These Funfetti Cupcakes are soft, fluffy, and filled with colorful sprinkles, then topped with a rich and creamy chocolate fudge frosting. A fun and festive treat for any celebration.
Whats a Funfetti cupcake you might ask, it’s essentially a Vanilla cupcake loaded with tons of rainbow sprinkles. They are fluffy, moist, packed full of colorful sprinkles, and the perfect treat for any celebration or party.
Whats makes these cupcakes even better is that they are topped with the most delicious chocolate fudge frosting and even more sprinkles.
These funfetti cupcakes are so delicious and are as easy using a box mix!
For more easy birthday treats try my birthday cake blondies or Funfetti cookies
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Why you will love these cupcakes
- Perfect Flavor Contrast: The sweet, cake-batter notes of the Funfetti perfectly balance the deep, dark cocoa of the fudge frosting.
- Ultra-Moist Texture: We use a combination of butter (for flavor) and a splash of oil (for moisture), ensuring these stay soft for days.
- Perfect for celebrations: These cupcakes are perfect for any celebration like birthdays, parties, and holidays.
- Customizable with different sprinkles, fillings, or frostings.
Ingredients
For the Funfetti Cupcakes:
- All-purpose flour: Provides structure while keeping the cupcakes soft.
- Butter or oil: Butter adds flavor; oil keeps the cupcakes extra moist.
- Buttermilk: I like to full fat room temperature buttermilk. However, you can do ½ cup of cows milk with ½ tablespoon of lemon juice. Let it sit for 10 minutes before using. It will curdle into buttermilk.
- Eggs: I like to use room temperature large eggs
- Rainbow sprinkles: You can use whatever kind of sprinkles you have on hand or whatever you prefer, but I used rainbow jimmies.I don’t recommend using non-pareils as the can bleed into the batter
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens and helps create a light crumb.
- Vanilla extract: Essential for classic funfetti flavor.
- Baking powder + baking soda: Help the cupcakes rise tall and fluffy.
- Salt: Balances sweetness and enhances flavor.
For the Chocolate Fudge Frosting:
- Butter: Creates a creamy, smooth base.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: Adds deep chocolate flavor.
- Powdered sugar: Sweetens and thickens the frosting.
- Heavy cream or milk: Creates a smooth, fudgy texture.Make sure to use cream with at least 35% fat
- Vanilla extract: Rounds out the chocolate flavor.
- Salt: Enhances the richness of the chocolate.
Substitutions & Variations
- Gluten-Free: Swap the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend (ensure it contains xanthan gum).
- Eggless: You can replace the eggs with ½ cup of unsweetened applesauce, though the cupcakes will be slightly denser.
- Mini Cupcakes: This recipe will make about 36-40 mini cupcakes. Bake at 350F/175C for 10-12 minutes.
- White Chocolate Fudge: You can swap the cocoa powder in the frosting for melted white chocolate and a splash of heavy cream for a “White Fudge” version.
Step by Step Instructions
Here is how to make these Funfetti cupcakes.You can use a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 12 cup cupcake pan with paper liners
STEP 1: Mix dry ingredients. Mix the dry ingredients together. (Flour, baking powder, and salt.) Make sure to sift to avoid any flour lumps.
STEP 2: Beat butter and white sugar together. In the bowl of your stand mixer a large bowl beat on high speed to get a really light and fluffy texture. Add in vanilla extract and eggs and mix on low speed until well combined.
STEP 3: Alternate the buttermilk and the flour mixture. Alternate mixing in the dry ingredients and the buttermilk in 4 batches, starting with the buttermilk and ending with the dry ingredients
STEP 4: Fold in the sprinkles. Then, fold in the sprinkles using a rubber spatula very gently ensuring not to over mix.
STEP 5: Scoop the batter into the muffin pan. Use a cookie scoop and fill ⅔rds full. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Let them cool completely on a wire rack before decorating.
How to make the Frosting:
STEP 1:Beat the cream cheese and butter. In a bowl using a hand whisk or an electric mixer at high beat the cream cheese and butter until softened. Sift in icing sugar and cocoa powder and beat well.
STEP 2:Beat the vanilla, cream and chocolate. Add in the vanilla and slightly warmed heavy cream and beat that for 3-4 mins. Add in the melted chocolate and beat until well combined.
Refrigerate the frosting for 30-40 minutes until thick enough to pipe.
Frost the cupcakes with the prepared frosting using a piping bag and tip and top the cupcakes with more rainbow sprinkles.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- Always spoon measure your flour when baking: This means using a spoon to fluff the flour first, then spoon it into your measuring cup. This will give the most accurate results when baking without a kitchen scale.
- Don’t over mix the batter: Over mixing will result in a dense and tough crumb.
- Use a cookie scoop: Using a cookie scoop will allow you to fill the liners easily and ensure all the cupcakes are the same size.
- Don’t over bake them: Over baking will result in dry and crumbly crumb.
- Wait until they cool to frost: You must wait for the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting them, otherwise the frosting will literally melt right off the cake!
- Make sure to use good quality chocolate and not chocolate chips for the frosting.
FAQ’s
Yes it can! Freeze the cupcakes after they cooled by wrapping in plastic wrap. Freeze up to 30 days. Thaw for 1 hour before filling and decorating.
Yes! This recipe can be made in a 8X8 inch baking pan or 9X9 inch baking pan.
Yes you can! Double the recipe to make a three layer 8-inch cake.
Use Jimmies! The long, thin, waxy sprinkles. Don’t use Non-pareils as they will bleed into the batter. Jimmies hold their shape when baking. Confetti sprinkles would work well too!
Storing & Freezing
The funfetti cupcakes need to be stored in the fridge. Store in an airtight container or this cupcake carrier. They will last up to 5 days.
FREEZING
You can freeze the decorated funfetti cupcakes and store in an air tight container. Freeze up to 30 days. Let it thaw for 1 hour on the counter before enjoying.
You can also freeze the unfrosted cupcakes to be decorated later. Store the cupcakes in an air tight container or a zip lock bag. Leave them for 1 week in the freezer. Let them thaw for 1 hour before decorating.
Recipe 📖
Funfetti Cupcakes with Chocolate Fudge Frosting
Equipment
- 12-cup Muffin Tin
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup (150 g) white sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cup (175 ml) buttermilk room temperature
- ⅓ cup rainbow sprinkles
For the Frosting:
- ½ cup (4oz/ 113g) cream cheese
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup powdered or icing sugar sifted
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ½ (120 ml) heavy cream slightly warmed
- ½ cup dark chocolate melted
- ½ teaspoon instant coffee powder optional
Instructions
For the Frosting:
- In a bowl using a hand whisk or an electric mixer at high beat the cream cheese and butter until softened. Sift in icing sugar and cocoa powder and beat well.
- Add in the vanilla. Once all of this is combined, slightly warm your cream and mix that in as well. Add in the melted chocolate until well combined.
- Refrigerate the frosting for 30-40 minutes until thick enough to pipe.
For The Funfetti Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 12 cavity cupcake tins with liners. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on high until the mixture is light and fluffy and turns a very pale yellow, about 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs in one at time, scraping down the bowl in between each addition. Add the vanilla extract.
- In separate bowl sift together the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Alternate mixing in the dry ingredients and the buttermilk in 4 batches, starting with the buttermilk and ending with the dry ingredients. Fold in the sprinkles until well mixed. Do not Overmix.
- Use a large cookie scoop to divide the batter evenly into the prepared cupcake tins and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cupcakes are lightly golden brown and spring back when pressed. Take out of the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Let the cupcakes cool completely and frost with prepared frosting.
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