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Birthday Cupcakes are the from scratch treat that makes any celebration feel special, with a soft vanilla crumb and a swirl of fluffy buttercream piled high with sprinkles. I started making these the year Maddie wanted to help bake her own party dessert, and now the girls fight over who gets to add the *rainbow sprinkles*. If you love a fun homemade cake, you will adore these right alongside our lemon lime angel food cupcakes.
Grab your stand mixer and a box of sprinkles, because tender, bakery style cupcakes are easier to make at home than you think.
Birthday Cupcakes Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 25 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 18 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 hour
- 🍽️ Serving: 34 cupcakes
- ⚡ Calories: 298kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Soft, sweet vanilla cake with fluffy, buttery frosting
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, about as simple as our lemon raspberry cake balls
Quick Answer
Cream softened butter, oil, and sugar, then beat in eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla. Alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk until the batter is smooth, fill lined cupcake tins, and bake at 350 degrees F for 15 to 18 minutes. Cool completely, then whip butter with powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and a pinch of salt into fluffy buttercream. Tint it, frost the cupcakes, and finish with sprinkles.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Butter and oil together. Creaming real butter gives rich flavor while a little vegetable oil keeps the cupcakes moist for days.
- Extra egg yolks add richness. Two extra yolks make the crumb tender and give the cupcakes that bakery style softness.
- Buttermilk keeps them soft. The acidity in buttermilk tenderizes the crumb and adds a subtle tang that balances the sweetness.
- Alternating wet and dry. Adding the flour and buttermilk in stages keeps the batter smooth and stops you from overmixing.
- Whipped buttercream. Whipping the frosting for a few minutes makes it light, fluffy, and easy to pipe into tall swirls.
- Made for a crowd. One batch yields a generous 34 cupcakes, so there is plenty for the whole party.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They have a soft, tender vanilla crumb that tastes just like a bakery cupcake.
- The fluffy buttercream pipes into beautiful tall swirls every single time.
- They are endlessly customizable, just like our chocolate earthquake cake when you want a bigger dessert.
- Sprinkles and gel food coloring let you match any birthday or party theme.
Key Ingredients
Here is what you need to make a batch of soft, fluffy birthday cupcakes from scratch.
- All purpose flour: The structure of the cupcake. Spoon and level it so you do not pack in too much.
- Butter and vegetable oil: Butter brings the flavor and oil keeps the crumb moist and soft.
- Granulated and powdered sugar: Granulated sweetens the cake while powdered sugar builds the smooth buttercream.
- Buttermilk: Adds moisture and a gentle tang that keeps the cupcakes tender.
- Eggs and egg yolks: Whole eggs give structure and the extra yolks make the crumb extra rich.
- Vanilla, sprinkles, and gel food coloring: The fun finishing touches that make them taste and look like a party.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
These cupcakes are a blank canvas, so here are a few easy ways to make them your own.
- Stir mini sprinkles right into the batter for a fun funfetti style cupcake.
- Swap the vanilla in the frosting for almond, lemon, or birthday cake extract.
- Tint the buttercream to match any party theme, from pastel pink to bold blue.
- Add a spoonful of cocoa powder to the frosting for a chocolate buttercream version.
- Fill the centers with jam or pudding for a surprise inside each cupcake.
How to Make Birthday Cupcakes
- In a large bowl, cream the softened butter, oil, and sugar for 3 minutes, then beat in the eggs one at a time followed by the egg yolks and vanilla.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together, then add to the wet mixture alternating with the buttermilk until the batter is smooth.
- Add 3 tablespoons of batter to each lined cup and bake at 350 degrees F for 15 to 18 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean, then cool completely.
- For the frosting, whip the softened butter on low until smooth and fluffy, about one minute.
- Add the sifted powdered sugar a spoonful at a time, then mix in the milk, vanilla, and salt and whip for 3 to 4 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Tint the frosting with gel food coloring if you like, then frost the cooled cupcakes and add sprinkles right away.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use room temperature ingredients so the butter, eggs, and buttermilk blend into a smooth, even batter.
- Do not overmix once the flour goes in, or the cupcakes can turn dense and tough.
- Fill liners about two thirds full so the cupcakes dome nicely without spilling over.
- Cool completely before frosting, or the buttercream will melt and slide right off.
- Sift the powdered sugar for the smoothest, lump free frosting that pipes cleanly.
- Add sprinkles right after frosting so they stick before the buttercream sets.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Pile these birthday cupcakes high on a tiered stand so everyone can grab their favorite color. They are the star of any party table, and the tall swirls of buttercream make them look like they came straight from a bakery.
They are perfect for birthdays, of course, but also baby showers, graduations, and classroom parties. Serve them next to other fun treats like our lemon blueberry trifle or a tray of sugar cookie sandwiches for a full dessert spread.
For a bigger celebration, set out a few different desserts so there is something for everyone. Our key lime eclair cake is an easy no bake option that rounds out the table right alongside these cupcakes.
Birthday Cupcakes FAQs
Dense cupcakes usually come from overmixing the batter or using cold ingredients. Mix just until the flour disappears, and let your butter, eggs, and buttermilk come to room temperature first so everything blends smoothly without overworking the batter.
Yes. Bake the cupcakes up to 2 days ahead and store them unfrosted in an airtight container at room temperature. You can also make the buttercream ahead and keep it chilled, then rewhip it before frosting. Frost the day you plan to serve for the freshest look.
Keep frosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Let chilled cupcakes sit out for about 30 minutes before serving so the buttercream softens back up.
Absolutely. Freeze the unfrosted cupcakes in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw them at room temperature, then frost. You can also freeze them fully frosted on a tray, then transfer to a container once solid.
A classic vanilla buttercream is the best choice because it pipes into tall, sturdy swirls and takes color beautifully. Whip it for a few minutes until light and fluffy, and tint it with gel food coloring to match your party theme.
This recipe makes a generous 34 standard cupcakes, which is perfect for a party. You can easily halve the recipe for a smaller batch of about 17 cupcakes if you do not need quite so many.
Celebrating something sweet? Whip up our chocolate earthquake cake next.
Frost a batch of cupcakes with our raspberry frosting.
Our homemade birthday cupcakes are a classic for any celebration.
Birthday Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temp
- 2 large egg yolks room temp
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk room temp
For the frosting:
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter softened
- 6 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract or extract flavor of your choice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Gel food coloring of your choice
- Sprinkles if desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven 350°F—line tins with cupcake liners and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- In the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or with an electric hand mixer in a large bowl, cream the butter, oil, and sugar for 3 minutes.3/4 cup unsalted butter, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- Add the eggs one at a time until thoroughly mixed in.3 large eggs
- Add the egg yolks and mix them in with the vanilla.2 large egg yolks, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Add half of the dry ingredients and stir until combined.
- Next, add half of the buttermilk and stir until combined. Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients and buttermilk, scraping down the sides as needed.1 1/4 cups buttermilk
- Add 3 tablespoons of the batter to each cupcake liner.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Allow them to cool for 5 minutes in the tin, and then place the cupcakes on a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting. Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.1 ½ cups unsalted butter
- Mix at low speed until smooth and fluffy, for about a minute.
- Add the sifted powdered sugar a spoonful at a time over medium-low speed. Keep doing this until all of the sugar is added, scraping down the sides as necessary.6 cups powdered sugar
- Add the milk, vanilla, and salt and slowly stir to combine. Once mixed well, whip the frosting at medium to high speed for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy.3 tablespoons milk, 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon salt
- If you want to tint the frosting, do so now; start with a little and add more as needed.Gel food coloring of your choice
- Frost the cupcakes once cool and immediately add sprinkles if using.Sprinkles if desired
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients—makes the cupcake batter smooth.
- Mix with a stand mixer or electric mixer, whatever you have on hand.
- Check the center of the cupcake with a toothpick—clean means done!
- Frost with a piping bag—looks fancy without the fuss.
- Add sprinkles right away—sticks on before the buttercream frosting sets.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
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These were so much fun to make and tasted delicious.