Bruschetta and Eggplant

June is the month of birthdays for us. Kayla, Zack, and I have birthdays this month. Kayla’s was last week, and that’s when I made these Funfetti Cupcakes! Sprinkles (funfetti) seems to be everywhere lately, (I made Perfectly Chewy Funfetti Sugar Cookies a couple of weeks ago) and I couldn’t pin down a cake flavor for her so I decided funfetti would be the way to go. I made Funfetti Cake with Vanilla Buttercream last year for Zack’s birthday, and it was a hit.

Kayla has never been a huge chocolate cake fan, so I like to choose chocolate cake for my birthday. This year I’m going for a chocolate on chocolate on chocolate cake for my birthday. Don’t worry chocolate fans, I’m sharing that recipe! It’s one of my favorites. But these Funfetti Cupcakes are quite yummy too. They have a beautiful vanilla flavor with a buttercream that isn’t too sweet. It won’t rot your teeth out while consuming it like some.

I am addicted to sprinkles, which means that I heart all things funfetti.

These Funfetti Cupcakes? Are the PERFECT recipe, I promise you that!

Last week, as you may already know, was Jordan’s 9th birthday. We celebrated with a full week of parties. (Birthdays are a big deal in our house!)

There was the family party, where Jordan got a Chocolate Mint Cake Roll and my mom got Turtle Brownies. (Their birthdays are only a few days apart.)

There was her actual birthday where she had a new cupcake flavor (coming next week!) and a new M&M cookie (also, coming soon!).

As I was working on social media ideas for promoting these, I thought that you could really make these holiday themed by changing the sprinkle colors and frosting color. I can see these for 4th of July, Halloween, and Christmas! Lookout holiday parties Funfetti Cupcakes are coming!! You would totally win mom of the year if you made these for your kids school parties!

There is no reason to run to the store to buy a funfetti cake mix when these can be made just as easy, without a mixer. Plus homemade goodies always taste better.

Then there was her friend birthday party last Friday. See what I mean? A week of birthdays. I’m kind of crazy and she’s kind of spoiled, but that’s just how we roll in our house. Birthdays are always huge!

As much as Jordan loves mint, she loves plain too. She wanted plain cupcakes. I’ve already made the Perfect Vanilla Cupcake, so I nixed that idea and suggested funfetti.

Besides, sprinkles are so much more fun than plain old vanilla!

She was bouncing off the walls in anticipation of her party. I took two advil before everyone got there as a precursor to the headache that was inevitable.

Have you ever gathered 8 8- and 9-year old girls in one house? I’m surprised there is any glass left in our windows.

Ingredients
Cupcakes

• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened to room temperature
• ⅓ cup canola oil or vegetable oil (43g)
• 1 cup sugar (200g)
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cup + 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour (172g)
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup buttermilk room temperature preferred (118ml)
• 3 large egg whites room temperature
• ⅓ cup sprinkles Use jimmies or quins, do not use nonpareils as they will bleed through the batter

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

• 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature (226g)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups powdered sugar (375g)
• 3 Tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• sprinkles, for decorating optional

Instructions
Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and prepare a 12 count muffin tin* (see recipe note) with paper liners.  Set aside.
2. Place butter in the bowl of a stand mixer (or you may use a large bowl and an electric hand mixer) and beat until smooth and creamy.
3. Add sugar and oil and beat again until ingredients are very well-combined, smooth, and creamy.
4. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and then stir in your vanilla extract.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together your flour, baking powder, and salt.
6. With mixer on low speed, gradually alternate between adding the flour mixture and your buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Stir until each one is almost completely combined before adding the next.  Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl so that all ingredients are combined.
7. In separate, completely clean and grease-free bowl, combine your egg whites and, with a hand-mixer on high-speed, beat until stiff peaks form.
8. Using a spatula, gently fold your egg whites and sprinkles into your batter. Take care to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl so that ingredients are well-combined, and take care not to over-mix.
9. Divide batter into prepared cupcake tin, filling each liner 3/4 of the way full.
10. Bake on 350F (175C) for 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with moist crumbs (not wet batter).  For mini cupcakes, bake 14-15 minutes.
11. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
12. Vanilla Buttercream
13. Beat butter with an electric mixer until creamy.  Sprinkle salt over butter and stir again to combine.
14. Gradually, about 1/2 cup at a time, add powdered sugar, waiting until each cup is completely mixed before adding more.
15. With mixer on medium-low speed, add the heavy cream one Tablespoon at a time.  Once ingredients are well incorporated, gradually increase speed to high and beat for about 30 seconds.
16. Add vanilla extract and stir well.  
17. Pipe or spread frosting over cooled cupcakes (I used a Wilton 2D tip for the rosette decorations).  Top with sprinkles, if desired.  Cupcakes keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for several days, or refrigerated in an airtight container for a week.