actually ended up over-filling some of mine a bit and still made several more than suggested. They are delicious, though! And so cute! I know everyone is going to love them tomorrow. Next time I will keep in mind some of the issues I encountered. I’m sure they will be perfect. Thanks!
the cupcakes came out very thick and dense not as fluffy and thin like a typical box cake would any reason for this? it was almost like a pound cake consistency super thick
My little sister asked for lemon funfetti cupcakes, would I be able to just add lemon extract to the recipe to make that work? Was thinking of cutting the vanilla amount in half, and half of it would be lemon extract. Never tried converting a vanilla recipe to lemon.
Hi Christina, Yes, that would totally work! Happy birthday to your sister!
I’ve always liked the flavor of funfetti cake, but never the texture of cakes made from a mix (sponge cake is really a good name for them). These have a moist, more dense texture, which I loved. Thank you!
Yum…made these cupcakes for my daughters..30th birthday….they are delicious! The icing is to die for…you are never too old to have sprinkle cupcakes!! This recipe will be made again and again!
Thank you❤️
The cupcake texture came out lovely, they were very fluffy and light. However, it was very bland tasting. I understand they are vanilla, but maybe next time I will add more vanilla or even almond extract. The icing is very buttery, almost overpowering. Overall though, the instructions are very easy to follow and it’s a solid basic cupcake.
I want to make these for my daughter’s birthday. She wants emoji cupcakes. If I used yellow food coloring in the frosting would it alter taste?
Hi Cindy, No it shouldn’t matter! Enjoy! :)
What type of cake flour?
Hi Karyme, I usually buy Swan’s Down.
I made these cupcakes today for my daughter’s birthday party. I tried one after baking and they are so light and fluffy and delicious! I have found so many scratch cupcake recipes on the web to be very dense, so I was relly happy with these. The icing was also fluffy and great. Both recipes are simple to execute as well which is key. Definitely making again in the future. Thanks!
I love this recipe! Comes out perfect every time. Thanks for sharing.😊
Doesn’t it have to be whole milk, or can I use 1%?
Hi Lauren, You need the fat from the whole milk; I wouldn’t use 1%.
This recipe is my go-to for vanilla cupcakes, I just leave out the sprinkles if I don’t want funfetti. Always perfect. Always makes closer to 30 cupcakes for me (once I doubled it and got 64). Great flavor and rises well. I’ve never had an issue with this recipe.
Was very quick and easy but final product was not at all like the picture and it did not rise. It also only made 18 not 24.
These were so good! I followed the instructions exactly as written (except I made a two-layer cake and baked for about 38 minutes) and the cake was light, moist, and fluffy. The icing was a bit too sweet for my liking, but that’s buttercream for you!
I painstakingly covered the entire thing in sprinkles…it looked amazing, but I’m still finding sprinkles absolutely everywhere in my house.
How long can I keep them in the refrigerator ??
Hi Maria, These don’t need to be stored in the refrigerator (that can tend to dry out cakes), but can be kept at room temperature for up to 3 or 4 days.
They are just perfect. Made these cupcakes about 5 times now for my schools bake sale and kids love them. Never had left overs 😍😍❤️
I’ve made this cupcakes before to much delight in my house. However, my second time of making them, I had an issue. I prepared the batter as instructed above using King Arthur Cake Flour and King Arthur All-Purpose flour. All was well until the alarm went off on the oven at 20 minutes. The cupcakes were flat across the top and still uncooked. I stuck a toothpick into be sure, which came out with uncooked batter stuck to it. Not thinking much of it, I put the timer on for another 5 minutes expecting them to be golden and more circular. Five minutes past, I checked on them again. Yes, they were golden as I remembered they were in the past, but they were still flat as a pancake across the top. Huh. I took them out and let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes. During this time, I noticed a significant depression in the tops of the flat cupcakes. When I tried to take them out of the pan, they crumbled into my hands. Sadly, I had to toss most of them into the trash as they were a lost cause. I’m not sure if the combination of Cake Flour and All-purpose flour was the cause of the issue. Has anyone else had this problem before? If so, what were remedies?
Hi Alie, If you made them before without an issue, but the second time made a flour substitution, it’s a pretty good hypothesis that doing so caused the cupcakes to be dense and sunken (all-purpose flour has more gluten and is, by nature, heavier than cake flour).
Could i use a hand mixer to make these? or is a Stand mixer required?
Hi Amanda, I’ve made these with a hand mixer without any issues. Enjoy!
Hi! How would you change this recipe to do mini cupcakes? Just adjust baking time? Ideas? Thoughts?
Hi Laura, Just adjust baking time, I would start checking around 8 minutes and go from there.
This is my kids new favourite treat to make. I too haven’t had any issues with the texture of the cupcakes or icing. They are delicious
Nice recipe, but mine came out tasting more like muffins. Kind of like cornbread consistency.
I have yet to find a white cupcake recipe that is truly light and fluffy cake.
Can sea salt be used instead of kosher salt? I can’t get it where I live
Yes, that should be fine!
These cupcakes look so good! Definitely will be using this recipe soon!
These turned out amazing! Perfect light and moist texture. Will definitely be making again.
This is a great recipe – so fun to make! I followed the recipe exactly and didn’t have the issues with texture that other reviewers have posted. The frosting is fantastic. This whole cupcake is very light and gets raves from my friends!
One other note – the recipe yielded more than what was noted. I increased the recipe by 50%, looking to get 36 cupcakes, and ended up with 42. This was with me scooping the batter into the cups using a 1/4 cup measure. For those 42 cupcakes, I made 1.25 x the frosting recipe and it came out perfect.
Great recipe! I’ve used it several times without issue.
If I wanted to use this recipe to make a cake instead of cupcakes, would doubling the recipe give me 2 nice layers for a 9X13 cake? Thanks so much!
Hi Ali, I haven’t made this into an actual cake, but if you wanted two 9×13-inch cakes, then yes, you would need to double the recipe.
Hi there! How far in advance can I make these? I need them for Wednesday and was thinking of doing the cupcakes today (Saturday) and freezing…then taking them out Tuesday morning…making the frosting Monday night and frosting the cupcakes on Tuesday night. Thoughts?
Hi Carolyn, I think that would work just fine! Enjoy! :)
Awesome…thank you!
The sprinkles i added into the cake melted. There was not trace of them, not even a hint of colour. What did i do wrong? is there a particular brand i should use?
Hi Zena, My gosh that’s crazy! I’ve never heard of that happening! I just buy sprinkles from the bulk section of my local grocery store.
Hi
Please tell me is there a substitute for all purpose flour. Could I add 1 and a quarter cups of extra cake flour to the recipe instead?
Hi Annie, I have not tried making these with cake flour, so I couldn’t say how it might affect the recipe.
Yes! It was the texture of cornbread for me too. Very dense and not fluffy and moist like a box cake would have been. For all that effort, I would not make this again.
I thought thes cakes were way to dense. Not good. The icing was worse. I couldn’t tell if it was all the butter or sugar but not a fan. Will for go any other receipe from here.
party pooper
Hi Brown Eyed Baker. I wanted to make these for a girlfriend of mine for her baby shower, but I have a couple of questions. I need to make enough for at least 30 people and I read that the recipe only makes about 24. So, How much would I need to increase the ingredients to make 30 cupcakes? Also, What sprinkles should I use? I have read that some sprinkles bleed too quickly into the mix and become more of a tie die cupcake, which I don’t want. Any suggestions? I have to buy all of the ingredients 2/06/17 or the latest by 02/07/17. Please help!!!!
Stacy
Hi Stacy, I would probably just increase the ingredients by 1.5 to make 36 cupcakes. Much easier than trying to do the math for exactly 30 cupcakes. As for the sprinkles, I just bought them from the bulk bin at my local grocery store. I have no idea what brand they are!
The cupcakes are delicious, they look beautiful, and have a wonderful cakey texture. All the ingredient measurements worked perfectly to create 24 cupcakes. As delightfully sinful as the icing is, next time I would make 1/2 the amount and use less per cupcake…a little overkill on the sweetness scale. Love the sprinkles in the cake and on top of the icing. All in all a delicious cupcake that I will make again!
These are my most favorite ‘go-to’ cupcakes, and they have been regularly requested by friends and family for almost 3 years now. They ALWAYS come out perfectly, kids and adults alike love them, and…they’re just delicious! Customize srinkle colors for different events/holidays, and just have fun with them!
Made these for my son’s 1 year birthday party and they are seriously fantastic. Forget other recipes for funfetti cupcakes, these are the best and the quality is like what you would get from a professional bakery. It must be the reverse creaming method that made this so good? I’m not a terribly experienced baker, but I followed the recipe exactly as it told me – it was simple, didn’t take much time, and in the end after tasting one I was shocked that I was capable of making a cupcake like this. Will be bookmarking and making again!
how many cupcakes do I get to bake with this recipe ? :D
Hi Kaveen, 24 cupcakes – it is listed under “yield” in the recipe box.
man this tastes like cornbread
I agree!
I’m not a baker and am wondering if these cupcakes will remain moist if made a day in advance?
Hi Alyce, Yes, definitely! Just store them in an airtight container and you’ll be good to go!
Can I half the ingredients to make 12?
Hi Josie, Yes, I’ve doe it without a problem!
Hi, can I use some of your pictures on this website on mine? Thanks.
Wow, these cupcakes look great! Interested in trying them for an upcoming birthday ;) is cake flour necessary, or can you use normal flour?
Hi Nicole, I recommend using the cake flour.
Hello. I’m currently making these great looking cupcakes. I was wondering if there was a way to make them chocolate. I’d like to use most of the same ingredients and perhaps exchange some flour for coco powder. I’m not sure. I still plan on using the same frosting recipe. Thank you.
Hi Steve, I generally don’t like to try to morph vanilla products into chocolate, and vice versa. They each need special treatment to be great, in my opinion. I’d recommend these chocolate cupcakes (you can simply omit the ganache filling for a more basic chocolate cupcake): https://www.browneyedbaker.com/best-chocolate-cupcakes-recipe/
Thank you for this recipe! I made them for my daughter’s first birthday party and subbed in applesauce for the eggs (she has an egg allergy) and used pink sprinkles. They were delicious!! Just wanted to let anyone in the same egg allergy boat know that these are still fabulous without eggs (maybe a little more dense, but so good)!! Also, I used the same icing tip you did, and people thought they were professionally done! Thanks so much!!
Hello,
I made these cupcakes and they were delicious, but how do you get the cupcake batter to remain whiter with sprinkles. Mine turned red due to the dye in the sprinkles. Any thoughts to get them whiter with sprinkles.
Hi Jessica, You might want to try a different brand of sprinkles? Mine didn’t really bleed very much (I just got them in bulk from my grocery store).
Hi!
I want to use this recipe to make a birthday cake this weekend – I am using the top two tiers of the wilton wedding cake pan set, so I will need 11c of batter total.
How many times do you suggest I multiply the recipe by?
Hi Sam, I didn’t measure the amount of batter used for these cupcakes, so unfortunately I don’t have an answer :(
Hello,
I’ll be making these tomorrow.
Can you please tell me if I can use the following cake flour – “Presto”.
My understanding is that it already has salt and baking powder so I shouldn’t add my own. ……
Thanks!
Hi Serenity, I am not aware of that brand, but I would not recommend using a product that has leavening and salt already added; that would alter the final product. I recommend using plain cake flour with nothing added.
I tried this recipe as a cake on Saturday for my youngest’s birthday party.
It looks very tasty
I made these to take in to school for my son’s birthday. They’re adorable!
I used 5 cups of sugar ultimately, but I really loved the way the frosting tasted with 4 cups– such melt-in-your-mouth bliss it was scary. ! I set the temp on my convection oven to 345 and they started browning way before the middles were cooked. I tried not to panic, and lowered it to 335 to let them bake through. Some were lost, but most were good. Next time I’ll try the temp at 340 and see what happens. Thanks for posting the recipe!
Made this yesterday for a bake-sale at the school. Absolutely delicious!
Only found pastel sprinkles (maybe because of Easter?) so the colors are not great but everything else was just perfect.
Will make them again soon!
Thanks for the recipe!
I was wondering, have you ever made the funfetti cupcakes two days before serving them or made them and froze them? It will be impossible for me to make them either the day I need them or the day before. My kids just love these cupcakes. I’ve made them the day I’ve served them and they were delicious!
Hi Saralee, Aww so glad your kids love these! I have eaten these leftover two days later, and I think they were just fine! If you wanted to make them earlier than that, then I would freeze them without frosting them.
I have been searching for a great cupcake with buttercream icing and this recipe surpassed all expectations. I could not stop eating or talking about how good they were. They cupcake was so light and fluffy and the icing is so creamy. The perfect mixture. Thank you brown eyed baker for sharing this delicious cupcake recipe!
I tried this recipe as a cake on Saturday for my youngest’s birthday party. I think it took 40 minutes to bake, but it came out great. I didn’t have any more sprinkles last night, but I didn’t need them for the cupcakes I’m bringing to school today. I admit that I used buttermilk both times, and I didn’t have anymore vanilla, so the cupcakes got lemon extract. In any case, I’m excited to have a cake recipe (that isn’t chocolate) that tastes great. Thank you for sharing!
These were sooo good! We made them for Halloween! Thanks my son said they were the best cupcakes ever!
Can these be made with just all purpose flour or does it need to be cake and AP flour???
Hi Chelsea, I highly recommend making the recipe as written with cake and all-purpose flours.
WOWWWWWAAAA!!! So I recently made another funfetti recipe as a trial run for my baby’s 1st birthday and they were not good! I was so disappointed, what did I do wrong?? After some research on how to get the best, fluffy, moist cupcake, I decided to give this one a go (I love the mix of AP and cake flour, Oh and NO baking soda which I read can dry things out). I was on a mission to find the perfect funfetti cupcakes. I just finished baking these and they are AMAZING :D :D Only thing I did differently was sift the dry ingredients and added a little heavy cream to the milk (which I won’t do next time because I had to thin out the batter a little with non-fat milk lol :P). Very yummy, A MUST TRY!!!
Going to try this recipe but curious. how is this adapted from cookies and cups? Looks like exact same recipe. just saying ;)
I tried this recipe for my friend’s birthday and it was A HIT:D
However i want to use it this time to make a Funfetti cake. I need to bake one 8 inch round cake and one 10 inch round cake , each one 5 inch high . Can you please advise me asap how many cake batches i should make for each cake and what it the baking time? Thank you:D
This recipe as-is will make two 8-inch or 9-inch layers. (Each layer being 2 inches high) I’m not sure if you need a single layer that’s 5 inches high, or if you’re counting on stacking. This site might help you figure out how much more batter you will need based on your requirements: http://www.bakedecoratecelebrate.com/techniques/amountbakingguide.cfm
I made these yesterday and found them a bit dry, not sure if I over mixed? I tried using simple syrup to help moisten them but it didn’t seem to work. Unfortunately, they are the main attraction for my granddaughter’s birthday party. I had such hopes for these vanilla cupcakes!
I made these twice – once for my sons birthday party and again for his class party. They are really easy to make and turned out perfectly both times. My only complaint is that I don’t like the taste that the sprinkles (or jimmies) give them – they taste store-bought to me.
These are amazing!! Just made them for my daughter’s first birthday and they were a hit!!
Omg I made these tonight to bring to work tomorrow and sampled one for dessert…. They are SO good!!! Thank you thank you for posting this recipe, will be a staple for me now! Definitely 5 stars all around!!!! :)
This recipe is amazing! Used the cake and frosting recipe to make a two layered birthday cake. It was enough batter for two 8×8 pans. Only change I made was substituting 1/4 of the milk for plain yogurt but I’m sure even without that change it would be very good. The cake was a huge success. Thanks for posting! Saving this recipe forever :)
This cupcake is so whimsical and fun
How do you keep/make your cupcakes so moist?
mine tend to come out seeming condensed. any tips or advice you could give me?
By the way, love your site, i use it to cook/bake everything! true talent!
Hi Ella, So happy to hear you enjoy the site! Make sure your baking soda/powder is not expired so that they raise properly. Once my cupcakes cool, I place them in an airtight container for storage.
Made these last weekend and they were okay. (I’m more of a chocolate lover, made the ultimate chocolate ones too). I think I baked a touch too long as they were a little dry… tasty though.
I’m from the UK and made a batch of these a few days ago. They turned out beautifully moist and delicious despite the fact that I didn’t realise what cake flour is as we can’t get it in the UK. I used self-raising flour instead as I thought this was an equivalent but I just found out that’s not the case. Apparently you can make your own cake flour by replacing some of your plain flour with corn flour so I may have a go at that but actually they turned out so well I don’t really feel the need. Thanks for a great cup-cake recipe, I’ll be using it again & again.
Hi, I am making these for my daughters 2nd birthday tonight. Can I use 2% milk in place of whole milk? Thanks!!
Hi Kristen, I do recommend using whole milk because it contains more fat than 2%, which helps keep the cupcakes moist.
Just made these this afternoon. The cake turned out pretty great and made exactly 24 cupcakes which I feel like never happens for me! However, the buttercream recipe that you shared was so so so SO sickeningly sweet (and I am someone who seriously loves sweets). I even tried it before I iced them and thought it was fine, but when I went to have an assembled cupcake I couldn’t choke it down. Tasted very much like straight up super sweet butter. Ended up scraping all of the cupcakes off and improvising with a chocolate buttercream from my head which turned out great and paired very well wih the cakes. Besides the frosting, thank you for this recipe!!!
These were amazing! I made them for a coworker’s baby “sprinkle” and am so pleased with how they turned out. The cupcakes are really light and fluffy, and that frosting … gaaaahhhh, so rich and delicious. I added a few drops of red food coloring to make the frosting pink for the baby girl, so they’re extra cute. I’m definitely pinning this recipe, so I can make these again. Thank you!
How many cupcakes does this recipe make?
24. See “yield” above under the recipe title.
I made these this weekend and they were fantastic! The texture was so light and fluffy. I could have eaten the whole batch of frosting with a spoon! So delicious and pretty!
Can you use the “perfect party cake” recipe and still do this? I love that cake but wonder if it’s too light and sprinkles will sink to the bottom…
Hi Diana, I’ve never used the perfect party cake recipe for cupcakes, so I couldn’t say for sure.
The batter can be made into a cake instead of cupcakes with no alterations, yes?
I made these for a coworkers birthday and they were a great success. People enjoyed the frosting the most. I ended up blending the sprinkles in the batter way too much, so I just turned it into tie dye cupcakes!
I did make a few adjustments to the recipe if anyone had some trouble with the batter. I did the typical cupcake baking instructions where you mix the dry into the wet ingredients. I then found the batter was too thick, so I added 1/4 cup of more milk.
Can I use this recipe to make a cake? What’s the difference of cake flour and all purpose flour? Can I make this without the yolks?
Hi Lolita, Yes, this recipe could be made into a 9×13-inch cake or two layer 9-inch or 8-inch cake (just be sure to watch the baking times, as you will need to increase slightly). Cake flour as less protein in it, which makes it more tender. I do not recommend making this without the egg yolks, it will not be as moist.
I want the cake to turn out as white as possible. What else can I add instead of the yolks to keep the cake moist?
Hi Lolita, I would not recommend substituting anything for the egg yolks; they are an important part of the recipe.
I just made this in two 8 inch round cake pans and baked them for 35-40 minutes. I followed the recipe to a ‘t’ except I used almond milk since I had it on hand. The proportions were perfect and the cake was great! My jimmies stayed suspended in the batter while baking. The buttercream had a nice flavor but was way too sweet for my taste. Luckily the cake is dense enough to cut the sweetness of the frosting. This recipe probably works best as cupcakes where the ratio of cake to frosting is higher. Next time I would add lemon zest to the batter to brighten it up.
Update: We initially ate the cake freshly frosted at room temp and the buttercream was too intense and greasy. The next morning I had a piece slightly chilled from the fridge and the buttercream was way better- the sugar had time to dissolve and mellow and the buttercream was firm and less greasy. Now I know a) why I’ve never like homemade buttercream before b) to always chill a cake frosted in buttercream before serving. Thanks for the yummy recipe!
Hi, Michelle!
I made your funfetti cupcakes today and they tasted great! I do have a question for you. As the cupcakes were cooling, the dome of the cupcakes started to deflate or flatten. Is it because I over-beat the batter?
Hi Ream, It could have been from over beating, or slightly under baking them.
Did you prefer this vanilla cupcake base better than the vanilla cupcake recipe in your browneyedbaker recipes? The browneyedbaker vanilla cupcakes are my normal go to, but I’m looking to make some funfetti cupcakes for my daughters 1st birthday and don’t have time for trial before the party….which vanilla cupcake should I choose!?!? I don’t want to screw it up, they need to be nice and moist!
Hi Bethany, I do love this recipe, I would recommend using it!
I loved Funfetti as a kid and still love it. There’s just something so happy and fun about tons of sprinkles! These looked SOOO good, I’m actually making them right now for my daughter’s first birthday! I plan on topping them with homemade, vanilla whipped cream. Yum!
One question, though: my batch ended up filling 30 cupcakes instead of 24 and I used a 1/4 cup scoop to fill them all exactly. Have you ever gotten a bigger yield before or do you think I [gulp!] did something wrong? I followed the recipe exactly. I guess I’ll see if they came out ok in 10 minutes, when they’re done! Eeeeek!
Hi Noelle, I think they should be okay, I’ve found that not all muffin tins are made alike. Some of the ones my mom has have very different cup sizes.
Hi, can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour? Will the cake come out more dense or what difference will it make? Thanks! ;)
Hi Karina, The cupcakes will be more dense if you use all-purpose flour. Cake flour creates a lighter, more tender cupcake.
I’ve made many of your cookie recipes without problems, but today I tried 2 of your cupcake recipes and found I needed to do some adjusting. My pan must be a different size than yours because 2/3 full made them overflow. I cooked them 20 minutes and the bottoms burnt.
The good news is that it made THREE dozen cupcakes so the first batch I kept for my family to dig into (the part that wasn’t burnt was scrumptious!) and the next batches I only filled it 1/2 full (if that), and I cut the baking and cooling in the pan time and they came out perfect.
Tomorrow I’m delving into your savory recipes for the first time and trying the slow cooker mac ‘n cheese. Can’t wait!
You know what, after I submitted this I realized I’m a big fat liar. I’ve made a couple of your cupcakes recipes!! The strawberry and lemon limoncello. I didn’t have a problem with those though (except for the panic attack I had when the strawberry meringue frosting curdled—if only I’d read the comments first!)
Anyway, make of that what you will.
Hey Michelle,
Was wondering if you can use salted butter instead of unsalted?
Hi Amanda, Yes, but omit the salt called for in the recipe.
How do I adjust the recipe if I only have salted butter on hand.
Thanks
Hi Rika, Omit the salt in the recipe.
Hey Michelle!
Thoughts on baking this in a sheet pan (18×13)? Or perhaps a jelly-role pan (10×15)? Is there enough batter produced for either sizes? I’m thinking of a somewhat thin cake to use in those push-up pop containers.
Hi Joe, This would be perfect for a 9×13, but if you are looking to go thinner, a jelly roll would work. I’m not sure if there would be enough batter for a 13×18. Just be sure to reduce the baking time! Enjoy!
Hi! I have been looking for the perfect vanilla cupcake recipe and a friend told me I HAD to try this one Although is it possible to use table salt instead of kosher salt? They sell these big jars of them, and I don’t use kosher salt for anything else…
Hi Chloe, Yes, but reduce the amount to ¾ teaspoon.
Have you doubled this recipe? Do I need to make any alterations to the recipe if I double it?
Hi Kristen, I have not doubled this recipe. You wouldn’t need to make any alterations.
Ok thanks!
What do you suggest for a round cake? What would be the difference?
For a round cake, you would need two layers – either 8″ or 9″. You will also need to increase the baking time a bit.
Hi Michele, I love funfetti, but I want a really flavorful and good textured cupcake as well. Which recipe do you prefer: this recipe (minus the sprinkles) or your vanilla cupcake recipe? Can the vanilla cupcake be adjusted to make it funfetti?
Hi Rikki, I would definitely choose this one!
Will they turn out okay if I use a hand mixer instead of a stand mixer?
Yep!
I made these for a coworker who loves Funfetti Cupcakes, and I ran into a strange issue. Although the yield states 2 dozen, I feel I easily could have gotten 30 cupcakes out of the batter. As it is, I overfilled the 2 dozen, trusting that that was how many it was supposed to make, ending up with gigantic cupcakes that overflowed into each other and nearly collapsed under their own weight.
Although they rose beautifully, once I took them out of the oven, most of them deflated quite a bit, leaving them with flat instead of rounded tops. Additionally, they were a little dry, but that could be attributed the extra baking time required to cook through the extra-large cupcakes.
It’s quite possible my last two issues were a result of the cupcakes simply being too big; if I make these again I will be sure to make more than 2 dozen. Regardless, they were attractive, and I didn’t have any issue with the sprinkles sinking to the bottom.
Hi Emily, It does sound like they may have been over-filled. Please do note that in the directions it states to fill the cups only ⅔ full. There can be some variance in the size of cupcake pans (my mom’s from years ago are different than mine), so I would advise to follow the fill instructions, even if that means you get more cupcakes than the recipe yield states.
Great pictures! I just made these to bring into the office tomorrow. Also made some mini versions for my son, he is going to be so happy when he sees them:) I snuck one and yes, delicious:) There just isn’t enough Funfetti.
How many cupcakes does this recipe produce?
Hi Belle, 2 dozen (see “yield” in the recipe box above).
Hi! I was wondering if this cake will hold up well under fondant? Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Hi Marizza, It should hold up just fine.
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
WOW! Can’t get over how beautiful your photos are, even the sprinkle placement is perfect!
these are so fun!
Try Kut from the Kloth jeans. Nordstrom & Zappos (and 6pm) carry them for sure. Not crazy expensive and fit well and lots of styles.
So much fun! And obviously better than a box mix. I just made a confetti layer cake from scratch. Love all the rainbow sprinkles.
I love homemade funfetti cupcakes and just made some for my birthday. These are gorgeous!
Nothing is happier than a cake full of sprinkles, topped with more sprinkles. Great homemade version!
I can’t think of anything more fun and cheerful either! These look so delicious and are so cute!!
can you make this recipe in a cake pan :) ?
Hi Kelly, I haven’t tried it, but I think you could. Either two-layer 8″ or 9″ cake, or a 9×13-inch.
I tried to make this in a 9×13 pan today and I think a 11×15 would be better. The cake turned out delicious (no surprise there) but because there was so much batter, by the time the middle was close to done (55 minutes) both the edges and the bottom were quite done (not burnt but definitely overdone). The cake was still a hit, but I’ll try the bigger pan next time.
(I also only used half the frosting, but that’s a personal taste)
Sort of a silly question, but I have to ask: where did you buy or what brand are the sprinkles you used to top the cupcakes with? I noticed that there aren’t the brown colored ones included in those, and have been searching for them everywhere! I love sprinkles and funfetti, but for some reason the brown ones drive me crazy. Neurotic much? I know. :)
Saw your comment as I was scrolling down to leave one… I just got a bunch of rainbow sprinkles from The Cupcake Social. Colors are great!
Hi Madeleine, One of the larger grocery stores I go to has a whole row of different colored sprinkles (including rainbow) in the bulk section where the nuts, grains, etc. are located. I get mine from there, and have no idea what brand they are. I’m sorry that’s not more helpful!
Funfetti-anything is pretty much my favorite thing to make. They’re just so happy!
Beautiful, as always!
Funfetti cupcakes are the best! So fun!
Double yum!!!!! These look perfect and amazingly delicious! :)
I too would like to know what piping tip you used please. they look wonderful. I cant wait to try
Hi Denise, I used the Ateco #808 tip.
Thank u . Would wilton have a similar tip?do you think?
Hi Denise, I’m sure they would, it’s basically a jumbo-sized round tip.
These are so cute – like little cakes of happiness!
I was a bit late getting into the whole funfetti thing, too, but I’ve definitely made up for lost time the past 10 years or so. I love homemade versions so much more, and these look terrific! Your photos are beautiful with an up close and personal view of those sprinkles. :)
I could use one of these as a pre-friday celebration. LOVE me some funfetti!
Believe it or not, I’ve never made nor eaten funfetti cakes/cupcakes. This may very well change now that you have posted your homemade recipe for them!
Beautiful! What tool do you use to frost your cupcakes? They look yummy!!
Sprinkles really? I am pretty sure around here those things are called jimmies!! Great recipe – I can’t wait to bake these cupcakes.
Are you from Philly? We call them Jimmies too!
Not Philly but your cross state rival – Pittsburgh
I knew i wasn’t crazy!! Finally someone else who calls them jimmies!!! LOL
I’ve lived in Pittsburgh my whole life and have never heard them called jimmies! Maybe there are different “jimmies” and “sprinkles” sects around the city ;-)
In Boston we have sprinkles AND jimmies. Sprinkles are multi colored, jimmies are chocolate only.
In Australia we call them 100s and 1000s haha!
Ha! 100s and 1000s are hard balls, these are sprinkles! (I’m an Aussie too ;) ) Funny how everyone has different names for virtually the same thing! 100s and 1000s are what we use to make fairy bread. Om nom nom, fairy bread..
Wow these look delicious!!! I would love to make them soon. Can you please tell me what piping tip you used?? Those tall swirls are perfect!
Hi Audrey, I used an Ateco #808 tip.
I never had funfetti cookies/cupcakes growing up either! I think I knew they existed, but when I started reading food blogs was when they really seemed like a much bigger thing :)
These are so fun and cute! Heard great things about the Back in the Day cookbook too!
Do you think I could send these to college? It takes three days in the mail….My son’s birthday is coming up and it would be a cute way to share with his dorm floor.
Hi Lori, I always think that cupcakes are difficult to ship because the box can get tossed around and the frosting messed up. If you have a box that can keep them steady and upright, it might work. In general though, I don’t recommend cupcakes as a shipping-friendly baked good.
How about ship them two at a time, face to face with frosting in between. Like in a jar or other cylindrical container? I have done it and it works. It’s not as pretty as decorated cupcakes but they still taste good!
Hi :) Imma professional baker/mama/business lady/etc- and I really enjoy looking at all of the yummy treats the Brown Eyed Baker posts! Regarding shipping them, you definitely can. However it will take a few materials and preparation. We ship them all the time in my bakery and they arrive fresh and pretty. Make your cupcakes as usual, freeze them, and put them in the plastic cupcake containers you’d find in your local grocer’s bakery section-you know, the ones with the secure yet semi irritating snaps lol. You can buy them at most craft stores or if you live in a fairly large city there should be bake shops that sell them. with packing peanuts and a snug box, you can ship them anywhere in the USA- I prefer over night but if it’s too costly two day shipping can work. be sure to FREEZE THE CUPCAKES-cant stress enough, AND invest in the cooling gel packs, one on the top and one on the bottom. You’ll be good to go.
Such memories. My mom always used box mixes to make us treats to take to school for our birthdays and they were always so creative to us (e.g., cupcakes made in ice cream cones). I remember when I started baking myself not even contemplating using anything but a box mix – baking (cakes anyhow) was just “changing things up” with that box to do different creations of flavors, colors and shapes. Now I can’t remember the last time I ever used a box. If you want to get even more “from scratch” with this recipe, Food52 just had a recipe a couple of weeks ago for homemade sprinkles – http://food52.com/recipes/26425-homemade-sprinkles – haven’t tried it yet but it looks super easy and I’m sure they’ll taste awesome.
so I can’t tell you how happy I was to see this- been craving this lately but didn’t want to make the cake box version so this is perfect!! Thank you!!
As always, such stunning pictures you have! Your funfetti cupcakes are gorgeous! I do love funfetti – such sweet indulgence that reminds me of being a kid. Thanks for the happy memories :)
Absolute perfection!
I love funfetti cakes!! They’re so….FUN! HaHa. Thanks for reminding me of these. I think I’ll mix up a batch tonight!!! :)
I love funfetti. My introduction to social media came very late so only recently discovered funfetti cakes. Love them, very happy looking cakes. Lol
I love Funfetti and I have the Back in the Day book, (love it!) and also saw Shelly make them, and now yours…I have to try this recipe! You rocked these cupcakes and I love the non-skimpy use of frosting…amen :) Pinned!