Funfetti Cupcakes with Unicorn Frosting

The most beautiful vanilla funfetti cupcakes frosted with a colorful pastel buttercream frosting and sprinkles! 

I have been waiting to share these amazing homemade funfetti cupcakes with you guys for like two months. This is one of my favorite recent recipes and everyone who’s tried them has agreed!

How to make funfetti cupcakes

I’m not sure if you’re aware but funfetti cupcake recipes are basically just fun vanilla cupcakes lol. So this recipe uses my basic vanilla cupcake recipe. I created this base cupcake recipe for my cookbook, Frosted, because I wanted to have the most perfectly domed, fluffy and tender WHITE vanilla cupcakes.

The color shouldn’t matter but I really don’t like when cupcakes are white and then they brown on the edges. (Some of them still brown a little if they’re slightly overfilled and touch the metal pan while baking – specifically a dark pan). I also didn’t want a super yellow cupcake so this was quite a process. 

You can also make these funfetti cupcakes as a small batch if you use my small batch cupcake recipe.

What you’ll need:

• Cake Flour: I don’t usually prefer cake flour for my cakes but for these cupcakes it’s pretty essential. You can do the cake flour substitute with all-purpose flour and cornstarch but keep in mind that it is a substitute and won’t be exactly the same but they will still turn out good.
  • The most important factor is measuring the flour correctly. I recommend using a digital scale to weigh your ingredients, especially flour.
• Baking Powder and Baking Soda: I use both to balance the acidity of the sour cream but you can also make them using 1½ tsp baking powder, just keep in mind the flavor might be just slightly more acidic. 
• Whole Milk and Sour Cream: I use both whole milk and sour cream because the high fat content makes up for the lack of egg yolks in the recipe. I have also made them with 2% milk and yogurt but I would opt for a full fat yogurt. 
• Oil and Butter: I use both oil and butter in almost all my cake recipes because I like the structure and flavor of butter and the moisture from oil. Any kind of neutral flavored oil works. 
• Granulated Sugar: Sugar provides both sweetness and structural support, I don’t recommend cutting out any sugar. In my opinion, the sweetness of the cupcakes is balanced with the buttery frosting. 
• Egg whites: I use only egg whites for this recipe because I wanted the cupcakes to be pale. You can use fresh egg whites or carton egg whites but I have not tested this recipe with an egg alternative. 
• Vanilla: I recommend a combination of pure vanilla extract (or paste) and artificial vanilla extract for the ultimate funfetti flavor. 

What kind of sprinkles to use for funfetti cupcakes

My top two recommendations for sprinkles to use in funfetti cakes are rainbow jimmies or rainbow sequins. Both of these are soft enough to melt into the batter when they’re baked but not too soft that they melt before the batter is baked. 

I don’t recommend using nonpareils, they can streak the batter, creating either a tie dye effect or even a mixed muddy color if they’re overmixed. 

In the photo above, you can see I added some fancy sprinkles, which had a mix of different kinds. This worked for me because I added only a few of those and used mostly pastel rainbow sequins.

How to make unicorn frosting

For the basics and step by step details on this frosting, check out my post on How To Make French Buttercream. I used this buttercream because we had extra egg yolks from the cupcakes that I didn’t want to waste. 

I also love that it has a custardy flavor and isn’t as sweet so it balances the cupcakes well. 

For the unicorn flavor, I did a combination of vanilla, almond and cotton candy extract. My family was absolutely obsessed with the flavor so I hope you guys are just as impressed, lol. 

How to color French Buttercream 

Coloring the frosting can be a little difficult since it already has a yellow tint from the egg yolks but the best way to go about it, is to just add 1-2 drops of food coloring at time. 

If you use pure blue, it may turn slightly greenish blue from the yellow base so I added 1-2 drops of purple as well. For the pink, if you add pure pink or red, it’ll be a warmer version, towards orange so I added 1-2 drops of purple to that as well. Just be careful not to add too much because there’s no going back!

For the swirl, the best way to explain how it’s done is by looking at the photos, lol. 

How to serve and store cupcakes

These funfetti cupcakes are best served fresh at room temperature. 

Store them in an airtight container, at room temperature for 2-3 days. 

If it’s longer than that, store them in an airtight container, refrigerated for 7-10 days but bring them back to room temperature before serving. 

To freeze them, place them in an airtight container and then place the container in a freezer bag, squeezing out all the excess air. Freeze for 2-3 months, defrost in the fridge overnight and then bring them to room temperature before serving. 

Thanks so much for checking out today’s post. If you have any questions, just comment down below and if you make these cupcakes, make sure to tag me @baranbakery on instagram! As always, have a blessed day and happy baking!

Love, B

Recipes

Cupcakes

Funfetti Cupcakes with Unicorn Frosting Recipe

4.94 from 16 votes

prep 45 minutes mins

cook 18 minutes mins

Additional Time 30 minutes mins

total 1 hour hr 33 minutes mins

Serves 13 cupcakes

The most beautiful sprinkled vanilla cupcakes frosted with a colorful pastel buttercream frosting!

Author: Bernice Baran

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Servings 13 cupcakes

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Equipment

• ▢
  Rainbow Sequin Sprinkles
• ▢
  Disposable Piping Bags
• ▢
  Round Piping Tips
• ▢
  Muffin Pan 

Metric(US) Imperial

Ingredients

Funfetti Cupcakes

• ▢ 180 grams cake flour, spooned and leveled
• ▢ 1/4 tsp baking soda
• ▢ 1/2 tsp baking powder
• ▢ 1/4 tsp salt
• ▢ 200 grams granulated sugar
• ▢ 60 mL canola oil, or any neutral oil
• ▢ 56 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
• ▢ 2 large egg whites, room temperature
• ▢ 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 tsp artificial vanilla extract
• ▢ 80 mL whole milk, room temperature
• ▢ 113 grams sour cream
• ▢ 40 grams pastel rainbow sequin sprinkles

Unicorn Frosting

• ▢ 4 large egg yolks, room temperature
• ▢ 200 grams granulated sugar
• ▢ 60 mL water
• ▢ 227 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
• ▢ 2 tsp vanilla extract, or paste
• ▢ 1/4 – 1/2 tsp almond extract
• ▢ 1/4 – 1/2 tsp cotton candy extract
• ▢ blue, pink and purple gel food coloring

Method

Funfetti Cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 350F/177C and line 13 muffin tins with cupcake liners (preferably a light colored pan).
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar.
   180 grams cake flour spooned and leveled, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt, 200 grams granulated sugar
3. Add the oil and butter to the dry ingredients and beat together until they're combined. Add the egg whites and vanilla extracts and mix until they're fully combined and then add the milk and sour cream. Gently fold in the sprinkles.
   60 mL canola oil or any neutral oil, 56 grams unsalted butter room temperature, 2 large egg whites room temperature, 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, 1 tsp artificial vanilla extract, 80 mL whole milk room temperature, 113 grams sour cream, 40 grams pastel rainbow sequin sprinkles
4. Mix just until the cupcake batter is smooth and then fill each cupcake liner about 2/3-3/4 full (I do 50-55 grams). Bake for 16-18 minutes. They are done when you press on the center of the cupcake and it springs back or when a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
5. Remove them from the oven and let them cool in the cupcake pan for 10 minutes, then move them to a cooling rack. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

Unicorn Frosting

1. Place the sugar and water in a medium saucepan and swirl the pan until the sugar is fully immersed in water. Place the saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and comes to a gentle simmer. Lower the heat to low and place the lid on the pan and allow the mixture to simmer for a couple minutes.
   200 grams granulated sugar, 60 mL water
2. Meanwhile, place the egg yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, and turn the mixer up to high speed. Let it whip while the sugar is done cooking.
   4 large egg yolks room temperature
3. Use a candy thermometer to see when the sugar reaches 240F (116C), then lower the mixer to medium speed and slowly drizzle the hot sugar syrup into the thick and foamy egg yolks, while they are whipping.
4. Turn the mixer back up to high speed and let it whip for 5-10 minutes, until the yolk mixture is very pale and fluffy and is cool to the touch or no longer warm.
5. Turn the mixer back down to medium speed and add in the butter, 2 Tbsp of butter at a time, mixing until each chunk is fully combined and the buttercream looks smooth and creamy.
   227 grams unsalted butter room temperature
6. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, add in the extracts and salt and turn the mixer up to high speed for 1-2 minutes.
   2 tsp vanilla extract or paste, 1/4 – 1/2 tsp almond extract, 1/4 – 1/2 tsp cotton candy extract
7. Split the frosting into three separate bowls and use the gel food coloring to make pink and blue frosting. Start with 1-2 drops at a time and add more as needed to get desired color. Add purple if the colors are too warm. Leave the third bowl of frosting uncolored, it will already have a yellow tint from the egg yolks.
   blue pink and purple gel food coloring
8. Lay out a piece of plastic wrap on a flat surface and make three rows of frosting, one of each color (refer to photos). Roll up the plastic wrap, twist the ends to close them (like a candy wrapper) and then cut one side off and place it inside a pastry bag fitted with a large round piping tip.
9. Swirl frosting on top of the cupcakes and top with sparkly clear sprinkles. You may need to repeat the piping process twice to use up all the frosting.

Notes

 

• the vanilla cupcake recipe was designed to stay pale so don’t look for a golden brown color when it’s finished baking. You can also sub the two egg whites for 1 whole egg but it will be slightly more yellow in color. 
• store in an airtight container, at room temperature for 2-3 days or refrigerated for 7-10 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 433kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 5gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 125mgSodium: 136mgSugar: 32g

Course: Cakes

Cuisine: American

Keyword: birthday cupcakes, funfetti cupcake, rainbow frosting, summer dessert, unicorn cupcake, unicorn frosting, vanilla cupcake