These Confetti Cupcakes are soft, vanilla cupcakes with sprinkles baked right in! Top them with pretty pink buttercream and they’re perfect for any party or birthday celebration!
Who doesn’t love a sprinkle cupcake? Confetti cupcakes are soft and moist vanilla cupcakes with rainbow sprinkles baked right into the cupcake batter.The sprinkles give the appearance of confetti strewn throughout the cupcake when you take a bite! I would say that Confetti Cupcakes are the ultimate party cupcake! Plus, you top it with some pretty buttercream frosting and more sprinkles, there is no way you can’t smile when eating them!
Funfetti vs Confetti Cupcakes?
Confetti Cupcakes is another name for Funfetti cake! “Funfetti” is actually a trademarked name owned by Pillsbury, but it caught on because it’s so cute and become one of those words in our universe where the brand name has become the actual name. But Confetti Cupcakes is the non-branded name for these sprinkle filled cupcakes!
Is Funfetti White or Vanilla Cake?
Funfetti or Confetti cupcakes are white,, vanilla flavored cupcakes with sprinkles baked right into the batter. White cupcakes are best for homemade funfetti cupcakes, in my opinion, as the colors in the sprinkles will really be visible, which is really the whole point!
What Is the “Reverse Creaming” Method?
This cupcake recipe calls for using the “reverse creaming” method. It goes against a lot of what you think you know when making cake recipes, but it really works. What you do is mix together the dry ingredients FIRST (including sugar) in your stand mixer and then add in the butter, mixing that into the dry ingredients for about 3 minutes until the flour mixture is dry and crumbly. Then mix in the milk, vanilla, and egg whites. So, basically opposite of how you normally make cake batter. Let me explain why this works:
Traditionally you add flour last, so you don’t need to over-mix the batter, mixing it just until the flour is combined. Over-mixing batter causes the flour and liquid to form gluten, and mixing too much forms TOO many gluten strands making your cake tough.
The idea with reverse creaming is that the fat in the butter coats the flour first, which minimizes the amount of liquid the flour absorbs, preventing the formation of gluten. Think of it a lot like a cake mix, and the process of making that. I have had great success using this method and highly recommend it!
Tips When Making This Confetti/Funfetti Cupcake Recipe:
– Use your stand mixer with the paddle attachment when you prep your cupcake batter. But when you whisk the egg whites into stiff peaks you will want to use your whisk attachment or hand mixer.
– When you fold the egg whites into the batter, do so carefully. You want to keep as much volume in the egg whites as possible, which will give you the fluffiest cupcakes!
– You can use salted or unsalted butter in this recipe. I always use salted, but it’s a personal preference.
– Vanilla is the main flavor in these cupcakes, so I recommend using a good pure vanilla extract so the flavor shines through.
What Is the Secret To Moist Cupcakes?
This is a question for the ages! So many times you will have a vanilla cupcake and it has a dry, crumbly texture…almost cornbread-like. I have found that using the reverse creaming method, as well as folding in egg white to the batter like I did in this recipe is a recipe for success.
Of course there are other ways to make moist cupcakes like using vegetable oil or canola oil in place of butter, or adding in sour cream or buttermilk, but today’s Confetti Cupcake recipe is pretty perfect and I wouldn’t change a thing!
How to Decorate Confetti Cupcakes
I always go traditional with my Confetti Cupcakes and pipe on a pretty swirl of buttercream frosting, but you can get creative with frosting techniques and frosting flavors! Here are a few other frosting recipes that would be great on these confetti cupcakes:
Best Sprinkles for Confetti Cupcakes
You can honestly use whatever sprinkles you prefer on top of cupcakes, or even in them. There are so many fun sprinkle varieties on the market these days, from rainbow jimmies to classic nonpareils, but baking with sprinkles can be a bit tricky depending on the batter you’re putting them in. Cookie dough is very forgiving because it has a low amount of moisture, but in cakes you have a higher moisture content, so certain sprinkles can bleed into the batter.
I prefer THESE QUIN SPRINKLES for baking confetti cupcakes as they are super cute on top, but also don’t bleed into the batter! They look just like confetti, so they are the perfect option!
How Do You Keep Cupcakes Fresh For Days?
Simply store cupcakes airtight at room temperature for best freshness. You can also refrigerate cupcakes in an airtight container, but I like to allow them to come up to room temp before serving.
Frosting also helps lock in moisture to cupcakes, so that’s an added level of protection in preventing them from drying out.
How To Store Cupcakes:
Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container, or on a platter wrapped tightly with plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can place a toothpick in the top of the frosting to add a barrier between the frosting and the plastic wrap so the frosting doesn’t get squished. You can also store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days using them same technique.
Freezing cupcakes with frosting is a little trickier, just due to freezer space. It’s much easier to freeze unfrosted cupcakes. I allow them to cool completely and then place the cupcakes in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 30 days for best freshness. Allow them to thaw at room temperature before frosting.
Soft and moist Confetti Cupcakes are the ultimate party cupcake!
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 egg whites
1/2 cup sprinkles
Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C
Line 2 muffins pans with cupcake liners. Set aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on low speed stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the butter and mix on medium speed until the mixture is crumbly and resembles coarse sand, 3 minutes.
In a medium bowl combine half of the milk and the vanilla.
In another bowl whisk together the egg whites and remaining milk.
With the mixer on medium-low speed slowly add the milk/vanilla mixture and beat for 5 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the egg white mixture and beat the mixture for an additional minute.
Stir in the sprinkles and fill your liners 2/3 full.
Bake for 17-20 minutes until the centers are set.
Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely before frosting.
Keywords: cookies and cups, confetti cupcakes, cupcake recipe, funfetti cupcakes
