If you grew up eating those classic circus animal cookies with their rainbow nonpareils, smooth pink or white coating, and nice crunch, you'll love the cupcake version. These Circus Animal Cupcakes combine a fluffy funfetti cupcake that's dipped in white chocolate and nonpareil sprinkles with a beautiful vanilla buttercream swirl for a delicious treat.
The white chocolate that the cupcakes are dipped into is just like that coating that the cookies are dipped in and the nonpareil sprinkles are just like the ones on the cookies too!
These Circus Animal Cupcakes are so fun and colorful that they're sure to impress anyone you serve them to!
A FEW NOTES BEFORE WE GET STARTED
- Room Temperature Ingredients:
- Butter: It’s important that the butter is softened. In a pinch, you can put your butter in the microwave for about 5 seconds on each side, but watch closely to make sure it is just softening and not melting.
- Egg Whites: You also want to make sure that the egg whites are at room temperature to ensure that they are properly incorporated into your batter. If you forget to leave them out before you start baking, place them in a bowl of warm water for about 15 minutes until they become room temperature.
- Measuring Your Ingredients: I strongly encourage that you use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients and ensure that you have the most accurate measurements possible.
- However, if you don’t have a scale on hand and will be using cup measurements, make sure to use the “spoon and sweep” method when measuring to avoid packing in too much of any dry ingredient.
- Oven Temperature: Make sure to preheat your oven for at least 15 minutes before you start baking.
- I recommend purchasing an oven thermometer to get to know your oven so you can adjust your baking temperatures accordingly. Some ovens run slightly warmer or colder so its important to know yours to make sure your baked goods come out right.
- Check out My Favorite Baking Tools to see what I use when I bake.
Preheat oven to 350º F. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until well combined.
Add the egg whites and vanilla with the mixer on medium speed and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the sour cream and mix until combined.
With the mixer on low, add in the flour mixture and milk. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and mix just until it is incorporated.
Gently fold in the sprinkles, being careful not to overmix. Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners and carefully divide the batter evenly among them, filling each only about two thirds of the way.
Bake for 22-24 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.
Cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan before gently pulling the cupcakes out of the pan to cool completely on a cooling rack.
Cream the butter until smooth. With the mixer on low, slowly add in the confectioners sugar by the spoonful followed by the vanilla and cream.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix just until combined. Add half of the frosting to a different bowl and stir in a drop of pink food coloring.
Flatten out a piece of plastic wrap and carefully transfer the white and pink frosting to the plastic wrap, making sure to keep it in two separate columns.
Roll the plastic wrap around the frosting tightly and twist the edges. Place in the fridge to chill.
Once the cupcakes have cooled, pour nonpareils onto a small plate. Melt the white chocolate wafers in a small, but deep bowl.
Carefully dip the tops of each cupcake into the white chocolate, turning as you dip, until the entire top is covered. Be careful to keep the cupcake wrapper edges out of the white chocolate.
Quickly dip the edges of the cupcakes in the nonpareils, shaking the plate to redistribute them as you work. You'll need to work fast and turn the cupcake as you go until all edges are covered with nonpareils.
Prep a pastry bag with an Ateco 869 or similar piping tip. Cut one edge of the plastic wrap of frosting and slide it into the pastry bag with the exposed edge at the tip. This will give your frosting that beautiful swirled look of both colors.
Starting in the middle of the cupcake, begin to pipe the frosting in a clockwise motion, moving to the outside until you have covered the entire top in a beautiful swirl design. Repeat this with the remaining cupcakes.
Top each cupcake with more nonpareil sprinkles and a circus animal cookie. Enjoy!
Circus Animal Cupcakes
These Circus Animal Cupcakes combine a fluffy funfetti cupcake that's dipped in white chocolate and nonpareil sprinkles with a beautiful vanilla buttercream swirl for a delicious treat.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour and 5 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings
- Category: Dessert
Ingredients
Funfetti Cupcakes
- 180 grams (1 ½ cups) flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 oz (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 198 grams (1 cup) sugar
- 2 egg whites, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 113 grams (½ cup) sour cream
- 56 grams (¼ cup) milk
- 90 grams (½ cup) jimmies sprinkles
Vanilla Buttercream
- 8 oz (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 454 grams (4 cups) confectioners sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 56 grams (¼ cup) heavy whipping cream or milk
Topping
- 1 ½ cups white chocolate melting wafers
- rainbow nonpareil sprinkles, plus more for topping
- 12 Circus Animal Cookies
Instructions
Funfetti Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350º F.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until well combined.
- Add the egg whites and vanilla with the mixer on medium speed and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the sour cream and mix until combined.
- With the mixer on low, add in the flour mixture and milk. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and mix just until it is incorporated.
- Gently fold in the sprinkles, being careful not to overmix.
- Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners and carefully divide the batter evenly among them, filling each only about two thirds of the way.
- Bake for 22-24 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.
- Cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan before gently pulling the cupcakes out of the pan to cool completely on a cooling rack.
Vanilla Buttercream
- Cream the butter until smooth.
- With the mixer on low, slowly add in the confectioners sugar by the spoonful followed by the vanilla and cream.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix just until combined. Add half of the frosting to a different bowl and stir in a drop of pink food coloring.
- Flatten out a piece of plastic wrap and carefully transfer the white and pink frosting to the plastic wrap, making sure to keep it in two separate columns.
- Roll the plastic wrap around the frosting tightly and twist the edges. Place in the fridge to chill.
Assembly
- Once the cupcakes have cooled, pour nonpareils onto a small plate. Melt the white chocolate wafers in a small, but deep bowl.
- Carefully dip the tops of each cupcake into the white chocolate, turning as you dip, until the entire top is covered. Be careful to keep the cupcake wrapper edges out of the white chocolate.
- Quickly dip the edges of the cupcakes in the nonpareils, shaking the plate to redistribute them as you work. You'll need to work fast and turn the cupcake as you go until all edges are covered with nonpareils.
- Prep a pastry bag with an Ateco 869 or similar piping tip. Cut one edge of the plastic wrap of frosting and slide it into the pastry bag with the exposed edge at the tip. This will give your frosting that beautiful swirled look of both colors.
- Starting in the middle of the cupcake, begin to pipe the frosting in a clockwise motion, moving to the outside until you have covered the entire top in a beautiful swirl design. Repeat this with the remaining cupcakes.
- Top each cupcake with more nonpareil sprinkles and a circus animal cookie. Enjoy!
Notes
- These cupcakes can be placed in an airtight container and kept in the fridge for up to four days. However, they’re best enjoyed fresh or slightly warmed.
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