Maintaining all the flavor from my favorite vanilla cupcakes, these confetti cupcakes are soft, fluffy, and extra moist. Creamy vanilla buttercream and extra sprinkles are the perfect finishing touch. I guarantee you’ll use this birthday cupcakes recipe time and time again!
There’s nothing sweeter than a batch of vanilla cupcakes with sprinkles. Unless, of course, those cupcakes include a tall swirl of pink buttercream. Confetti sprinkle cupcakes are the quintessential birthday treat that never goes out of style. I’ve used this cupcake recipe for years and decided it’s time for a helpful video tutorial.
If you’re searching for the most perfect confetti cupcakes, I’ve got you covered!
Confetti Sprinkle Cupcakes Texture
These confetti cupcakes are my vanilla cupcakes with sprinkles in the batter. The cupcakes are above standard; taking everything you love about professional bakery cupcakes and converting them into a homemade recipe. This cupcake recipe is proven successful time and time again. I use it as the base for chai latte cupcakes, Baileys coffee cupcakes, pistachio cupcakes, coconut cupcakes and more. Here’s why it’s loved:
- Bakery-style softness
- Extra fluffy
- Buttery vanilla flavor
- Super moist texture
Use These 4 *Magic* Ingredients
The perfect cupcake texture is the result of 4 magic ingredients.
- Creamed Butter: Make sure you use the correct room temperature butter.
- Egg Whites (no yolks): Egg whites lift up the crumb instead of weighing it down.
- Sour Cream: Sour cream leaves all the moisture.
- Cake Flour: Cake flour, instead of all-purpose flour, promises an extra soft texture. If you can’t get your hands on cake flour, use this cake flour substitute.
Without each, the cupcakes taste heavy, dense, and dry. You also need granulated sugar, vanilla extract, whole milk, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and sprinkles. 🙂
Video Tutorial: Confetti Cupcakes
Don’t Make This Mistake
Did you know that the amount of cupcake batter you use will MAKE or BREAK your results? The more cupcake batter, the more likely the cupcakes will overflow, sink, and/or burn. And the less cupcake batter, the more likely the cupcakes will quickly over-bake.
- Here’s the magic amount: Fill your cupcake liners 2/3 full, which is about 3/4 inch from the top of any basic cupcake liner. For a visual, see my vanilla cupcakes.
The amount of batter depends on the recipe. For example, when making my chocolate cupcakes, only fill the liner halfway. Most of my cupcake recipes include the amount in the recipe instructions, but when in doubt, fill about 2/3 full.
Bounce Back Test
You can determine if a batch of cupcakes is done in the oven by testing with a toothpick. Stick a toothpick into the center of the cupcake and if it comes out clean, they’re done.
But here’s what I do instead. Remove the cupcakes from the oven or leave them in, your choice. Gently press down on the center of the cupcake. If the cupcake bounces back completely, they are done. If your finger left a dent in the cupcake, they need more time. This bounce back test works for muffins, quick breads, and cakes too.
If you love baking cupcakes, here are more tested & loved recipes:
Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes, Carrot Cake Cupcakes, & Pumpkin Cupcakes
Decorated Confetti Cupcakes
Let’s share how I decorated these confetti cupcakes for the photos and video tutorial. I used my vanilla buttercream and tinted the frosting with 1 small drop of pink gel food coloring. I use the big Ateco 849 tip. It makes a GORGEOUS design. You can watch me pipe the frosting in the video tutorial above. I love this piping tip and used it for my peanut butter cupcakes too. Start in the center of the cupcake and swirl upward.
For a naturally pink option, try my strawberry buttercream frosting! Chocolate buttercream or white chocolate buttercream frosting would be great, too.
If you are looking for the same great taste and texture in a towering sprinkle loaded cake, try this confetti cake! Or if you are craving sprinkles for breakfast, try birthday cake pancakes or birthday cake cinnamon rolls.
Print
Confetti Sprinkle Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 14 cupcakes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These soft and fluffy confetti cupcakes are above standard; taking everything you love about professional bakery cupcakes and converting them into a homemade recipe. For successful results, follow this recipe closely including using cake flour, only egg whites (no yolks), and sour cream. If desired, use chocolate frosting instead.
Ingredients
- 1 and 3/4 cups (207g) cake flour (spooned & leveled)*
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 3 large egg whites, at room temperature*
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120g) full-fat sour cream at room temperature*
- 1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk at room temperature*
- 1/2 cup (80g) rainbow sprinkles* (plus extra for garnish)
- vanilla buttercream or your choice of frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Line a second pan with 2 liners—this recipe makes about 14 cupcakes. Set aside.
- Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the egg whites and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until combined, then beat in the sour cream. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients until just incorporated. With the mixer still running on low, slowly pour in the milk until combined. Do not over-mix. Gently and slowly whisk in the sprinkles. The batter will be slightly thick.
- Pour/spoon the batter into the liners. Fill only 2/3 full to avoid spilling over the sides. Bake for 19-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. For around 30 mini cupcakes, bake for about 11-13 minutes, same oven temperature. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
- Frost cooled cupcakes with vanilla buttercream. I tinted it with 1 drop Dusty Rose Gel Food Coloring and used Ateco 849 piping tip. You can watch me decorate the cupcakes in the video above.
- Leftover cupcakes keep well covered tightly in the refrigerator for 3 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Cupcakes can be made ahead 1 day in advance, covered, and stored at room temperature. Frosting can also be made 1 day in advance, covered, and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use. Freeze frosted or unfrosted cupcakes for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | 12-cup Muffin Pan | Cupcake Liners | Piping Bags (Disposable or Reusable) | Ateco 849 Piping Tip | Dusty Rose Gel Food Coloring (for tinted frosting in pictured cupcakes)
- Cake Flour: If you can’t get your hands on cake flour, you can make a cake flour substitute. I suggest doing this twice, mixing it all up in 1 bowl then removing 1/4 cup since you need 1 and 3/4 cups in this recipe.
- Egg Whites: Using all egg whites is KEY to their soft and fluffy texture. Here is the egg separator I use and love! Here are some recipe ideas for leftover egg yolks.
- Whole Milk & Sour Cream: Whole milk and sour cream are strongly recommended for the best taste and texture. A full fat plain yogurt would work instead, though the cupcakes may not be as light. Same goes with a lower fat milk.
- Sprinkles: Do not use nonpareils (the little balls) as they quickly bleed their color.
- Why is everything at room temperature? All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. Read here for more information.
- Confetti Cake: I suggest following my recipe for Confetti Cake. Same great taste and texture as these cupcakes—and loaded with sprinkles!
I made 10 regular cupcakes and 22 minis. I exactly followed the 2/3 filling and they rose perfectly. I’m going to frost with Not So Sweet whipped frosting and jimmies AND an iced circus animal cookie.
The flavor of these cupcakes is DELICIOUS! I made mini cupcakes, but they seemed to take a long time to cook. I ended up needing to do the second batch at 375 for 22 minutes because the tops would not set very well at the 350 temperature.
I followed the recipe exactly and brought them for a friend’s birthday, and they were perfect, everyone loved them and they were gone in a flash. Thank you again Sally for another easy-to-follow recipe for a wannabe baker!
Similar to some others… my cupcakes shriveled and ended up tasting a bit doughy. Would not recommend this recipe! Normally I LOVE your recipes. I think maybe this needed some buttermilk or has a bit too much flour.
HI KP, if the cupcakes are shriveling or tasting doughy, it actually sounds like not enough flour. If you ever want to try them again, try adding another 2-3 Tbsp of flour. Thanks for the feedback.
I don’t have whole milk on hand. Will half and half do?
Hi Tracey, that should work just fine in a pinch.
I just made these and I filled the cupcake liners 2/3 full, and the cupcakes all shriveled up and didn’t even meet the top of the liners. Now they just look very small and ugly and blah. I literally just baked these so they’re sitting on my counter, and I’m not sure what to even do with them. HELP
Hi Lucy, We would try again with fresh baking soda and powder, they can lose strength fairly quickly, which would lead to less rise!
So excited to try this recipe! I’m making these for my daughter’s birthday party (9:30 a.m) tomorrow. I’ll be making a cream cheese frosting. Will it be alright to store the dressed cupcakes in the fridge overnight? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Absolutely! Make sure the cupcakes are well covered so that they do not dry out.
Would this recipe work for a two layer 8” cake? I know you have a recipe for a confetti cake, but it’s a triple layer. I love this recipe for my cupcakes so would love to use it for my two later 8” cake if it will work. Thanks!
Hi Krys, here’s everything you need to know about cake pan sizes and conversions for scaling this recipe for your needs. Happy baking!
I make these cupcakes without the sprinkles in the batter & they would rival any specialty baker’s best white cake! The cake turns out moist, snow white, with a delicate crumb & light as a feather. Easy to whip up & lovely every time! A batch makes 12 regular sized & 12 mini sized cupcakes in perfect proportions. Especially good with a cream cheese butter cream frosting that includes a hint of almond extract & sprinkles on top. Birthday bliss!
Is it possible to freeze these cupcakes about a week before they need to be decorated?
Definitely!
Are the measurements the same for Australian bakers?
Tar x
If the Australian baker is in America, follow the recipe as written. If the baker is in Australia, the measurements should be the same, but upside down. 😉 In all seriousness, we don’t have any experience baking in Australia, but if you go by gram measurements, you should be fine! Hope the cupcakes turn out great!
Hi Sally… can I use curd/yogurt/greek yogurt…
Hi Belmera, A full fat plain yogurt or full fat Greek yogurt would work instead of the sour cream, though the cupcakes may not be as light.
For this recipe even though cake flour is being used it still needs additional baking powder ?
Hi Wanda, yes, the cake flour does not contain any leavening agents, so the baking powder and baking soda are still needed for some lift.
Question: do the sprinkles melt into the cake or do they remain a little crunchy? I have the Betty Crocker parlor perfect rainbow sprinkles. Excited to bake these for the first time, because Sally’s recipes have never failed me.
Hi Sharon, the sprinkles don’t bleed, but they do become soft when baked.
You’re right 🙂 I baked them this afternoon and just tried one – no crunchy sprinkles. Soft, fluffy and delicious cupcakes. A great recipe.
Can I use full fat Greek yogurt instead of sour cream?
Definitely.
A perfect recipe but all three times I have made it I have an issue with my liners not coming off cleanly. There’s always a good amount of crumb stuck to the paper. Any ideas? Because I am stumped
Hi Steven, Yes, that can sometimes happen and really depends on the exact liners you’re using. Some simply stick more than others. Be sure that the cupcakes are completely cooled before peeling off the liners—that will help, too.
Thank you for this recipe! How would I change the measurements to do half dozen?
Hi Ibtisam, Halving the batch should work just fine. For the 1.5 egg whites, we’d use 1 egg white + take another egg white, whisk it, and then measure half.
Why do you not whip the egg whites like you do in your white cupcakes recipe? Any harm in whipping egg whites for this confetti cupcake recipe?
Hi Peg, During recipe testing we didn’t find it necessary to whip the egg whites separately as the cupcakes were plenty light by just adding them in with the wet ingredients – though you could if you’d like!
Can you add in a link for the sprinkles you used?
Hi Jenny, The sprinkles are from Sweetapolita, and we’re not sure they make the same mix/medley anymore. The current “Pep Talk” medley is similar with the stars, or Bright Skies or Rainbow Crunchy Sprinkles.
The best cupcakes I’ve ever had! Better then store bought ❤️ So far everything I’ve made from your recipes are amazing ❤️Thank you
I love and use all your recipes for baking. I do have a question about the cake flour. Can I just use all purpose if I don’t have cake and don’t want to make the substitute?
Hi Devyn, the cupcakes will not be as soft if using all purpose flour.
Hi! I’m in the process of making 4 batches of these for my daughters birthday party tomorrow! They are PERFECT so far! I have a question about adding sprinkles into the buttercream for decorating – will the sprinkles bleed into the buttercream overnight? Should I wait until tomorrow right before the party to add them? They’re coming out SO good! I would hate to have them look sloppy for the party!
Hi Stacey, they *shouldn’t* bleed too much into the frosting, but it really varies by brand. Just to be safe, we’d add the sprinkles tomorrow if that’s an option for you!
Hi Sally! I’m making these cupcakes for my son’s birthday party, and want to make 2-3 batches. Should I make each batch separately or can I just double or triple the ingredients? Thanks!
Hi Mercedes, it’s best to make separate batches to prevent over or under mixing. Or, you can use the batter from this confetti cake for a higher yield (about 3 dozen), following the bake time and instructions from these cupcakes. Hope they’re a hit!
These tasted wonderful. The did turn out very dense rather than light—any idea what I may have done wrong?
Hi Darenda, happy to help. It could be a few things. First, make sure your baking powder and soda are fresh. We find they lose strength after just 3-4 months. Use proper room temperature butter and other room temperature ingredients. Make sure you spoon and level the cake flour, too! Here’s an article Sally wrote about baking the best cupcakes.
Thank you so much for this recipe! The taste is 10/10! I baked them for 19 and maybe could have even gone a minute less. I love how much it resembles cake more than a cupcake! Do you ever have problems with cupcake liners sticking to the cupcake? I usually don’t have this problem but my liners keep sticking and are hard to pull off. Thank you again!
Hi Karlee, we’re so glad you enjoyed these cupcakes! Yes, that can sometimes happen and really depends on the exact liners you’re using. Some simply stick more than others. Be sure that the cupcakes are completely cooled before peeling off the liners—that will help, too. Thank you again!
Hi Sally, I’m making these cupcakes for my son’s birthday. He loves whipped cream frosting. If I make them the day before should I leave them on the counter overnight then frost with the whipped cream the next morning and then store in fridge until ready to serve? Thank you!
Hi Jess! Yes, you can make the cupcakes the day before and store (covered) at room temperature). We would frost with whipped cream frosting as close to serving as possible, and store in the fridge until serving. Sounds delicious!
Can I make these mini cupcakes?
Hi Lily, absolutely. For around 30 mini cupcakes, bake for about 11-13 minutes, same oven temperature.
I didn’t see the milk that was listed in the ingredients mentioned in the instructions. I got to the end of the directions and the batter seemed too thick. Realized then that I hadn’t added the milk so added it at the end. Reread the directions but still didn’t see it. Baking was also much longer than the recipe said. Took mine about 18 minutes. Results were good but a little denser than I prefer.
Hi Judy, see end of step 3: “With the mixer still running on low, slowly pour in the milk until combined.” We typically bake these for 19-22 minutes, so it sounds like your bake time was on par with this recipe. Thank you for giving them a try!
In the notes it says you suggest using the confetti cake recipe and I wanted to know what would be the difference between me using this cupcake recipe vs. using the confetti cake recipe and then putting it into a cupcake pan.
Hi Diara, the confetti cake recipe is very similar, just yields more batter. So if you need a few dozen cupcakes, you can use the cake batter instead, then follow these baking times and instructions.