Funfetti Cake
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A showstopping funfetti cake with pillowy soft layers of white cake speckled with colorful sprinkles. Whipped vanilla buttercream frosting encases the cake and more sprinkles are added for decoration.
This funfetti cake recipe is probably the most fun birthday cake to celebrate with. It’s cake number 6 in this year’s cake month.
That’s right. We’re celebrating the entire month of July in honor of my birthday. I’ve made all sorts of cakes so far.
Strawberry shortcake cake, vanilla cupcakes, marble cake, strawberry shortcake, and strawberry mousse cake have been huge hits with you and I’m sure you are also going to love today’s homemade funfetti cake.
This is the best funfetti cake recipe I’ve tried. The cake is soft, fluffy, and full of vanilla flavor. The vanilla frosting is whipped so it’s supremely soft. It’s the perfect addition to such a lovely cake.
Why this recipe works
- Using all egg whites in the cake makes it lighter and spongier. Unlike my white cake, though, this recipe doesn’t call for whipping the egg whites to soft peaks first. That’s one less step you have to worry with.
- Rainbow sprinkles similar to these are what I used to for the cake batter. I actually used the Walmart brand for mine because I found they taste the best.
- The frosting is whipped with a little extra cream so it’s light and soft. It reminds me of whipped cream only sturdier. It will firm up slightly as it sits but the way it melts across the tongue is purely divine.
I couldn’t be more pleased with how this light and fluffy funfetti cake recipe from scratch turned out. It’s fluffy, moist, and tastes amazing. White cake is probably one of my favorites anyway. But when you add rainbow sprinkles, it just seems to taste better.
Then a lush vanilla frosting is added and you end up with the best cake you’ve ever had! I promise you will never reach for store-bought Funfetti cake mix again.
Ingredients
Most Funfetti cake recipes call for similar ingredients. You need staple ingredients to make the white cake layers plus sprinkles that actually taste good, and the right ingredients for a delectable frosting.
- Butter: I always use unsalted sweet cream butter in my baked goods. I prefer unsalted so I can control the amount of salt that goes into the recipe. And sweet cream butter tastes the best in cakes.
- Sugar: Regular granulated white sugar is needed for the cake. And confectioners’ sugar is needed for the frosting.
- Egg whites: Typically, I’d preach how important it is to make sure there is absolutely no trace of yolk in the whites. That’s important when whipping the whites but we skip this step in today’s recipe. If you get a little yolk in the whites while separating them, that’s perfectly okay. If you get a lot of yolk in the whites, try to spoon most of it out. But you don’t need to through all the whites away and start again.
- Vanilla extract: Use a high-quality pure vanilla extract or make your own vanilla. This will give you the best flavor. Or you can use clear vanilla if you want the cake to be stark white.
- Flour: Cake flour will give you the very best texture. It produces a tight crumb that is fine and soft.
- Leavening: I chose to use only baking powder in this recipe. Sometimes I’ll add a little baking soda when using buttermilk but I find that it produces more air bubbles and leaves the cake with large holes. This happens even with tapping the pans to burst the bubbles before baking.
- Salt: A little is used to balance the sweetness.
- Buttermilk: Make sure to use full-fat buttermilk and not low-fat. It won’t produce the same results. Also, avoid substituting with regular milk. The buttermilk will give you a softer texture with a very slight tang.
- Sprinkles: Rainbow sprinkles work best but be careful with the brand you choose. I had some that tasted awful and they completely ruined the cake. I prefer these from Walmart. They don’t really taste like much and blend seamlessly with the flavor of the cake.
- Heavy Cream: A good amount of heavy cream goes into the frosting to make it lighter.
To bake this cake you’ll need:
- 8-inch pans: I baked the cake layers in three 8-inch round pans. I prefer the aluminum pans over any other type of cake pans.
- You can also make the cake in two 9-inch round pans.
- Stand Mixer: I can’t live without my KitchenAid Stand Mixer. It makes mixing cake batter and frosting so easy.
- Silicone Spatula: My favorite spatulas are these OXO ones. I love that they are one whole piece so no grossness gets trapped where the handle meets the silicone head.
How to make Funfetti Cake (Confetti Cake)
It’s super easy to make a homemade Funfetti cake. The recipe comes together quickly and the cake layers only take about 25 minutes to bake. Maybe less depending on your oven.
It’s important to have the oven preheated for at least 30 minutes before making the cake. And all the ingredients should be at room temperature. Set the egg whites, butter, and buttermilk out on the counter for 1 hour before you begin baking.
The Batter – The vanilla cake batter comes together in just a few minutes and requires two bowls, a mixer, and a spatula.
The Frosting – Make the frosting while the cake is cooling and you’ll be able to frost it right away.
Step 1: Make the cake
Start by beating the room-temperature butter and sugar together for about 5 minutes on medium speed. The mixture should appear lighter in color and doubled in volume.
Beat in the egg whites, one at a time. Mix on low speed for about 20 seconds after each addition. Then beat in the vanilla extract.
Combine the cake flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Use a whisk to stir everything together until well combined. You want to make sure the baking powder is evenly distributed throughout the flour.
Add half the flour mixture into the butter mixture and mix on low speed until almost fully combined. Add the buttermilk then add in the remaining flour mixture. Beat on low speed until just combined.
Take care not to over-mix the batter. As soon as no streaks of dry flour are visible, stop mixing!
Use a silicone spatula and carefully fold in the sprinkles until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
Step 2: Bake the cake
Lightly grease and flour your pans then line the bottoms with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit. Lightly grease and flour the parchment paper as well. This ensures the cake does not stick to the pan.
Divide the batter evenly between the pans and use an offset spatula to level the top.
Bake the cakes for 20-25 minutes. This may vary depending on your oven. The cakes are done baking once a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached.
Take care to not overbake the cakes. If the toothpick comes out completely clean, the cake may be over-baked and dry.
Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Then, turn them out onto a wire rack and allow them to cool completely.
Step 3: Make the frosting and frost the cake
Since the frosting is slightly adapted from my vanilla buttercream, I’m not going to go into details on how to make it. I’ve modified the ingredient ratio slightly but the process is exactly the same.
Set one cake layer on a serving platter and top with frosting. Place the second cake layer over the top and cover that one with frosting as well. Position the third cake layer on top and cover the entire cake with the remaining frosting.
Decorate the cake with more sprinkles if desired. I chose to use different sprinkles for decorating the outside of the cake. I prefer the look of the fancier sprinkles.
How to store
Keep the cake covered in an airtight container or cake keeper. The cake will stay fresh for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.
The cake can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bring to room temperature before serving.
How do I get neat slices out of my cake?
My trick for cutting such clean slices is to refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour after frosting and decorating it. Cold cakes slice neater because the frosting and cake are firmer.
Once you make the cuts in the cake, let it return to room temperature before serving.
Tips for success
- Properly measure the flour. Don’t scoop the flour directly out of the bag with the measuring cup. Since flour compacts, this method will add too much flour to the recipe. It’s best to weigh the flour for the most precise measurements.
- Choose the rainbow sprinkles carefully. Some brands taste awful and will ruin the cake.
- Use bake even strips to bake perfectly level cake layers.
If you like this recipe, you’ll love these other cake recipes:
Funfetti Cake (Confetti Cake)
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 6 egg whites, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups (360 g) cake flour, sifted
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (180 ml) buttermilk, room temperature
- ⅓ cup (53 g) rainbow sprinkles
For the frosting
- 2 cups (454 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 cups (480 g) confectioners' sugar, sifted
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream, room temperature
- sprinkles for decoration, if desired
Instructions
Make the cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and lightly flour 3 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper. Lightly grease and flour the parchment paper; set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Add the egg whites, one at a time, mixing on low speed for 20 seconds after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to a medium bowl. Stir with a whisk to combine.
- Add half the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Beat on low speed until almost fully combined. Add the buttermilk followed by the remaining flour and mix on low speed until just combined.
- Carefully fold in the sprinkles.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Take care to not over-bake.
- Cool for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on a wire rack.
Make the frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl with a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed until creamy and pale in color, about 5 minutes.
- Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, one cup at a time. After each addition, beat on low speed just until the sugar has fully moistened, then turn the speed up to medium-high and beat until well incorporated, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the vanilla and salt. Turn the mixer on low speed and slowly add 1 tablespoon at at time of the heavy cream. Turn the mixer up to medium-high and beat until the cream is well incorporated, about 3-5 minutes. (After 2 minutes stop and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl then continue mixing.)
Assemble the cake
- Place one layer on a serving platter. Spread frosting over the top. Repeat with the second layer. Top with the third layer and cover the entire cake with the remaining frosting. Garnish with sprinkles if desired.
Video
Notes
- Make sure you are correctly measuring the flour and sift it after measuring to remove any clumps.
- Make sure to use a quality brand rainbow sprinkles. I’ve tasted a few and some have a very distinct flavor that can ruin the cake.
- You can also bake this cake in two 9-inch round pans or 9×13-inch pan. Bake times may need to be adjusted.
- Wrap baked and cooled cake layers tightly in plastic wrap and store them in the refrigerator. Assemble and frost the cake within 2 days.
- Once the cake has been assembled, it will stay fresh for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Keep it covered to prevent it from drying out. Bring to room temperature before serving.
- The frosted cake can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature just before serving.
I tried this recipe for cupcakes and the cake was too dense. I like a more light, fluffy, moist cake.