When you have a reason to celebrate, these Confetti Cupcakes with Champagne Custard are the perfect celebratory treat! The cake is packed with sprinkles, filled with a delicious champagne custard, and topped with a vanilla champagne buttercream.
(This recipe for Confetti Cupcakes with Champagne Custard was originally published in January 2012, but has been updated with new photos and content in 2021).
This year, I resolve to make more cupcakes. And decorate more cupcakes. And eat more cupcakes. And those are my new year's resolutions.
I always say I want to be a better cake decorator, but I also realize that I'll probably never reach expert levels of cake decorating. My style is more sweet and simple (and sprinkle-y) and I'm OK with that.
Of course, I'm always trying to improve my decorating skills, but baking a delicious cupcake that looks nice is my goal first and foremost. And the best way to do that is to just keep practicing.
So, I'll be baking a lot of cupcakes this year. And instead of resolving to get better at anything, I'm just resolving to eat more cake. Are you with me?
I first made these confetti cupcakes with champagne custard in 2011 and over the years, I've improved the recipe quite a bit, which is why I'm updating this post.
The confetti cupcakes have celebration written all over them and are perfect for serving during any special occasion. There are three components to them, including:
- The confetti cupcake
- The champagne custard filling
- And the vanilla champagne buttercream
How to Make Confetti Cupcakes
These confetti cupcakes are really just delicious vanilla cupcakes with sprinkles baked in.
Start by pre-heating oven to 350 degrees and lining a cupcake tin with 12 papers.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add eggs in one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
With mixer on low speed, beat in dry ingredients in 2 additions, alternating with the milk. Mix in each addition until just incorporated. Gently fold in rainbow sprinkles.
Fill cupcake liners about ¾ of the way with batter.
Bake cupcakes for 17-20 minutes, until edges are golden and tester comes out clean.
I'll never get tired of a confetti (or funfetti, if you will) cupcake.
Let the cupcakes cool in the tin for about 5 minutes before moving to wire racks to cool completely.
Let the cupcakes cool while you whip up the champagne custard filling.
Champagne Custard Recipe
This champagne custard is also ridiculously easy to make. You can feel free to make it ahead of time if you want as it does need time to cool fully before you add it to the cupcakes. Of course, you can also just wait for it to cool while you sip the rest of the bubbly!
I recommend using a double boiler (here's an affiliate link to a great double boiler) set over medium heat. But if you don't have a double boiler, use a heat-proof bowl set securely over a pot of gently simmering water.
If you prefer to make the custard over direct heat, just keep the heat low and make sure to keep your eye on the mixture... You want it to heat slowly!
Whisk egg yolks, sugar, champagne, and cornstarch together.
And cook for about 10-12 minutes while intermittently whisking, until mixture thickens.
Place bowl in fridge to cool completely. As the custard cools, it will thicken more.
Vanilla Champagne Buttercream Recipe
The last step to these confetti champagne cupcakes is the vanilla champagne buttercream. I use a simple buttercream frosting recipe, with vanilla and champagne added in.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat butter until creamy, 1-2 minutes.
With mixer on low, slowly blend in the confectioner’s sugar, cup by cup until well-combined. Mix in champagne and vanilla until combined.
Try not to eat all of it directly off the spatula.
Assembling Confetti Cupcakes with Champagne Custard
Now that your cupcakes have cooled, you can core out the middle to make way for the champagne custard filling.
You can use a knife to cut out a little section in the middle of the cupcake or you can use a cupcake corer (affiliate link). I get SO much use out of mine and it creates the perfect little filling hole.
And then fill the center of each cupcake with the cooled champagne custard.
Frost and decorate your confetti cupcakes with more sprinkles.
I like to use the Wilton 1A pastry tip (affiliate link) and a pastry bag to pipe on my frosting. And while I use rainbow sprinkles as the "confetti" in my cupcakes, I typically like to use a fancier sprinkle for topping these champagne cupcakes.
Champagne deserves a little extra fanciness, don't you think?
On the outside, these do look like a typical funfetti cupcake. But take a bite out of one or cut one open and...
Check out that champagne custard!
omg it's heavenly and the best cupcake surprise ever. The custard is creamy and has a light, but noticeable champagne flavor.
Don't worry, the alcohol likely all cooks off in the custard making process (and there's not a whole lot in it anyway), but the flavor remains!
The same goes for the buttercream frosting! It's sweet and packed with a light vanilla champagne flavor.
All three components of the cupcake go so well together and just seem to scream "let's celebrate!"
And I don't know about you, but I always do what my cupcakes tell me to do (same goes for my cupcake papers).
More Party Cupcake Recipes
Over the years, I've brought my fair share of cupcakes to parties and have collected a plethora of celebratory cupcake recipes. Whether you're attending a party or simply celebrating one of life's big moments at home, here are some of my favorite party cupcake recipes:
- Sweet Tea Vodka Cupcakes
- Rainbow Sherbet Cupcakes
- Root Beer Float Cupcakes
- Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Red Wine Buttercream
- Salted Caramel Cupcakes
- Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Irish Whiskey Filling
- Sprinkles Strawberry Cupcakes
- Margarita Cupcakes
- Chai Cupcakes (from One Sarcastic Baker)
- Tres Leches Cupcakes (from The Gracious Wife)
And with that, I'm heading back to the drawing board to plan all of the other cupcakes I'll be making this year. This is one resolution I won't let myself fail on!
What's your favorite cupcake to celebrate with?
Confetti Cupcakes with Champagne Custard
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ Tbsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ Tbsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup rainbow sprinkles, plus more for topping (I like to use a different "fancier" kind of sprinkles for topping)
- 1 batch Champagne Custard (recipe below)
- 1 batch Vanilla Champagne Buttercream (recipe below)
Champagne Custard
- 4 large egg yolks
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup champagne
- 1 ½ tsp cornstarch
Vanilla Champagne Buttercream
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 4 cups confectioners' sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 Tbsp champagne
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and line a cupcake tin with 12 papers.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add eggs in one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
- With mixer on low speed, beat in dry ingredients in 2 additions, alternating with the milk. Mix in each addition until just incorporated. Gently fold in rainbow sprinkles.
- Fill cupcake liners about ¾ of the way with batter. Bake cupcakes for 17-20 minutes, until edges are golden and tester comes out clean.
- Let cupcakes cool in tin for 5 minutes before moving to wire racks to cool completely.
- Once cupcakes are completely cool, core out a small section from the middle (either using a cupcake corer or with a knife). Fill center of cupcake with champagne custard.
- Fill a pastry bag with buttercream frosting, fit with pastry tip (I like to use a Wilton 2A) and frost cupcakes. Top with additional sprinkles.
Champagne Custard
- In a double boiler set over medium heat (or in a heat-proof bowl set securely over a saucepan of gently boiling water), whisk all the ingredients together. Cook for about 10-12 minutes while intermittently whisking, until mixture thickens.
- Remove from heat and place custard in fridge to cool completely. Custard will continue to thicken as it cools.
Vanilla Champagne Buttercream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat butter until creamy, 1-2 minutes.
- With mixer on low, slowly blend in the confectioner’s sugar, cup by cup until well-combined.
- Mix in champagne and vanilla until combined.
lynn @ the actor's diet says
i JUST learned what funfetti cakes were the other day, as i was looking up what to do with all the extra sprinkles from my gingerbread house fail!!!
Maggie @ A Bitchin' Kitchen says
These look great! I made champagne cupcakes the other day too!
My food related resolutions are to try making homemade bagels, creme brulee, and swiss meringue buttercream!
Kathryn says
I think your cupcakes look amazing! I definitely have a similar resolution about trying to get better at decorating cakes, it's something I find really tricky but, as you say, an excellent reason to eat more cake!
Lauren at Keep It Sweet says
It is SO exciting that you get married this year:-) Love these cupcakes!
Simply Life says
oh dear- if you perfect pain au chocolate you may find me waiting at your door whenever I see a post! 🙂
Erica says
What a great list of resolutions 🙂 The cupcakes look totally delicious. I wish I had the patience to work on decorating....Food goals for 2012? I'd definitely love to get back into the habit of baking more bread too! I'd also like to master more roasts and heavier meat dishes, as I know Josh LOVES these!
Michelle says
Fitting into my wedding dress is definitely on my list too. Yay for weddings in 2012!
Bridget says
Fun! I made champagne cupcakes this weekend too (and just blogged it haha), and used the same base recipe...so good! Love your confetti addition!
Emily @ A Cambridge Story says
These cupcakes are adorable You already far surpass my frosting abilities!
Elizabeth says
Happy new year! Sound like some great resolutions. I also LOVE the sprinkles on top, the colors are awesome.
Meghan says
As a lover of all things Champagne and cupcakes, all I can say is YUM. Happy New Year!
Megan says
These are gorgeous! Perfect for a celebration like NYE. I'm resolving to eat more vegetables as well as I, too, have a wedding dress to fit into. But that won't stop me from making tons of sweets either!
Kristin @ FoodFash says
Champagne custard, seriously!? Heaven...
Michelle Collins says
These look so festive and delicious! One of my food goals for 2012 is to also bake a perfect loaf of bread. I've yet to conquer that one....
Shannon says
these sound fantastic!! happy 2012 🙂
Andreea says
mother sauces! and cooking more new recipes! My boyfriend used to love eating the flowers on his bday cakes when he was little, so this year I made him some daisies out of royal icing, but I definitely need to improve on that! oh, and maybe squeezing in more gym time 🙂
sarah k. @ the pajama chef says
aww, these look so cute! and sound wonderful.
Maureen says
These look amazing... And did you make your own vanilla?? I so want to try this!
Janel says
These cupcakes were fantastic, as was ringing in 2012 with you guys! Hope to see more of you in the new year!
Carrie says
champagne custard? How sweet! I'm going to have to hold on to this recipe until next new years! Thanks for posting it!