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This Funfetti Cake has a tender and moist crumb laced with sprinkles and is topped with a sweet buttercream frosting. Perfect for birthdays!
I’ve taken my beloved Vanilla Cake recipe and made it into a Funfetti Cake! Sprinkles can be found everywhere on this cake and it’s the ultimate celebration cake. You’ll never use a box mix again! Whether you’re making funfetti cupcakes, a stacked and frosted cake or a simple 9×13, I’ve got fail-proof directions for them all, giving you lots of *sweet* success!
Ingredients for Funfetti Cake
I want to give you an overview of what’s in this funfetti cake and why! As a general cake making rule, all ingredients should be at room temperature, this way the batter combines more easily. Here’s what you’ll need:
- All-Purpose Flour – there is no need for fancy flours here. Regular all-purpose flour fills out the majority of the cake.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda – both are needed for lots of lift.
- Salt and Vanilla Extract – salt and vanilla extract are strictly for flavor.
- Milk – milk is used for moisture and to thin out the batter.
- Salted Butter and Vegetable Oil – using both softened butter and oil ensures a moist buttery crumb.
- Whole Eggs and Egg Whites – whole eggs are used for structure while the egg whites help create a lighter cake.
- Granulated Sugar – to create a sweet and tender cake.
- Sprinkles – this is what makes the funfetti look! More on what types of sprinkles to use below.
Best Sprinkles to Use
I have found that some sprinkles bleed in funfetti cake while others hold their color and create a cleaner look. The best sprinkles to use for funfetti cake are either jimmies or quins.
- Jimmies are the soft longer sprinkles you typically find at an ice cream shop.
- Quins are the flat disc-like sprinkles that resemble confetti.
Definitely do not use any sort of sprinkle in ball form or coarse sugar for this cake. The colors will bleed like crazy or the sugar will create a grainy texture.
How to Make Funfetti Cake
The method in making the funfetti batter is important to the total outcome of the cake, so follow the directions closely. For full details and notes, see the recipe card below. Also, be sure to use light colored baking pans! These USA Pans are my favorite because they hold their temperature well for even baking. These will also keep your cake edges nice and soft and not too dark!
- Preheat oven. Line three 8-inch round baking pans with parchment paper and/or spray well with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- In a liquid measuring cup, stir milk and vanilla together. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, mix butter, oil, and sugar together until combined. Mix in eggs and egg whites, one at a time, until the mixture becomes very light and fluffy.
- Alternate adding in flour mixture with milk mixture, being sure to start and end with flour. Scrape the sides and mix again to ensure a smooth batter. Stir the sprinkles in by hand. Divide evenly between baking pans and smooth the top.
- Bake in the lower 2/3rds of the oven. Funfetti cake will be done when a toothpick comes out clean or mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool in cake pans before trying to invert on cooling racks. Cool completely before frosting and decorating.
Funfetti Buttercream
For the funfetti buttercream recipe, you’ll need salted butter, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, milk, and more sprinkles! I based this funfetti buttercream on my classic buttercream recipe. For FAQs and troubleshooting, I direct you to the original buttercream frosting post. Here’s how to make it:
- Using a hand or stand mixer, start to combine the vanilla and butter into the powdered sugar.
- With the mixer on, slowly stream in your milk tablespoon by tablespoon until it starts to come together and look creamy. Your frosting should be thick enough to hold its shape, but light enough to have a butter knife or rubber scraper run through it with ease. Fold in sprinkles by hand.
- Once you reach this point, you are done and the buttercream is ready to use.
Other Sized Cakes
Luckily for you, funfetti cake can come in all shapes and sizes! One funfetti cake recipe can make:
- one 9×13 cake: bake for 45-60 minutes
- two 8 or 9-inch round cakes: 25-30 minutes
- 24 cupcakes: bake for 18-20 minutes
Regardless of how you bake this funfetti cake, be sure to use lighter-colored baking pans (or glass). Using a darker Teflon will give you darker, crispier edges. (These are my favorite pans to use.)
More Cake Recipes to Try!
Be sure to check out all of my other cake recipes while you’re at it. Here are a couple of classics:
The printable recipe card is below for this sweet Funfetti Cake, happy baking 🙂
Funfetti Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/3 cups milk
- 1 tablespoon real vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup salted butter softened
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 whole large eggs
- 2 whole egg whites
- 3 tablespoons colorful sprinkles jimmies (the soft kind)
Funfetti Frosting
- 1 1/2 cups salted butter softened
- 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 3 pounds powdered sugar
- 6 tablespoons milk or more as needed
- 3 tablespoons colorful sprinkles plus more for decoration if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line four 8-inch round baking pans with parchment paper and/or spray well with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. (See notes)
- In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together to combine. Set aside.
- In a liquid measuring cup, stir milk and vanilla together. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, mix butter, oil and sugar together until combined. Mix in eggs and egg whites, one at a time, until mixture becomes very light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix again briefly.
- Alternate adding in flour mixture with milk mixture, being sure to start and end with flour. Scrape the sides and mix again to ensure a smooth batter. Stir the sprinkles in by hand. Divide evenly between baking pans and smooth the top. Bake 25-30 minutes in the lower 2/3rds of the oven. Cake will be done when a toothpick comes out clean or mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool 15-20 minutes in cake pans before trying to invert on cooling racks. Cool completely before frosting and decorating.
Making Funfetti Frosting
- **If frosting a 9x13 cake or cupcakes, halve the recipe! Measure out the butter, powdered sugar and vanilla into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Using a hand or stand mixer, start to combine the butter into the powdered sugar.
- With the mixer on, slowly stream in your milk tablespoon by tablespoon until it starts to come together and look creamy. If it hasn’t come together, add another tablespoon, mix and wait it out. After about 2 or 3 tablespoons, your frosting should be thick enough to hold its shape, but light enough to have a butter knife or rubber scraper run through it with ease. Remove half of the frosting and set aside. Fold in sprinkles by hand to other half of frosting. This is the funfetti frosting you will fill the cakes with.
- Once you reach this point, you are done and the buttercream is ready to use.
Assembling the Cake
- Place one layer of cake onto a serving platter or cake stand. Spread about 3/4 cup funfetti frosting on top evenly, pushing towards the edges.
- Continue stacking and layering the cake until all three layers are stacked. Use about half of the plain frosting to coat entire cake evenly in a thin crumb coating. Freeze 10 minutes. Frost entire cake again with remaining frosting for an even, smooth finish. Decorate with more sprinkles if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- 1- 9x13 cake (bake for 45-60 minutes)
- 4- 8 or 9-inch round cakes (25-30 minutes)
- 2-8 or 9-inch round cakes-thick cakes! (45-60 minutes)
- 24 cupcakes (bake for 18-20 minutes)
- 9x13- use half the written frosting recipe
- 4- 8 or 9-inch round cakes- use frosting recipe as written
- 2- 8 or 9-inch round cakes- if using thick cakes, use half the written frosting recipe. If slicing in half to get 4 total layers, use full recipe
- 24 cupcakes- use half of the written frosting recipe
That cake was Amazing!! I have made several cakes and this was one of the best cakes I’ve ever made! It was easy to make, simple instructions and ingredients. And baked up beautifully! can’t wait to make more of your cake recipes! Which one is your favorite?
I made this yesterday for my son’s birthday. It was so delicious. My husband said this was the best cake I’ve made to date. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
I keep saying I want to make a scratch cake – well this looks like the recipe I will try. I guess it will be ok to leave out on the counter? How long? and it would be difficult to cover without smashing the icing but it would have to be covered.
50 years ago my mother would always ask us what kind of a cake we wanted….it was always confetti angel food. This cake is similar and brings back such wonderful memories.
Maybe I will try your recipe tomorrow as no one is going outside with the smoke.
God Belss,
Ann