Funfetti Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cake flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 1/4 cup + 3 Tbsp milk, preferably whole
• 1/4 cup rainbow jimmies sprinkles
• Rainbow nonpareils, for sprinkling tops, or more jimmies
• 1 cup butter, nearly at room temperature, I prefer to use 2/3 cup, 10 1/2 Tbsp unsalted and 1/3 cup salted
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 – 2 Tbsp heavy cream

Directions

1. Set the oven to 350 degrees F. Run both flours, all-purpose and cake, through a sifter into a bowl. Whisk in the baking powder and salt for 20 seconds, then set this aside.
2. With the paddle attachment on an electric stand mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is fluffy and lighter in color, pausing occasionally to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl during mixing. Beat in the egg, then add the egg whites 1 at a time, mixing until incorporated after each addition. Blend in the vanilla and almond extract.
3. Build the batter in 3 dry additions: mix in 1/3 of the flour mixture, follow with 1/2 of the milk, and keep alternating so the flour mixture is both the first and last addition. Mix only until each addition is incorporated. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the sprinkles gently.
4. Spoon the batter into 12 muffin cups lined with paper, filling each cup to about 3/4 full, about 1/4 cup per cup. Bake for 17 – 19 minutes, until a toothpick poked into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Leave the cupcakes in the muffin tin for several minutes, then move them onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Once they are completely cool, pipe on the vanilla buttercream frosting with a Wilton 2E tip, or spread it on instead, then top with rainbow nonpareils. Use an airtight container for storage.
5. For the frosting, add the butter to the bowl of an electric stand mixer with the paddle attached. Beat on medium-high speed for about 7 – 8 minutes, until it looks very fluffy and almost white, pausing frequently to scrape the sides of the bowl.
6. Add the powdered sugar, heavy cream and vanilla extract. Start the mixer on low speed and mix until the frosting is blended, then turn it up to medium and beat until very light and fluffy, about 5 – 6 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl frequently.