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Easy Mini Football Cupcakes Recipe

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4.1 from 57 reviews

  • Author: Ava
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 60 mini cupcakes

Description

These Easy Mini Football Cupcakes are a fun and festive treat perfect for game day celebrations. Featuring a moist vanilla cupcake base speckled with colorful sprinkles, topped with rich chocolate buttercream shaped into miniature footballs with vanilla icing laces. With 60 bite-sized cupcakes, this recipe is ideal for parties and tailgates, bringing sporty spirit and delicious flavor together in every bite.

Ingredients

Cupcakes

  • 210 grams all-purpose flour (1 3/4 cups)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 114 grams unsalted butter, softened (1/2 cup)
  • 200 grams granulated sugar (1 cup)
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 60 grams full-fat sour cream (1/4 cup)
  • 60 grams neutral oil (1/4 cup)
  • 15 milliliters pure vanilla extract (1 Tablespoon)
  • 120 milliliters whole milk (1/2 cup)
  • 80 grams rod sprinkles (1/2 cup total – 40 grams or 1/4 cup per team)

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

  • 228 grams unsalted butter, softened (1 cup)
  • 480 grams powdered sugar, sifted (4 cups)
  • Pinch of Kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 30 milliliters whole milk (2 Tablespoons), plus more as needed
  • 64 grams Dutch process cocoa powder (2/3 cup)

Instructions

  1. Preheat and prepare pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a mini cupcake pan with paper liners to ensure easy removal and cleanup.
  2. Mix dry ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and Kosher salt until thoroughly combined. Set aside this mixture.
  3. Cream butter and sugar: Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture is very light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
  4. Add eggs and wet ingredients: Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then stir in the sour cream, neutral oil, and vanilla extract until evenly combined.
  5. Combine wet and dry ingredients: Add half of the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, followed by half of the milk. Mix on low speed just until combined to avoid overmixing. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture and milk, stirring just until the batter comes together.
  6. Divide batter and add sprinkles: Split the batter evenly into two separate bowls. Stir in the sprinkles designated for Team #1 into one bowl and Team #2 into the other, mixing only a few times to evenly distribute sprinkles without causing bleeding of colors.
  7. Fill cupcake liners: Using a #60 scoop (approximately 1 tablespoon), evenly divide the batter between the 60 mini cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds to three-quarters full. Work in batches if you have only one mini cupcake pan.
  8. Bake cupcakes: Bake the cupcakes for 11 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Rotate the pan halfway through baking for even cooking. The cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
  9. Cool cupcakes: Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Allow the pan to cool before baking additional batches.
  10. Prepare vanilla buttercream: In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat half of the butter and half of the powdered sugar until smooth using a hand or stand mixer with a whip attachment. Incorporate the remaining powdered sugar gradually until well combined and thick.
  11. Finish vanilla buttercream: Add the pinch of salt, vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons of whole milk. Beat on medium-high speed for 3 to 4 minutes until very fluffy. If too thick, add milk a teaspoon at a time to reach desired consistency. Reserve about 100 grams (1/2 cup) of this vanilla buttercream for decorating football laces later.
  12. Make chocolate buttercream: Add the cocoa powder to the remaining buttercream and beat until fully combined. Thin the frosting with additional milk, one teaspoon at a time, if needed. Beat on high for 2 to 3 minutes until super fluffy.
  13. Prepare piping bags: Fit one piping bag with a small star tip and fill with chocolate buttercream. Fit another piping bag with a small round tip and fill with the reserved vanilla buttercream.
  14. Pipe football shapes: Using the chocolate buttercream with the star tip, pipe zigzag shapes on top of the cooled cupcakes, making the center wider and the ends tapered to resemble footballs.
  15. Add football laces: Pipe one horizontal line across the center of each chocolate football using the vanilla buttercream with the round tip. Then pipe three evenly spaced vertical lines across the horizontal line to mimic football laces.
  16. Serve or store: Enjoy the cupcakes immediately or store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days to maintain freshness.

Notes

  • Use room temperature ingredients for the best mixing and texture results.
  • Do not over-mix the batter after adding sprinkles to prevent bleeding of colors.
  • If you don’t have Dutch process cocoa powder, natural cocoa powder can be used but may affect the flavor slightly.
  • Chocolate and vanilla buttercreams can be adjusted in consistency by adding milk 1 teaspoon at a time as needed.
  • Use a small star and round piping tip for football shapes and laces for the best decorative effect.
  • Mini cupcakes bake quickly; watch carefully near the end to avoid overbaking.
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 12 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Find it online: https://quickandsweetrecipes.com/easy-mini-football-cupcakes-recipe/