Confetti Cupcakes

"It takes a village."

I know there are people who don't like the phrase, since it seems indelibly linked to a certain female politician. But I think there's some value in the notion - no matter your political bent.

Sometimes, it requires a team effort to get things accomplished. So when my friend emailed and asked if I'd make cupcakes for a Back to School bash at our town's elementary school, I agreed right away.

It may have been awhile since I've had elementary-aged students living at my house, but I remember being that person who was looking for volunteers to make cookies or soup or cupcakes for an event or fundraiser. I remember making 10 phone calls to get that one "yes" from someone who'd help at Vacation Bible School. And back then, I vowed I'd never be that older person who said, "No, I've done my time. It's someone else's turn."

The assignment was easy. I could make any kind of cupcakes and frost them with a white frosting. The organizers would add a Superhero decoration later to go along with the school's theme for the year.

I decided it would be fun to make homemade confetti cupcakes, but I didn't have a recipe. Some of the options required separating eggs. I wasn't a fan of using 9 egg whites and then trying to find a use for the abandoned yolks. So when I saw this recipe that used whole eggs and could easily be multiplied, it moved to the top of the list.

It didn't disappoint. Since I volunteered to make 2 dozen, I knew I needed to double the original recipe. And then I figured I'd better triple it so that I'd have some to sample to make sure they were edible. It was a bonus for the guys' supper meal runs, too.

The recipe uses buttermilk and sour cream, making it nice and moist. I had a tube of "confetti sprinkles" in the cabinet. They were thin, round discs, and they seemed to work well. I mixed the sprinkles with a tablespoon of flour, trying to get them to stay distributed in the batter. They sank to the bottom a little, but they still provided a festive surprise when broken open. Since I multiplied the recipe, I didn't have triple the amount of sprinkles needed, so the confetti is a little sparser than ideal. But I still hope they were a fun surprise during the Back to School event!

I frosted the cupcakes with a homemade buttercream frosting. For the ones I took to the school, I left them plain. But if you're serving for a birthday party or other event, top the frosted cupcakes with additional sprinkles. 

I volunteered to make them for granddaughter Brooke's 3rd birthday party next weekend, which has a rainbow theme. Miss Brooke - who definitely knows her mind - wants a cake, not cupcakes. But this recipe can be used for either. Mommy is going to make the rainbow cake. I just need to bring some extra cake pans and some food coloring.

 Easy Homemade Confetti Cake or Cupcakes

Adapted from Averie Cooks blog

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Measure flour. Remove 1 tablespoon of flour and mix with 1/2 cup sprinkles. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together remaining flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, buttermilk, sour cream, oil and vanilla. Add the wet mixture to the dry, mixing until just combined. Don't overmix. Add sprinkles that have been mixed with 1 tablespoon of flour. Gently stir into cake batter.

This recipe makes 1 8-by-8-inch cake layer or 12 cupcakes. If making cake, use cooking spray before pouring batter into the pan or line with parchment or waxed paper, if you want to turn it out of the cake pan after baking.  If doing cupcakes, line tins with cupcake papers before pouring batter. Fill each cupcake tin about 2/3 full.

Bake 22 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. When done, place pan on wire rack to cool. Frost as desired and sprinkle with additional sprinkles.

NOTE:  This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to make a full-size cake or additional cupcakes.