Funfetti cupcakes
These colourful funfetti cupcakes are the perfect bake for kids. Full of rainbow sprinkles these easy cupcakes are a sure fire hit at any celebration.
These colourful funfetti cupcakes are a huge hit with my kids. They love making cupcakes so I like to find new ways of making them more fun. This recipe not only uses rainbow sprinkles to decorate them but adds them to the batter to give the cupcakes themselves colourful pops of colour.
How kids can make funfetti cupcakes?
Cupcakes are one of the easiest bakes for children and these are no exception. Kids can help with all the usual baking tasks from measuring all the ingredients out and mixing them together. And everything gets mixed together in one bowl which makes it even simpler.
There are also a few chances for kids to practice cracking eggs in which is an important skill for any young baker.
Making cupcakes also means your kids will get the chance to decorate. If you have a piping bag they might enjoy trying to pipe on the buttercream. Just make sure you whip the buttercream long enough so it is nice and soft and easy enough for children to pipe.
If the icing ends up looking a bit messy (and when children are in charge it can), don’t worry too much – cover it in sprinkles and no one will ever notice!
How long do funfetti cupcakes keep?
These will keep for 3-5 days in an airtight container. If you want to make them ahead or keep them for longer, wrap them (un-iced) in cling film and put them in a freezer bag then freeze them. They’ll keep in the freezer for a few months.
When you want to serve them, defrost them fully, then ice them.
Can you just add sprinkles to cake batter?
Yes. As well as decorating these cupcakes with sprinkles we’ve added the sprinkles straight into the cake batter. The sprinkles melt in the oven leaving a nice pop of colour behind.
What sprinkles should I use?
We used really bright sprinkles from Dr Oetker. Make sure whichever ones you use are nice and bright otherwise the colour will disappear in the oven. Don’t go for the cheapest ones you can find either for the same reason.
What can I use instead of self raising flour?
If you don’t have self raising flour, swap it for an equal amount of plain or all-purpose flour and put in an extra teaspoon of baking powder.
Other fun cupcakes for kids
If you and your kids love making cupcakes, check out some of our other easy cupcake recipes below:
Chocolate chip cupcakes
Nutella cupcakes
Chocolate cupcakes
Vanilla cupcakes
Butterfly cupcakes
Orange cupcakes
Strawberry cupcakes
Rainbow cupcakes
Monster cupcakes
Black Forest cupcakes
Biscoff cupcakes
M&M cupcakes
Blackberry cupcakes
You might also like our recipe for our rainbow cake.
Useful equipment
You might need the following baking tools/gadgets to make these Funfetti cupcakes
Digital scales
Freestanding mixer
Mixing bowl
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Muffin tin
Cupcake cases
Wire rack
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Ingredients
For the cupcakes
150g (¾ cup) butter, or margarine
150g (¾ cup) caster sugar
150g (1 ¾ cups) self raising flour*
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
Sprinkles
For the buttercream
150g (2/3 cup) butter, softened
300g (2 cups) icing / confectioners sugar
25ml milk
A few drops of vanilla extract
Sprinkles to decorate
How to make Funfetti cupcakes
Preheat your oven to 200C / 180C Fan / 390F and get your kids to line a muffin tin with paper or silicon cupcake cases.
Add everything to a mixing bowl
Get your kids to measure everything out and add it to a large mixing bowl or free-standing mixer. You can add everything in any order but we tend to do it in the order below so we don’t miss anything out.
Measure the flour, sugar and butter/margarine and add them to your mixing bowl. If your butter isn’t soft (we always forget to take it out of the fridge beforehand), pop it in the microwave for a few seconds. You want to do it for long enough to soften it, but not enough to melt it. We used baking margarine to make this as it’s much cheaper than butter and I find it works just as well in cupcakes.
Get your kids to add the baking powder. Make sure they use their finger to level the half tea spoon so you get just the right amount.
Add the vanilla extract. You might need to hold the teaspoon while your kids pour in the vanilla or vice versa if they are still quite young. Older children might be able to manage this on their own.
Get your kids to crack the eggs into a small bowl before putting it into your mixing bowl. We never add them straight in in case any shell goes in but if/when you do get some rogue shell in, simply fish it out with a piece of larger shell. You’ll find it sticks more easily to shell than it does your finger.
Mix everything together
Mix everything together with a hand held mixer, the k-paddle attachment of your free-standing mixer, or even some wooden spoons. Mix it until you have a nice smooth batter, but not for too long otherwise they wont rise as well in the oven. You might need to get your kids to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula so that everything, including flour at the bottom of your bowl, gets incorporated.
Finally, pour the sprinkles into the cupcake batter, and gently fold them in.
Bake the cupcakes
Get your kids to fill the cupcake cakes ¾ full with the cupcake batter. An ice cream scoop or soup spoon often dish out the perfect amount, with less mess, so can be a great tool for kids to use.
Bake the cupcakes for approximately 15-20 minutes. They’re ready when they’ve risen and a skewer, sharp knife or cocktail stick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Remove them from the oven and leave them to cool in the tin for a few minutes then pop them on a wire rack to cool completely.
Decorate the Funfetti cupcakes
Start by making the buttercream frosting. Measure the butter and icing sugar out and put them into a large mixing bowl or free-standing mixer. Again, if your butter isn’t soft chop it up then pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to soften, but not melt it.
Add the milk then cover the mixer with a tea towel (optional, but it will save a bit of mess!). Start on a slow speed and mix the butter icing together with the k-paddle of your free-standing mixer or hand held mixer.
Once the icing sugar has mixed into the butter and there’s no danger of it flying everywhere, turn the speed up and mix it for at least 5 minutes. The longer you mix it, the softer and more delicious it will become.
Fill a piping bag fitted with a large star shaped nozzle with the buttercream icing and use a food bag clip to seal the top end. This should make it easier for kids to pipe without worrying about the icing coming out the top.
Let your kids pipe swirls of icing on top of the cupcakes. We find the easiest way of doing this is to hold the piping bag at the top with their right hand to squeeze the icing out and use their other hand to guide the bag.
You might need to help them squeeze or guide the bag. Start at the outside and go round in circles until you get to the middle.
Add some more rainbow sprinkles on top. If you have younger children who struggle with piping this can be a good job for them to take charge of. And don’t forget with these cupcakes, more is more!
Serve and enjoy.
Funfetti cupcakes
Equipment
- Digital scales
- Freestanding mixer
- Mixing bowl
- Measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- Muffin tin
- Cupcake cases
- Wire rack
Ingredients
- 150 g (¾ cup) butter, or margarine
- 150 g (¾ cup) caster sugar
- 150 g (1 ¾ cups) self raising flour*
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
- 50 g (1/4 cup) Sprinkles/funfetti
For the buttercream
- 150 g (2/3 cup) butter, softened
- 300 g (2 cups) icing / confectioners sugar
- 25 ml milk
- A few drops of vanilla extract
- Sprinkles to decorate
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 200C / 180C Fan / 390F and line a muffin tin with paper or silicon cupcake cases.
Mix everything together
- Measure everything out except the sprinkles and add it to a large mixing bowl or free-standing mixer. You can add everything in any order but we tend to do it in the order below so we don't miss anything out.
- Mix everything together with a hand held mixer, the k-paddle attachment of your free-standing mixer, or even some wooden spoons. Mix it until you have a nice smooth batter, but not for too long otherwise they wont rise as well in the oven.
- Finally, pour the sprinkles into the cupcake batter, and gently fold them in.
Bake the cupcakes
- Fill the cupcake cakes ¾ full with the cupcake batter.
- Bake the cupcakes for approximately 15-20 minutes. They're ready when they've risen and a skewer, sharp knife or cocktail stick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Remove them from the oven and leave them to cool in the tin for a few minutes then pop them on a wire rack to cool completely.
Decorate the Funfetti cupcakes
- Start by making the buttercream frosting. Measure the butter and icing sugar out and put them into a large mixing bowl or free-standing mixer.
- Add the milk then cover the mixer with a tea towel (optional, but it will save a bit of mess!). Start on a slow speed and mix the butter icing together with the k-paddle of your free-standing mixer or hand held mixer.Once the icing sugar has mixed into the butter and there's no danger of it flying everywhere, turn the speed up and mix it for at least 5 minutes. The longer you mix it, the softer and more delicious it will become.
- Fill a piping bag fitted with a large star shaped nozzle with the buttercream icing and use a food bag clip to seal the top end. This should make it easier to pipe without worrying about the icing coming out the top.Pipe swirls of icing on top of the cupcakes. Start at the outside and go round in circles until you get to the middle.Add some more rainbow sprinkles on top.
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