Like a party in cupcake form, these sweet confetti cupcakes are flecked with plenty of fun and colorful sprinkles. My from-scratch version has a nostalgic taste and soft, fluffy texture you’ll love. Recipe includes a how-to video!
Confetti Cupcakes From-Scratch
After several of you ran into issues with my original recipe, I went back to the drawing board to tweak these confetti cupcakes to perfection. My goal was to ensure they turned out beautifully no matter the kitchen, so I took a few notes from my well-loved white cupcake recipe. We kept the recipe similar–it already had a beautiful light color and fluffy, moist texture–but added sprinkles for fun color (of course!).
The result? Perfectly portioned, incredibly tender, colorful, and nostalgic cupcakes ready for parties or the occasional pick-me-up. You’re going to love them!
Why You Should Make Them
- Super light and fluffy texture thanks to a very important ingredient: whipped egg whites!
- Very customizable for any special occasion. Use holiday sprinkles for Easter, Halloween, or Christmas, color the frosting for your favorite sports team, or keep them classic for a celebratory birthday dessert.
- You can use just about any frosting, so pick your favorite! My vanilla frosting, classic buttercream frosting recipe, or strawberry buttercream is my favorite, but I provide several pairing suggestions below.
- Pretty cupcake shape, which you wouldn’t get if you were to make my classic funfetti cake recipe as cupcakes. Many of you have asked about using that recipe for cupcakes–while I’ve had success doing so in the past, some people have experienced the cupcakes sinking in on themselves and so this new version is the one I recommend!
Ingredients
Just a few ingredients today (plus whatever you need for your frosting)! I’ll review them briefly before we get into the recipe itself.
- Cake flour. A key ingredient for the softest, lightest confetti cupcakes. If you don’t keep this on hand, I highly recommend you start as it will be major game changer for your cakes and cupcakes (it’s a good ingredient to keep on hand if you enjoy making my gourmet cookies or my Lofthouse cookies, I use it in those too!).
- Eggs. Specifically the whites of the eggs only. Be very careful to get not even a tiny drop of yolk in with the whites. Also, make sure you are placing your whites in a clean, dry, grease-free bowl that is made from either metal or glass. All of this will ensure your eggs whip up into fluffy perfection!
- Buttermilk. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, the best substitute is my easy buttermilk substitute (but admittedly the results aren’t quite as tender, flavorful or moist).
- Butter & oil. This combination is a staple in many of my cake and cupcake recipes (like my vanilla cake recipe)! It ensures that our confetti cupcakes will have a rich flavor (thanks to the butter) while also maintaining a moist and tender texture (thanks to oil!).
- Sprinkles. Of course! I like a mix of quins and jimmies as well as some edible gold stars (affiliate). Whatever you do, do NOT use nonpareils, as they will bleed into your batter/frosting. Save them for sprinkle cookies instead!
SAM’S TIP: Add a splash (¼ teaspoon) of almond extract in with the vanilla extract. It mimics that classic boxed Funfetti cake flavor!
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Confetti Cupcakes
Cream the fats & sugars
Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until well combined, then stir in the oil and extracts. Mix again until the mixture is smooth and creamy. You’ll still see some grit from the granulated sugar–this is okay!
Add the dry ingredients & buttermilk
Whisk together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then measure your buttermilk.
Alternate folding the dry ingredients and buttermilk into the butter mixture; I usually like to do this with three rounds of the flour mixture and two rounds of the buttermilk (start and end with the dry ingredients!).
It is very important that you use a spatula for this step–do NOT use a mixer! Over-mixing at this point can create dry, dense cupcakes that taste like cornbread. If that was what we wanted, we would just make corn muffins!
Whip the eggs
I know this extra step can seem intimidating (and no one loves an extra bowl to wash), but I promise it isn’t hard. The most important thing is to use a completely grease-free bowl (don’t use a plastic one) and beaters.
If you’ve made my whipped cream recipe or meringue cookies before, you’re already familiar with the concept of stiff peaks. If not, this just means that when you pull the beater out of the eggs, they hold a stiff “peak” without folding or receding back into themselves.
Place the egg whites in a separate clean, dry, grease free bowl (I know, yet another bowl 😅). Beat with a mixer until the they have greatly increased in volume, then keep beating until they reach stiff peaks.
Fold in the sprinkles
Gently fold in the whipped eggs until halfway combined. Add the sprinkles and keep folding until you have a uniform batter. Be gentle and take care to not overly deflate the eggs, as their fluffy texture is key to the fluffy texture of the cupcakes!
Bake & cool
Portion the batter into your lined muffin pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. The tops of the cupcakes will be pretty pale–that’s totally fine! If you wait until they are golden, you’ll likely over-bake them.
Once cooled, frost with your favorite frosting (suggestions below!), and don’t forget some extra sprinkles on top too!
SAM’S TIP: Remove the cupcakes from the tin after a few minutes to keep them from getting oily on the bottoms. I like to use a butter knife to gently lift each one from the pan.
Frequently Asked Questions
I don’t recommend it. Liquid egg whites (the kind from a carton) tend to provide inconsistent results, and the last thing I want is for you to waste time and ingredients on confetti cupcakes that bake up flat and gummy.
Instead, separate your own eggs and follow my tips throughout this post for protecting your egg whites so they whip up nicely.
If you don’t want to waste your egg yolks, I have several recipes you can use them in including my lemon crumb bars, fruit tart, key lime cheesecake, german chocolate cookies, or lemon cheesecake. All of them use exactly three egg yolks!
While you can substitute all-purpose flour (instructions below), I really recommend investing in a box of cake flour if you want stellar results. Cake flour has a much lower level of protein compared to all-purpose flour, which means your cupcakes will have a much softer, lighter texture when made with cake flour. To me, it’s well worth it for exceptional confetti cupcakes!
Also, if you’re at all concerned that you won’t have a use for a whole box–don’t be! I have plenty of recipes to help you use it up, whether it’s my blueberry muffin cookies, coffee cake cookies, or my birthday crumb cake.
I recommend my funfetti cake recipe instead–it’s one of my top recipes (and has been for years) and has even been featured on TV 🤩
More frosting suggestions:
- Cream cheese frosting
- Chocolate fudge frosting
- Fruity pebbles frosting
- Raspberry buttercream
- Lemon frosting
- My favorite chocolate frosting
- Swiss meringue buttercream
Enjoy!
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Confetti Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) avocado oil (may substitute canola or vegetable oil, or other neutral cooking oil)
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract (optional but recommended)
- 1 ½ cups (175 g) cake flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- ½ cup (120 g) buttermilk room temperature preferred
- 3 large egg whites (room temperature preferred)
- ⅓ cup (60 g) colored sprinkles (use jimmies/standard sprinkles or quins, do not use nonpareils)
- Vanilla frosting (or your preferred frosting, see note)
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line a 12-count cupcake tin with paper liners. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and sugar and use an electric mixer to beat until lightened and well-combined.3 Tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter, ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- Add oil and extracts and stir until smooth and creamy and completely combined.¼ cup (60 ml) avocado oil, 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- In a separate, medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well-combined.1 ½ cups (175 g) cake flour, ¾ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon table salt
- Using a spatula, alternate adding the dry ingredients and buttermilk to the butter mixture. Start by adding about a third of the dry ingredients, gently fold into the butter mixture with a spatula, then add half the buttermilk and fold this into the batter until just combined. Repeat until all the buttermilk and flour mixture are added.½ cup (120 g) buttermilk
- Pour egg whites until a clean, dry mixing bowl (preferably glass or metal – do not use rubber, silicone, or plastic).3 large egg whites
- Use an electric mixer to beat the egg whites until stiff peaks have formed (mixture will be thick and white and if you remove the beater from the mixture, the peaks that form should hold their shape and not fold over on themselves).
- Add the whipped egg whites to the batter and use a spatula to gently fold into the mixture until about halfway combined. Add sprinkles and continue to gently fold until batter is uniform.⅓ cup (60 g) colored sprinkles
- Evenly divide batter into prepared tin and transfer to center rack of 350F (175C) oven. Bake for 17 minutes/until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs (no wet batter).
- Allow cupcakes to cool in the tin for 5-8 minutes before carefully removing to a cooling rack (I use a butter knife to gently pry them up and carefully remove them – be careful, the tin and cupcakes will still be hot!) to cool completely before frosting.
Notes
Cake flour substitute
Cake flour is ideal for this recipe and will give you best results, but if you need to substitute all-purpose flour you will need 1 ⅓ cup + 1 Tablespoon (or 175 grams, yes, the weight will be the same regardless of which flour you use) of all-purpose flour.Frosting
I like these cupcakes with my vanilla frosting. A full batch will allow you to generously decorate all of the cupcakes and will leave you with a little bit leftover. If you’re not feeling vanilla, see my catalog of frosting recipes and choose your favorite – strawberry frosting would be excellent here too!Storing
Store in an airtight container. Cupcakes will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days (though the fridge tends to dry them a bit).Original recipe
I published the original recipe in 2017 but updated it in 2025. I now recommend this version, but if you are looking for the original you can find the original recipe here.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
I originally published this recipe in December of 2017, but after several people had issues with the cupcakes sinking on themselves I updated the recipe to ensure it was successful in every kitchen. If you’re looking for the original recipe you can find it linked in the recipe card (above).
Nicole
My daughter and I just made these for New Years and they turned out so well! I think they are the best cupcakes I have ever had. Thank you for this recipe! I will make these again and again.
J
Hello
Do you know if I can use this recipe to make a cake? And hoe long would I need to bake it for? And should I double the frosting recipe? Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, J! I have a funfetti cake recipe that you can use instead. The recipe makes a 3-layered 8″ cake and includes ingredient measurements and suggested bake time. 🙂
J
What kind of sprinkles did you use in the batter for these cupcakes? Can I use it for the funfetti cake recipe you just sent me? Thank you!! So excited to make this
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, J! I used store-bought jimmies for this recipe. You will want to use jimmies or quins, do not use nonpareils as they will bleed through the batter. If you’d like to
make your own sprinkles, you can do that too! 🙂
Priya
Hi Sam ! I am big fan of your recipes and most of the cakes or cup cakes I tried have turned out great ! Thank you for that . I took this recipe as I was out of baking soda . The cup cakes puffed up nice in the oven but sank in when i took them out . Not sure what went wrong ? Thank you the lovely recipes 🙂
Sam
Hi Priya! I’m so sorry this happened! There are a couple of things that could cause that here: over-mixing the batter, under-mixing the batter, or over-beating the egg whites. I hope they still tasted delicious. 🙂
Esther
These cupcakes were moist and delicious! I made these as white cupcakes so I didn’t add the sprinkles and I reduced the sugar a little to 3/4 cup. These adjustments helped me to yield 12 cupcakes instead of 15 which was good so I didn’t have to use another muffin pan.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Esther! 🙂
Vanessa
Just tried this recipe and it is delicious! The cupcakes were moist and tasty but I had the same issue of sinking a bit when they came out of the oven. I’m not sure at which stage the overmixing happened. The frosting is delicious but made way too much than what was needed. Thank you for sharing!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Vanessa! Baking cupcakes and cakes are tricky! When you mix the dry ingredients into the wet, you want to mix just until they are combined. If you over-mix, too much air to get into the batter. The air then collapses, along with your cupcakes.
Another thing that could cause the cupcakes to sink is opening the oven door in the early stages of baking. Opening the door to check on the cakes before the batter has set can cause them to sink. I hope that helps. Regardless, I do hope that they tasted delicious. 🙂
Naomi
Excuse me, where do you get your sprinkles.
Sam
Hi Naomi! I buy them in bulk from a place called Country Kitchen Sweetart and make my own blends. 🙂
Alana
Can this be baked the day before it is needed?
Sam
Hi Alana! That will work fine, just make sure to cover them after they cool completely so they don’t dry out. 🙂
Carol Mulroe
I made the confetti cupcakes and my kids said they were the best cupcakes they have ever tasted; and they have tasted a lot of cupcakes. I want to make your confetti cake for my daughter’s birthday. You used buttermilk for the cupcakes, but your confetti cake calls for whole milk. I’m just wondering why and if I should just triple your cupcake recipe to get the same taste my kids loved.
Sam
Hi Carol! I use the buttermilk just to enrich the cupcakes a little bit. You could use either but I would recommend my confetti cake for a layer cake. 🙂
Ann Karmol
Just baked these for a baby shower this weekend, and they turned out great! They have a lovely crispy/chewy crust on them, perhaps from the egg whites? My daughter is very excited to pipe them with rainbow frosting and a metric ton of sprinkles!! 😉 We tried your confetti sugar cookies a few months ago, too, and they were THE BEST SUGAR COOKIES I have ever had, so we knew we were in good hands with your confetti cupcake recipe!!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed the cupcakes so much! I am not sure a metric ton of sprinkles is going to be enough though! 🤣 You can never have enough sprinkles!!! 🙂
kiran
Followed the recipe to the T. I bake alot and these rose and sunk when they came out of the oven. So disappointing as they were supposed to be for a friend’s bday. 🙁
Sam
Hi Kiran! I am so sorry this happened! It sounds like the batter may have been over-mixed a little bit which will cause them to sink when they come out of the oven. I hope they turn out better next time. 🙂
Alice
Great recipe! They look and taste great!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much! 🙂
Amber Martinez
I really want to make these but I don’t have buttermilk and I checked out your easy buttermilk recipe but I don’t have lemon juice. Is there an alternative?
Thank you!
Sam
Hi Amber, this particular recipe will also work with regular milk if you don’t have buttermilk or the ingredients for the substitute. Enjoy!
Brielle Gutierrez
Hi Sam! Your recipe of these cupcakes came out beautifully. I made them for my mother’s birthday. Though, she said it was kind of to sweet for but she loved them. Thanks a million for sharing this recipe!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you everyone enjoyed them, Brielle! Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Alix
Hey! You recipe is amazing!!! Cant wait to try!! I got stuck with some WWF apparently without wheat flour…essentially gluten free from what I understand. Do you think it could work for this? Thanks so much for your time 💕 if not ill find a way🧁🧁
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Alix! I do not recommend using whole wheat flour for this recipe as the cake will seem drier and produce a coarser texture. 🙁
Tulin
The issue I am having with your recipe is that they Doom super beautifully while baking and then always deflate once they come out of the oven and the top sometimes is brown and crusty after said baking time. However if I shorten the baking time they aren’t done.
And my oven has a thermometer. The heat is correct.
Do you have an idea why?
Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for trying my recipe, Tulin! I am sorry that you are experiencing an issue. My best guess would be that your batter was overmixed. Over-beating the batter can cause too much air to be incorporated. When the cupcakes bake they rise and then the air escapes caused them to collapse as the air escapes, cupcakes cool. The next time, you just want to mix until ingredients are combined. If you have tested your oven for accuracy and it is accurate, I would try lowering the temperature by 20 degrees and bake them in the center rack. I hope that this causes them to bake more evenly without burning the tops. Keep me posted on how they turn out with these adjustments when you try them next. 🙂