Gender Reveal Cupcakes
These Gender Reveal Cupcakes are the sweetest way to share your big news. A tender vanilla cake hides a cavity filled with pink or blue sprinkles, topped with a dramatic two-tone swirl of pink and blue buttercream. Every bite is a surprise!
Servings: 17 cupcakes
Equipment
- KitchenAid Stand Mixer for batter and frosting
- USA Pan Muffin Pan (12-cup) non-stick
- 1 Piping bag with large star tip for the two-tone swirl
- Cupcake corer or teaspoon for removing the center
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ¼ cup neutral oil vegetable or canola
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Vanilla recommended
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
For the Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened — Kerrygold recommended
- 4 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- pink gel food coloring gel preferred over liquid
- blue gel food coloring gel preferred over liquid
For the Reveal and Decoration
- pink OR blue sprinkles for the hidden center — choose based on your reveal
- pink, blue, and white sprinkles for decorating the top
Instructions
Make the Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a standard muffin tin with cupcake liners and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the softened butter and sugar. Cream on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Add the eggs, vanilla, oil, and milk. Mix well on medium speed, scraping down the sides often until fully combined.
- Add the salt, baking powder, and flour. Mix on low speed just until combined — do not overmix. The batter should be smooth and thick.
- Using an ice cream scoop, divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, filling each about ½ to ¾ full.
- Bake for approximately 14 minutes, until the centers are set and the edges are just beginning to brown. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before decorating.
Make the Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the softened butter with about half of the powdered sugar. Mix on low speed until combined.
- Add the remaining powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt. Mix on low until combined, then increase to medium speed and whip until the frosting is smooth, light, and creamy, about 3 minutes.
- Divide the frosting evenly between two bowls. Tint one bowl pink and the other blue using gel food coloring. Fit a large piping bag with a star tip. Add the blue frosting to one side of the bag and the pink frosting to the other side so both colors are present and will swirl when piped.
Assemble the Reveal Cupcakes
- Once the cupcakes are completely cool, use a teaspoon or cupcake corer to remove the center of each cupcake. You can discard the removed cake or snack on it — your call.
- Fill the cavity of each cupcake generously with the reveal sprinkles — pink OR blue, depending on your announcement. Keep the secret until the party!
- Pipe a large, swirling dollop of the two-tone frosting over each cupcake, completely concealing the sprinkle center. Finish with a sprinkle of the mixed pink, blue, and white decorating sprinkles on top.
Notes
**Storage:** Store assembled cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving for the best frosting texture.
**Pro Tips:**
- **Cool completely:** Never core or frost warm cupcakes — the cake will crumble and the frosting will melt.
- **Use gel food coloring:** Liquid food coloring can thin your frosting. Gel gives vivid color without changing the consistency.
- **The two-bag trick:** If loading both colors into one bag is tricky, put each color in a small separate bag, snip the tips, and drop both into the large bag fitted with the star tip.
- **Keep the secret:** Only the baker needs to know the reveal color. Fill all cupcakes with the same color and keep the reveal a surprise until the party!
- **Make ahead:** Bake and cool cupcakes the day before. Make the frosting and refrigerate it separately. Assemble the morning of the event.
- **Cool completely:** Never core or frost warm cupcakes — the cake will crumble and the frosting will melt.
- **Use gel food coloring:** Liquid food coloring can thin your frosting. Gel gives vivid color without changing the consistency.
- **The two-bag trick:** If loading both colors into one bag is tricky, put each color in a small separate bag, snip the tips, and drop both into the large bag fitted with the star tip.
- **Keep the secret:** Only the baker needs to know the reveal color. Fill all cupcakes with the same color and keep the reveal a surprise until the party!
- **Make ahead:** Bake and cool cupcakes the day before. Make the frosting and refrigerate it separately. Assemble the morning of the event.
