Funfetti fennel cupcakes with whipped honey orange buttercream! This recipe uses saunf mitai or candied fennel seeds for a flavor packed twist to the traditional funfetti cake.
Saunf mitai (Candied Fennel) is superior to sprinkles
This recipe is my spin on a funfetti cake. The main star of the show in these cupcakes is the candied fennel seeds that I add instead of regular sprinkles.
Candied Fennel or Saunf Mitai holds a special nostalgic place in my heart. These candies are handed out at the end of a meal at Indian restaurants just like refreshing and sweet peppermints at American restaurants.
These candied fennel seeds are not only very festive in color but also add a depth of licorice-y flavor and undeniable crunch that you can’t achieve with just regular sugar sprinkles.
Where to get Saunf Mitai
You can get saunf mitai at an Indian store or easily online via Amazon. They come in a variety of colors and last forever in your pantry.
Orange buttercream and fennel are a pair made in heaven
To top it all off, I’ve included a rich honey orange buttercream which pairs perfectly with the cake, but honestly, you could eat the buttercream on its own.
The key to a fluffy buttercream is working with room temperature butter and spending that extra two minutes to whip it up real good.
Funfetti Fennel Cupcakes
Ingredients
Frosting Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 2 cups (250 g) powdered sugar 250g
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ¼ cup full fat sour cream
Cupcakes Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (200 g) all-purpose flour 200g
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
- ½ cup (134 g) whole milk 134g
- ¼ cup (56 g) freshly squeezed orange juice 56g
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 whole (125 g) egg
- 2 egg whites
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar 150g
- ⅓ cup sugar-coated fennel seeds plus more to sprinkle on top
Instructions
Ingredient prep
- Take out 1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature) for the frosting and ½ cup unsalted butter (room temperature) for the cake and keep out at room temperature
Make Frosting
- In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat 1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature) and 2 cups (250 g) powdered sugar together. First start the mixer on slow until the sugar is incorporated with butter and then increase speed to high for 3 minutes until the butter is light and fluffy.
- Add in ¼ cup honey, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon orange zest, ¼ cup full fat sour cream and mix until combined.
Make Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325F. Line the cupcake pan with liners.
- In a medium bowl, thoroughly mix 1 ½ cups (200 g) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon sea salt together. In another bowl, mix the ½ cup (134 g) whole milk, ¼ cup (56 g) freshly squeezed orange juice, and 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract.
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment fastened, add ½ cup unsalted butter (room temperature)and ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar and beat at medium speed for 3 minutes until the butter is light and fluffy. You may need to stop to scrape down the bowl frequently to keep the butter close in contact with the mixer.
- Reduce the stand mixer speed to low, slowly add 1 whole (125 g) egg and 2 egg whites, and beat for another 2-3 minutes until the egg and butter mixture are emulsified (mixed together as one). Scrape down the bowl once more.
- While the stand mixer is still running on low, add half the dry ingredients followed by the wet ingredients, and then the remaining dry ingredients. Mix just until the batter comes together and there are no more remaining dry pockets.
- Scrape down the bowl once more and fold in the ⅓ cup sugar-coated fennel seeds using a spatula.
- Fill each cupcake tin ¾ of the way to the top with batter. This should be roughly ¼ cup (75g) of batter per cupcake.
- Bake cupcakes for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
- Spread frosting on cake as desired and sprinkle with additional sugar coated fennel seeds.
Notes and Tips
- Beating the butter and sugar is a method called creaming. Many bakers tend to not cream the butter enough but it really helps result in an ultra fluffy cake. It is very very important that your butter is at room temperature before creaming otherwise it will be very difficult to whip.
- Make sure to fold the fennel seeds into the batter rather than using the stand mixer so you gently distribute the seeds.
- You use a ¼ of measuring cup or a cookie scooper to evenly distribute batter to your cupcake tins! Make sure to either grease your cupcake tins or use cupcake liners.
Shri Repp