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Funfetti Cupcakes are pure birthday joy, with tender vanilla cake flecked with rainbow sprinkles and topped with a swirl of fluffy vanilla buttercream. I make these from scratch for *every birthday and half birthday* in our house, and the girls love picking which sprinkles go on top. They are even more fun than our funfetti earthquake cake.
Using egg whites instead of whole eggs is the trick that keeps the crumb bright white so the colorful sprinkles really pop.
Funfetti Cupcakes Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 20 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 18 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 38 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 18 cupcakes
- ⚡ Calories: 338kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Sweet vanilla cake and creamy buttercream with a festive crunch
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, a fun bake like our spice cupcakes
Quick Answer
Stir together the dry ingredients, then beat in egg whites, vanilla, milk, and oil until smooth and fold in rainbow sprinkles. Fill cupcake liners two thirds full and bake until a toothpick comes out clean. Once cool, whip up a vanilla buttercream, stir in more sprinkles, and pipe it onto the cupcakes.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Egg whites keep the cake bright white. Skipping the yolks gives the cupcakes a clean white crumb so the rainbow sprinkles stand out instead of blending into a yellow cake.
- Oil keeps them moist and tender. A little vegetable oil makes the crumb soft and keeps the cupcakes moist for days, even after frosting.
- Folding sprinkles in last keeps colors crisp. Stirring the sprinkles in at the very end keeps them from dissolving and bleeding their color into the batter.
- The reverse creaming method is foolproof. Mixing the dry ingredients first, then adding the wet, produces a tender, even crumb that is hard to overmix.
- Whipped buttercream pipes beautifully. Whipping the frosting for a few minutes makes it light and fluffy, perfect for tall, pretty swirls on top.
- They are made for celebrating. Quick, colorful, and crowd pleasing, these cupcakes turn any ordinary day into a party.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They are bright, festive, and guaranteed to make any celebration feel special.
- The from scratch vanilla cake is tender, moist, and miles better than a boxed mix.
- They are an easy party dessert, right alongside our funfetti earthquake cake.
Key Ingredients
Simple baking staples make these festive cupcakes. Here is what each one does.
- Egg whites: keep the cake bright white so the sprinkles pop instead of disappearing into a yellow crumb.
- Vegetable oil and milk: the combo that keeps these cupcakes soft, moist, and tender for days.
- Rainbow sprinkles: the star of the show, folded into both the batter and the frosting for festive flecks throughout.
- Butter and powdered sugar: whip into a fluffy vanilla buttercream for piping.
- Vanilla extract: the warm, classic flavor that ties it all together, just like in our angel food cupcakes.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Make these cupcakes your own with a few fun ideas.
- Use themed sprinkles to match any holiday or party, like red and green for Christmas or pastels for Easter.
- Add a half teaspoon of almond extract for a classic bakery birthday cake flavor.
- Tint the frosting with a drop of gel food coloring for a colorful swirl.
- Tuck a few mini chocolate chips into the batter for a cookie cake vibe.
- Want a cake instead? Make our funfetti earthquake cake for a crowd.
How to Make Funfetti Cupcakes
- Mix the batter. Stir the dry ingredients together, then beat in the egg whites and vanilla until smooth, scraping the sides as needed.
- Add the sprinkles. Stir in the milk and oil until combined, then fold in the rainbow sprinkles.
- Fill and bake. Fill the cupcake liners about two thirds full and bake at 350 degrees for 16 to 18 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.
- Make the frosting. Cream the butter until smooth, then add the powdered sugar a little at a time until fully combined.
- Whip and add sprinkles. Beat in the milk, vanilla, and salt, then whip for a few minutes until light and fluffy and stir in more sprinkles.
- Frost the cupcakes. Pipe or spread the buttercream onto the cooled cupcakes and top with extra sprinkles. Serve and celebrate.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Do not overfill the liners. Two thirds full gives you nicely domed cupcakes without overflow or sinking.
- Fold sprinkles in gently and last. Overmixing makes the colors bleed and turns the batter gray.
- Cool the cupcakes completely before frosting, or the buttercream will melt and slide right off.
- Whip the buttercream well. A few minutes of whipping makes it fluffy and pipeable for those tall, pretty swirls.
- Use a Wilton 2A round tip for a classic bakery swirl, just like the frosting on our spice cupcakes.
- Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature so they stay soft and fresh.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
These cupcakes are the centerpiece of any party. Pile them on a tiered stand with candles for a birthday, or set them out at a baby shower, bake sale, or classroom celebration. A cold glass of milk is the only side they need.
Build a colorful dessert table by serving them with our funfetti earthquake cake and a plate of soft frosted Lofthouse cookies so there is a festive treat for everyone.
Short on time but craving cake? A single serving vanilla mug cake hits the spot, but these cupcakes are worth the extra effort when you have a crowd to wow.
Funfetti Cupcakes FAQs
They are essentially the same thing. Funfetti is a brand name that became a catch all term for vanilla cake studded with rainbow sprinkles, also known as confetti cake. This homemade version skips the box entirely.
Sprinkles bleed and dissolve if they sit in wet batter too long or get overmixed. Fold them in gently at the very end and bake right away to keep the colors bright and distinct.
Yes. Bake the cupcakes up to two days ahead and store them unfrosted in an airtight container. Frost them the day you plan to serve for the freshest look and taste. You can also freeze unfrosted cupcakes for up to two months.
Use jimmies, the long rod shaped sprinkles, rather than round nonpareils. Jimmies hold their color and shape in the batter, while nonpareils tend to bleed and turn everything gray.
Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. If your kitchen is very warm, refrigerate them and bring to room temperature before serving so the cake is soft.
Yes. Pour the batter into two eight inch round pans and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Then fill and frost as a layer cake.
For another festive party dessert, try our funfetti earthquake cake next.
Our raspberry almond cupcakes pair tender almond cake with a naturally pink raspberry frosting.
Sprinkle fans will adore our whimsical fairy bread.
For the coconut lover in your life, our coconut cupcakes pile fluffy coconut buttercream on a coconut milk crumb.
For a cozier flavor, our Biscoff cupcakes swirl cookie butter into everything.
For a fruity spring batch, our lemon blueberry cupcakes hide juicy berries under cream cheese frosting.
Swap the vanilla frosting for my fluffy chocolate buttercream frosting when the chocolate lovers come over.
For the Christmas movie night version, my green swirled grinch cupcakes are two ingredients from stealing the show.
For a holiday spin on the same fluffy vanilla base, my pink Valentine’s Day cupcakes are the February batch.
For a fruity spin on the party cupcake, my pink cherry cupcakes blend real maraschino cherries into the batter.
For the adults only bake sale table, my margarita cupcakes bring the tequila and the lime.
Want a soda twist on cupcake night? Our dr pepper cupcakes layer cherry cola cake with buttercream.
For brunch parties, our mimosa cupcakes put real champagne in the frosting.
For deep cocoa flavor with a berry twist, my chocolate cupcakes are frosted with real blackberry buttercream.
For a breakfast flavored dessert, my pancake cupcakes hide mini chocolate chips under maple buttercream.
Cinnamon lovers should try my snickerdoodle cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting.
Come October, my chocolate chip pumpkin cupcakes take over the party tray.
If you love a festive cupcake, our margarita cupcakes recipe brings the fiesta to dessert.
Cherry fans, do not miss our easy cherry cupcakes with whipped lime frosting.
For the chocolate half of the party tray, our chocolate peanut butter cupcakes deliver.
For a holiday twist on the surprise theme, our Valentine cupcakes hide a red velvet heart in every bite.
Come July, our 4th of July cupcakes give the funfetti trick a patriotic makeover.
Best Funfetti Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup rainbow sprinkles
For the frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- ¼ cup rainbow sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line cupcake pan with liners and set aside.
- Add the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda to the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and stir to combine on low speed.
- Add the egg whites and vanilla, stir until smooth, and scrape down the sides as needed with a rubber spatula.
- Stir in the milk and oil until combined, scraping down the sides. Stir in the colorful sprinkles.
- Fill the cupcake liners ⅔ of the way full with cupcake batter, about 3 tablespoons each, do not overfill.
- Bake for 16-18 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Take the cupcakes out and cool them completely on a wire rack.
- Once the cupcakes are cool, make the frosting by placing the butter in the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and cream butter until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar a little at a time until fully mixed in.
- Add the milk, vanilla, and salt, and stir to combine. Scrape down the sides.
- Place the mixer on medium-high speed and whip for 3 minutes until light and fluffy on medium speed. Stir in the bright rainbow sprinkles.
- Frost the confetti cupcakes with the frosting. I like to use a piping bag with a Wilton 2A round tip attached. Add more sprinkles on top if desired, and serve.
Notes
- This makes 18 cupcakes, but you can easily double it to feed more or halve the recipe as needed.
- Tons of custom options, see my tips above on that.
- This freezes well, see my tips above on how to store.
- Add whatever sprinkles you want for different themes.
Nutrition
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