These Piñata Cupcakes are a delightful surprise, bursting with vibrant colors and hidden treasures inside. With a fluffy, moist crumb and a rich, buttery flavor, each bite is a celebration of texture and taste. Ready in just 35 minutes, they’re perfect for impressing guests or treating yourself to a little joy.
The creamy frosting adds a smooth, velvety finish, while the hidden candy center creates an exciting, playful twist. Whether for birthdays, parties, or a sweet afternoon pick-me-up, these cupcakes are guaranteed to bring smiles and spark conversations. Indulge in a treat that’s as fun to make as it is to eat!
Packed with 201 calories per serving, these cupcakes strike the perfect balance between indulgence and moderation. The combination of sweet, tangy, and creamy flavors is irresistible, while the soft cake and crunchy candy center create a satisfying contrast. Easy to whip up with minimal prep time, they’re a hassle-free way to add a touch of magic to any occasion.
The golden-brown tops and colorful sprinkles make them as visually appealing as they are delicious. Share them with loved ones or savor one all to yourself—these cupcakes are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser that’ll leave everyone asking for more!
Ingredients for Pinata Cupcakes
- ¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup (60 ml) canola oil (or substitute with vegetable oil)
- ¾ cup (150 g) sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature preferred
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (188 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup buttermilk (or make your own by adding 2 tsp lemon juice or vinegar to ⅔ cup milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes)
- 1 batch vanilla frosting (store-bought or homemade)
- Food coloring (optional, gel food coloring recommended for vibrant colors)
- Sprinkles (for filling the cupcakes)
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-count muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- Cream the wet ingredients: In a stand mixer or large bowl with an electric mixer, cream together the butter, canola oil, and sugar until smooth and creamy.
- Add the eggs: Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Combine the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Mix the batter: Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, starting and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined—avoid over-mixing.
- Fill the cupcake liners: Evenly divide the batter into the prepared liners, filling each ⅔ to ¾ full. Bake for 17 minutes, or until the tops spring back when touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
- Cool the cupcakes: Allow the cupcakes to cool completely in the tin before removing.
- Cut the centers: Use a knife to cut a 1-inch diameter hole about 1 inch deep into the center of each cupcake. Remove the center, cut off the bottom, and set the top aside as a plug.
- Fill with sprinkles: Fill each hole with about 1 tablespoon of sprinkles, then replace the plug and gently press down.
- Prepare the frosting: For colorful swirls, use a clean paintbrush to dab food coloring in 2-3 stripes up the inside of a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Fill the bag with vanilla frosting.
- Frost the cupcakes: Pipe the frosting over the cooled, filled cupcakes in a swirl pattern.
- Serve or store: Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Fun Filling Ideas for Your Pinata Cupcakes
While sprinkles are the classic choice, you can get creative with the filling! Try mini chocolate chips, crushed cookies, or even small candies like M&Ms or Skittles. For a fruity twist, use freeze-dried berries or colorful jelly beans. Just make sure the filling is small enough to fit neatly inside the cupcake hole.
Perfect Piping: Tips for Colorful Frosting
To achieve those vibrant swirls, use gel food coloring for bold, concentrated colors. Draw 2-3 stripes of different colors inside the piping bag before adding the frosting. For a smoother finish, twist the top of the bag tightly and pipe in a circular motion, starting from the outside and working inward. Clean your piping tip between batches for crisp designs.
Storage Tips to Keep Cupcakes Fresh
Store your Pinata Cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days. If you need them to last longer, refrigerate for up to a week—just let them come to room temperature before serving for the best texture. Avoid stacking them to prevent smudging the frosting or squishing the filling.
Time-Saving Hacks for Busy Bakers
Short on time? Use a boxed cake mix for the cupcakes and focus on the fun filling and frosting. Pre-measure your ingredients and set them out before starting to streamline the process. If you’re making these for a party, bake and carve the cupcakes a day ahead, then fill and frost them the next day.
Equipment Essentials for Success
For this recipe, a stand mixer or electric hand mixer makes creaming the butter and sugar a breeze. Use an ice cream scoop to evenly portion the batter into the liners. A large star piping tip (like Ateco 848) is ideal for creating those beautiful swirls, and a small paintbrush helps add the food coloring stripes to the piping bag.
Pinata Cupcakes
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup canola oil *
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature preferred
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup buttermilk
- 1 batch Vanilla Frosting
- Food coloring optional, I recommend using gel food coloring
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and prepare cupcake tin by lining a 12 count muffin tin with cupcake liners
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl using an electric mixer) cream together the butter, canola oil and sugar until creamy and well-combined.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Stir in vanilla extract.
- In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Using a spatula and gently hand-mixing, alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, starting and ending with flour mixture and mixing until just combined after each addition. The batter should be smooth and completely combined, but avoid over-mixing.
- Evenly divide batter into your prepared muffin tin (I use an ice cream scoop to neatly portion the batter), filling each liner ⅔-¾ of the way full (do NOT overfill) and bake on 350F (175C) for 17 minutes.
- When the cupcakes are finished baking, the surface should spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out mostly clean with few moist crumbs (no wet batter).
- Allow cupcakes to cool completely before continuing.
- Once cupcakes have cooled completely, use a knife to cut a hole about 1″ in diameter and 1″ deep into the center of each cupcake. I carve a hole using the knife and gently lift out the center. Cut the bottom off of each insert and set aside the top, which will serve as the plug for your cupcakes.
- Fill each carved hole with sprinkles (about 1 Tbsp), filling just below the brim of the cupcake. Top with your cupcake plug and gently press down. Top with vanilla frosting.
- To get the colorful swirls shown in the pictures, you will need a large piping bat fitted with a large star tip (I used an Ateco 848) and a small, clean, never used paintbrush. Dab a small drop of food coloring on the paintbrush and then use it to draw 2-3 stripes up the side of your frosting bag. Clean and dry the paintbrush well, and then repeat with two other colors. Fill the bag with frosting, and pipe over cooled, filled cupcakes.
- These cupcakes keep well when stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or 1 week in the refrigerator.