These Mini Funfetti Cupcakes are swirled with rainbow-colored sprinkles and finished with a fluffy vanilla buttercream frosting. Creamed butter, cake flour, buttermilk, and egg whites create a soft, fluffy, and moist cake crumb. It’s a classic flavor for a perfect bite-sized dessert.
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When celebrating birthdays, birthday cake cupcakes and funfetti cake are my go-to family favorites. But, for a bite-sized dessert perfect for kids’ parties, these moist mini funfetti cupcakes are a winner!
As a busy mom of three, planning birthday parties can be hectic. However, I prefer to skip the box cake mix and make these easy mini funfetti cupcakes that are always a hit with kids and adults! You only need 15 minutes to prepare, and you can make them in advance.
For an extra special treat, serve these cupcakes with no-churn ice cream or funfetti sandwich cookies. And if you enjoyed this recipe, you'll love my funfetti pound cake.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Soft and fluffy. These mini funfetti cupcakes are made with cake flour, buttermilk, and egg whites for a soft, tender, and fluffy cake. Topped with a light and airy vanilla frosting, it’s the perfect match.
- Mini version. We all love standard-size cupcakes, but mini cupcakes are the perfect bite-size dessert. Hosting a birthday or finger food party? Mini cupcakes are the way to go!
- Better than a box cake. No cake mix is necessary for these delicious vanilla-flavored cupcakes swirled with sprinkles. They’re bakery worthy and ready in 45 minutes.
Ingredients You'll Need
Ingredients for Funfetti Cupcakes
- Cake flour. Produces a soft, tender cake crumb. I prefer using unbleached cake flour.
- Baking powder and baking soda. Leavening agents allow the cupcakes to rise and have a fluffy texture.
- Salt. Added to the batter to enhance the sweetness of the cupcakes.
- Butter. Use unsalted butter to control the amount of salt that goes into the batter. Make sure to soften to room temperature. The butter should be slightly firm to the touch and not greasy, yet leave the impression of your finger when you press into it.
- Granulated sugar. Adds sweetness to the cupcakes. When granulated sugar creams with butter, air is incorporated into the batter, which creates the perfect light and tender cupcakes.
- Egg whites. Using egg whites creates a lighter-colored cake batter with a light, airy crumb.
- Vanilla. Always select a good quality pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Buttermilk. The acid in buttermilk helps create a softer and more tender cupcake. It’s also key for activating the baking soda. Ensure your buttermilk is at room temperature to incorporate the other ingredients into a smooth batter.
- Rainbow sprinkles. Adds a color element creating nostalgic funfetti cupcakes.
Ingredients for Vanilla Buttercream
- Butter. The basis for the frosting that adds a natural rich flavor. Use unsalted butter brought to room temperature.
- Powdered sugar. Sweetens the buttercream and dissolves into a smooth consistency.
- Vanilla. The flavoring in the frosting.
- Heavy cream. Thins out the buttercream to a spreadable consistency. Add more or less depending on your desired consistency. You can substitute it with milk.
Recipe Substitutions
- All-purpose flour. If you don’t have cake flour, you can make your own. Measure ¾ cup of all-purpose flour, and replace 1 ½ tablespoons with 1 ½ tablespoons of cornstarch. Sift together to combine evenly.
- Whole milk. No buttermilk? Add 1 teaspoon white vinegar into a one-cup measuring cup and enough whole milk to fill it ⅓ full. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes before adding it to your cupcake batter.
Equipment & Tools
- Digital kitchen scale or measuring spoons. Using a scale will give you the most accurate measurements for consistent results.
- Measuring spoons.
- Mini cupcake pan.
- Mini cupcake cups. Use grease-proof liners to keep the cupcakes from sticking to the wrapper’s sides.
- Sifter or fine mesh sieve. Used to sift the dry ingredients together.
- Medium bowl. Sift the dry ingredients into the bowl.
- Mixer. You’ll need a mixer to make the cupcake batter and vanilla buttercream. You can use a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
- Rubber spatula.
- Disposable pastry bag. Used to divide the batter between each cupcake cavity. You can also use a resealable plastic bag, small cookie dough scoop, or spoon.
Step-By-Step Instructions
How to Make Funfetti Cupcakes
Sift dry ingredients. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Beat butter and sugar. Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar.
Add eggs and vanilla. Beat in the egg whites, one at a time, then mix in vanilla.
Add dry ingredients and buttermilk. In three parts, alternate adding the dry ingredients and buttermilk until the batter is combined with no streaks of flour. Fold in sprinkles.
Divide batter. Fill each cupcake liner ¾ full and bake.
How to Make Vanilla Buttercream
Beat butter. With a mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy.
Add sugar, vanilla, and cream. Mix in the powdered sugar, then add the vanilla and cream.
Beat mixture. Beat on medium-high for 3-4 minutes.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
In the past, when I worked as a pastry chef, I made hundreds of cupcakes. They’re not complicated, but following these easy tips will help you achieve the perfect cupcakes.
- Weigh your ingredients. Using a scale to measure your ingredients gives you the most accurate and consistent results.
- Sift the cake flour. Breaking up any lumps will allow the dry ingredients to combine smoothly with the wet ingredients.
- Fill cupcake cavities ⅔ full. Use a disposable pastry bag or resealable bag to fill the mini cupcakes. Too much batter can cause cupcakes to spill or rise quickly and sink in the middle.
- Cool cupcakes completely. Frost completely cooled cupcakes to prevent the buttercream from melting.
- Top with sprinkles. Add a pinch of sprinkles to each cupcake for a fun final touch. Sprinkle them over the buttercream immediately after piping it on the cupcakes. Otherwise, the buttercream will form a crust, and the sprinkles won’t stick to it.
Which Sprinkles Are Best to Use?
The type of sprinkles you use can make a difference in appearance and texture. I highly recommend using jimmies (aka rainbow sprinkles). They offer a pretty color, won't bleed in the batter, and won't add a crunchy texture.
In contrast, nonpareils, the tiny rainbow sugar balls, will bleed their color into the cupcake batter and won't look as pretty. They also add a crunchy element.
Recipe Variations
- Use chocolate frosting. Love chocolate? Substitute the buttercream with a fudge frosting from this chocolate cake.
- Make standard-size cupcakes. Fill standard-sized cupcake lines ⅔ full and bake for 17-19 minutes. This batter will produce six cupcakes.
- Bake a cake. Double this recipe and pour the batter into a greased and floured 8-inch square cake pan. Bake in a preheated 350°F/177°C oven for 30-35 minutes.
Storage & Freezing Tips
- At room temperature. Store leftover mini funfetti cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 3 or 4 days at room temperature.
- Unfrosted cupcakes. Tightly wrap unfrosted cupcakes with plastic wrap and store them in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and frost.
- Frosted cupcakes. Store leftover cupcakes in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it’s a vanilla-based white cake batter mixed with rainbow sprinkles. It’s a festive and nostalgic cake.
Cold ingredients can cause a lumpy batter. It’s essential to use room-temperature ingredients. If it’s lumpy after adding the egg whites, use a rubber spatula to mash the chunks of butter against the sides of the bowl to break down the pieces.
You can bake these mini confetti cupcakes a day ahead and mix the vanilla buttercream up to 1 week in advance. Store the cupcakes and buttercream covered at room temperature. Use a mixer to remix the buttercream before frosting the cupcakes.
Three tips for moist cupcakes include using moisture-adding ingredients like buttermilk, stop mixing the batter once the flour is incorporated, and not overbaking the cupcakes.
More Funfetti Recipes to Try
Please leave a starred rating and comment below if you make these Moist Mini Funfetti Cupcakes. I love reading your feedback! And if you’d like to make this recipe later, don’t forget to pin it on Pinterest! Happy Baking!
Print
Moist Mini Funfetti Cupcakes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 24 mini cupcakes 1x
Description
These Mini Funfetti Cupcakes are swirled with rainbow-colored sprinkles and finished with a fluffy vanilla buttercream frosting. Creamed butter, cake flour, buttermilk, and egg whites create a soft, fluffy, and moist cake crumb. It's a classic flavor for a perfect bite-sized dessert.
Ingredients
Mini Funfetti Cupcakes
- 105 g (¾ cup) cake flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 55 g (¼ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 110 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 2 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 80 g (⅓ cup) buttermilk, at room temperature
- 40 g (¼ cup) rainbow sprinkles
Vanilla Buttercream
- 113 g (½ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 220 g (2 cups) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream or milk
Instructions
Mini Funfetti Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C. Line a mini cupcake pan with liners and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Beat in egg whites, one at a time, until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the vanilla until mixed.
- With the mixer on low speed and in three parts, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat until just combined. Gently fold in sprinkles.
- Fill the mini liners ¾ full with batter and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack before frosting.
Vanilla Buttercream
- In a large bowl, using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
- Add the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until completely incorporated. Mix in the vanilla and cream. Increase mixer to high speed and beat for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Using a disposable pastry bag fitted with a small star or round tip, frost the cupcakes.
Notes
Storage: Store leftover mini cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days at room temperature or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Standard-size cupcakes: Fill six standard-sized cupcake liners ⅔ full and bake for 17-19 minutes.
Cake: Double the recipe and pour the batter into a greased and floured 8-inch square cake pan. Bake in a preheated 350°F/177°C oven for 30-35 minutes.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cooling Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Cupcakes
- Method: Baking
Casey says
Such an easy and delicious recipe! The mini sized cupcakes were perfect my son's party!
Maria Pagiotas says
Hi Casey! Such a fun treat for birthday parties. Thank you for sharing!
ecart says
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hprinter says
thank you for sharing such useful information!!
kundli jyotish says
Great post! you explore this topic in a very effective way I want to appreciate your work, thank you for sharing such useful information!!
AstroTalk says
I loved this funfetti cup cake . Thanks for sharing this recipe with us
Maria says
So happy you love these cupcakes! Thank you for making 🙂