Description
Buttery, soft Funfetti-style cupcakes loaded with rainbow sprinkles and topped with a lightly tangy vanilla cream cheese buttercream. These easy homemade birthday cupcakes have classic nostalgic flavor and come together with a simple mixing method—perfect for parties, celebrations, or anytime you need sprinkles.
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 and 2/3 cups (209g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (60g) sour cream or plain yogurt, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk, at room temperature
- 6 Tablespoons (60g) rainbow sprinkles (not nonpareils)
Vanilla Cream Cheese Buttercream
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 ounces (113g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 4 cups (480g) confectioners’ sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) heavy cream, half-and-half, or whole milk, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- salt, to taste
- optional for garnish: rainbow sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. This recipe yields 14 cupcakes, so line a second muffin pan with 2 cupcake liners, or bake in batches.
- Make the cupcakes: In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter and sugar together. The mixture will be gritty. Refrigerate for 5 minutes to cool and slightly thicken.
- Whisk in the egg, sour cream, and vanilla extract until combined, then whisk in the milk.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until the batter is completely combined. The batter should be creamy and mostly smooth; a few small lumps are OK. Fold in the sprinkles.
- Pour/spoon the batter into the liners, filling only 3/4 full to avoid spilling over the sides. You should have enough batter for 14 cupcakes.
- Bake for 20–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not over-bake.
- Remove cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Cupcakes must be completely cooled before decorating.
- Make the frosting: With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese together on medium-high speed until creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar, heavy cream/milk, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to medium-high speed and beat for 2 full minutes. Taste. Add a pinch of salt if the frosting is too sweet. I always add 1/8 teaspoon. Add up to 1/2 cup more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin, or more cream/milk—a Tablespoon at a time—if frosting is too thick.
- Frost cooled cupcakes and top with sprinkles, if using. You can swipe the frosting on with an icing knife or use a piping tip such as Ateco 826 or Wilton 1M.
- Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days and in the refrigerator up to 5. I recommend a cupcake carrier for storing and transporting decorated cupcakes.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can bake the cupcakes 1 day in advance. Keep cupcakes covered tightly at room temperature and frost the day of serving. Unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before frosting and serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-cup Muffin Pan | Cupcake Liners | Glass Mixing Bowls or Mixing Bowl with Pour Spout | Whisk | Cooling Rack | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Piping Bag (Reusable or Disposable) | Ateco 826 Piping Tip or Wilton 1M Piping Tip | Cupcake Carrier (for storage)
- Sour Cream & Whole Milk: Sour cream and whole milk are strongly recommended for the best taste and texture. A full-fat plain yogurt would work instead of sour cream, though the cupcakes may not be as light. Same goes with a lower-fat milk (I don’t recommend nonfat). Nondairy milk works in a pinch. You can replace both the whole milk and sour cream with buttermilk (1 cup/240ml) if needed.
- Vanilla: You can use either vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste in the batter and frosting. In the pictured cupcakes, I used extract and in the frosting, I used vanilla bean paste.
- Can I Make This Into a Cake? I recommend my 1-layer sprinkle cake recipe or my confetti (Funfetti) layer cake.
- Can I Use Regular Buttercream Instead of Cream Cheese? Yes, here is my regular vanilla buttercream recipe. You can also swap for chocolate buttercream instead.
- Mini Cupcakes: For around 30 mini cupcakes, bake 12–13 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Be sure to check out my 10 tips for baking the BEST cupcakes before you begin.