Birthday Cake Cupcakes
These birthday cake cupcakes are pure celebration in every bite. Soft funfetti cupcakes are topped with fluffy cake batter buttercream, sweet and crunchy birthday cake crumbs, and plenty of rainbow sprinkles. They capture all the nostalgic flavors of a classic birthday cake in a fun, festive cupcake form.
Birthday Cake Cupcakes
These birthday cake cupcakes are the kind of treat that makes every celebration feel a little more unforgettable.
Fluffy funfetti cupcakes are topped with dreamy cake batter buttercream, crunchy birthday cake crumbs, and a shower of rainbow sprinkles for a dessert that practically says, “What’s happening, hot stuff?”
They’re fun, nostalgic, and over-the-top festive—the kind of cupcakes that make you feel like the whole party was planned just for you.
After all, when cupcakes taste this good, you won’t have to worry about anyone f****** forgetting your birthday.
If you want every day to be your birthday, check out my funfetti cupcakes, frosted birthday cake cookies, and frosted funfetti cookies.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Fun and festive: These birthday cupcakes are packed with rainbow sprinkles and birthday cake crunch making them perfect for celebrations.
- Classic birthday cake flavor: The combination of funfetti cupcakes and cake batter buttercream delivers that nostalgic birthday cake taste everyone loves.
- Amazing texture: Soft, fluffy cupcakes paired with creamy frosting and a crunchy topping make every bite extra satisfying.
- Easy but impressive: They look bakery-worthy but are simple enough to make at home for birthdays, parties, or any special occasion.
- Sprinkle lovers’ dream: If you love sprinkles, these cupcakes are loaded with them for the ultimate fun dessert.
Recipe Ingredients
Funfetti Cupcakes
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder + salt
- Granulated sugar
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Vegetable oil – Use your favorite neutral baking oil.
- Egg – Room temperature.
- Sour cream – Room temperature.
- Vanilla extract
- Whole milk – Room temperature.
- Rainbow sprinkles – Use rainbow jimmie sprinkles.
Cake Batter Buttercream Frosting
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Powdered sugar
- White cake mix – Heat-treated to remove potential bacteria.
- Heavy cream
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
Additional Ingredients
- Birthday cake crumbs – Check out my recipe for birthday cake crumbs here.
- Rainbow sprinkles
How to Make Birthday Cake Cupcakes
Make the funfetti cupcake batter.
Portion the cupcake batter into cupcake liners.
Bake and cool the funfetti cupcakes.
Make the cake batter buttercream frosting.
Make the birthday cake crumbs.
Frost the funfetti cupcakes with the cake batter buttercream and decorate with the birthday cake crumbs and rainbow sprinkles.
Courtney’s Expert Cupcake Baking Tips
- Don’t overmix the cupcake batter. Mix just until combined after adding the dry ingredients and then gently fold in the rainbow sprinkles to keep the cupcakes light and tender.
- Use rainbow jimmie sprinkles in the cupcake batter. Jimmies hold their shape better during baking and won’t bleed their color into the batter.
- Use a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons) to portion the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners for uniform, even cupcakes. Be careful not to overfill the liners.
- Bake the cupcakes in the center of the oven for perfectly baked cupcakes.
- Heat-treat the cake mix for the buttercreamto eliminate any potential bacteria. The easiest way to do this is in the microwave—heat the cake mix in 30-second increments until it reaches 160°F (71°C), about 60 seconds total. Stir between each increment to help break up any lumps. If the cake mix becomes clumpy after heat-treating, sift the cake mix through a fine mesh strainer to remove any lumps.
- Add the birthday cake crumbs to the cupcakes over a baking pan, as this step can get a little messy. You may have some extra birthday cake crunch—store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Cake mix should be heat-treated before using it in recipes where it won’t be baked, such as frosting or no-bake desserts. Raw flour in cake mix can contain harmful bacteria, and heating the mix to a safe temperature helps eliminate that risk. This quick step makes the cake mix safe to eat while still giving your recipe that classic birthday cake flavor.
Yes. The birthday cake crumbs can be made up to 3 days in advance. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to use.
Yes. Store the cake batter buttercream in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. When ready to use, bring the frosting to room temperature and rewhip it with a mixer until smooth and creamy.
Rainbow jimmie sprinkles work best because they hold their shape during baking and won’t bleed color into the batter like nonpareils sometimes do.
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Birthday Cake Cupcakes
Ingredients
Funfetti Cupcakes
- 1 ¼ cup (156 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp (1.5 tsp) baking powder
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- ¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
- 2 (2) large egg whites (room temperature)
- 2 tbsp (30 g) sour cream (room temperature)
- 1 tbsp (1 tbsp) vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk (room temperature)
- 3 tbsp (30 g) rainbow sprinkles
Cake Batter Buttercream Frosting
- ½ cup (75 g) white cake mix
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 2 ½ cups (300 g) powdered sugar
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) heavy cream
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp (0.25 tsp) salt
Birthday Cake Crumbs
- ¾ cup (95 g) cake flour
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp (25 g) light brown sugar
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) baking powder
- ¼ tsp (0.25 tsp) salt
- ¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp (20 g) rainbow nonpareil sprinkles
Additional Ingredients
- 2 tbsp (20 g) rainbow sprinkles
Instructions
Funfetti Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line cupcake pans with 14 cupcake liners.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the granulated sugar, unsalted butter, and vegetable oil for a few minutes until light and creamy. Add the egg whites, sour cream, and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
- Add in half of the dry ingredients and mix until mostly combined. Then, pour in the milk and mix. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until the cupcake batter is combined and smooth. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure the ingredients are fully combined. Fold in the rainbow sprinkles.
- Portion the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners using a large cookie scoop about ⅔ full. Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes or until the cupcakes bounces back when gently touched. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cake Batter Buttercream Frosting
- First, heat-treat the white cake mix. Pour the cake mix into a microwave-safe bowl. Heat the cake mix in the microwave for 30 seconds and then stir. Repeat this process until the cake mix reaches 160℉ (71℃), about 1-1½ minutes total. If the cake mix is lumpy, run it through a fine mesh strainer and then set aside to cool.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, whip the room temperature unsalted butter for 5 minutes until light, pale, and creamy.
- Add in half of the powdered sugar and mix on the lowest speed until the sugar is combined with the butter. Add the remaining half of the powdered sugar and the cooled heat-treated white cake mix and continue to mix on low speed until fully combined.
- Add in the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt, and continue to mix on low speed until combined and smooth. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Increase the mixer speed to medium and whip the buttercream for about 3 to 5 minutes until it is smooth and creamy. Then, turn the mixer to low speed and mix the buttercream for several minutes to remove air bubbles.
- Optional: To smooth out the buttercream, melt 1 cup of the frosting in the microwave for 15 seconds. Pour the melted frosting back into the mixing bowl and mix the frosting on low speed until the buttercream is super smooth and creamy.
Birthday Cake Crumbs
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Add in the vegetable oil and vanilla extract and stir until the dry and wet ingredients are fully incorporated and large clusters form. Add in the rainbow nonpareil sprinkles and stir until they are well dispersed throughout the mixture. Break up any larger clusters with a spoon.
- Spread the birthday cake crumb mixture onto the prepared baking sheet pan. Bake the crumbs for 10 minutes. After baking, cool the birthday cake crumbs to room temperature and then break them up into small crumbs.
Assembling the Cupcakes
- Fill a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping tip with the cake batter buttercream frosting. Pipe a generous swirl of the frosting onto the cooled funfetti cupcakes. Pile the cupcakes high with the birthday cake crumbs and decorate with additional rainbow sprinkles.
Notes
- Room temperature: Store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
- Refrigerator: Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Serve at room temperature for the best taste and texture.
Nutrition
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About Courtney
Baker | 80s Lover | Cookbook Author
Courtney is a self-taught home baker and cookbook author of “Girls Just Wanna Bake Cupcakes”. She loves to create new and unique recipes while simultaneously listening to 80s music.
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