If you are looking for the perfect cupcake for your next birthday party, then you need this Birthday Cake Cupcakes recipe! They are soft, fluffy, and dotted with confetti sprinkles inside making them a delicious treat for kids of all ages!
Confetti is a natural part of celebration, so these confetti cupcakes are perfect for birthday parties, baby showers, holiday parties, and more!
This birthday cake cupcake recipe was inspired by my need to use some buttermilk I had leftover in my fridge from making my mom's buttermilk biscuits on this site. Since I was making them for my grandson's birthday, I topped them with his favorite chocolate buttercream frosting!
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Why You'll Love Birthday Cake Cupcakes
Confetti Cupcakes: these envoke a sense of fun and nostalgia - and everyone loves sprinkles!
Homemade goodness: This cupcake recipe is similar to the funfetti cakes you can buy in box mixes, only better as there are no added preservatives!
Versatile: you can frost with your favorite frosting and top with your favorite decorations.
Ingredients
Cake flour and buttermilk are the two ingredients that gives this birthday cupcake it's perfect texture. No worries if you don't have cake flour on hand, I will give you a tip on how to make your own below!
- Cake flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Unsalted butter room temperature
- Granulated sugar
- Egg whites room temperature
- Vanilla extract
- Buttermilk
- Sprinkles
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Birthday Cake Cupcakes
These homemade cupcakes are simple to make in just a few short steps! Check out the instructions below for a visual on how to make these birthday cake cupcakes.
- Step 1: In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Add the egg whites and vanilla and mix on medium high speed until batter if fluffy and light.
- Step 2: Mix together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Then add dry ingredients to wet ingredients alternately with buttermilk, until batter is completely combined.
- Step 3: Fold the sprinkles into the cake batter using a rubber spatula.
- Step 4: Fill cupcake liners ⅔ full and bake for 18 - 20 minutes.
- Step 5: Cool baked cupcakes on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from cupcake pan to cool completely.
- Step 6: Frost birthday cake cupcakes with your favorite frosting and decorate with sprinkles.
See recipe card below for full instructions.
Hint: I topped these cupcakes with my favorite chocolate buttercream frosting found right here on my website!
Ingredient Substitutions
Don't have an ingredient and don't want to make a store run? Try some of the suggestions below:
- Cake Flour - Make your own cake flour by measuring 2 cups of all purpose flour, then remove 4 tablespoons. Replace the 4 tablespoons of flour with corn starch. Whisk to combine the ingredients, then measure amount of cake flour needed for the recipe. Store leftover cake flour in an airtight container in the cupboard.
- Flavoring - use almond or coconut extract in place of vanilla.
- Egg White substitute - use 2 whole eggs in place of egg whites. If doing so, note that the cupcakes will have a yellow tint instead of being white.
Hint: I love these colorful sprinkles (affiliate link) free of artificial dyes!
Variations
Below are a few ideas on how to change this recipe up a little to fit other flavors you may like!
- Chocolate chip cupcakes - stir in ½ cup mini chocolate chips in place of the jimmies (aka sprinkles).
- Frosting variations - instead of the suggested chocolate frosting make this cream cheese frosting or caramel fudge frosting.
- Sweet and salty - top the frosting with crushed pretzels or potato chips!
See this peanut butter and jelly cupcake on my website! (it's my favorite one!)
Equipment
- Muffin pan (this makes 16 cupcakes so you will need at least 2 pans
- Cupcake liners
- Mixing bowls
- Electric mixer
- Rubber scraper
- Large scoop
- Cooling Rack
If you want to pipe frosting onto the cupcakes you will also need some piping tips and piping bags. (affiliate links)
Storing Birthday Cake Cupcakes
Store cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge up to 1 week.
Can store unfrosted cupcakes in the freezer up to 3 months. Frost after thawing.
Top tip
- Room Temperature Ingredients: It is important that your cold ingredients are brought to room temperature before mixing the batter. This ensures the batter will blend smoothly and bake evenly.
- Measure ingredients accordingly: use the spoon and sweep method for measuring flour. Gently spoon flour into the measuring cup then gently scrape the top of the cup to remove excess flour. Do not scoop the cup into the flour or tap the measuring cup, this will cause a heavier amount of flour and dry cupcakes.
More Cupcake Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Birthday Cake Cupcakes:
When you make this recipe, please comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch or #grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!
If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating
📖 Recipe
Birthday Cake Cupcakes
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Ingredients
- 1¾ cups cake flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large egg whites room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup sprinkles , divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners; set aside.
- In a large bowl, using a hand mixer on medium speed, cream together the butter and sugar for 2 minutes, until smooth.
- Add the egg whites and vanilla and continue to mix on medium speed for 3 minutes, until sugar mixture is light and creamy.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Starting with the dry ingredients, add about ⅓ of the mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix until combined. Add ⅓ cup of the buttermilk. Repeat with dry ingredients and buttermilk until well combined.
- Add ¼ cup sprinkles (if using) to the cupcake batter and fold in using a rubber scraper, until combined.
- Scoop the cupcake batter into the prepared cupcake pan filling each cup ⅔ full with batter.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, until cake tops spring back when lightly touched.
- Transfer cupcakes to a cooling rack and cool 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and cool completely. Frost as desired using remaining sprinkles to decorate frosted cupcakes.
Notes
- Room Temperature Ingredients: It is important that your cold ingredients are brought to room temperature before mixing the batter. This ensures the batter will blend smoothly and bake evenly.
- Measure ingredients accordingly: use the spoon and sweep method for measuring flour. Gently spoon flour into the measuring cup then gently scrape the top of the cup to remove excess flour. Do not scoop the cup into the flour or tap the measuring cup, this will cause a heavier amount of flour and dry cupcakes.
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