Bring joy to your celebration with this Easy Homemade Funfetti Cake. Bursting with sprinkles and fluffy vanilla buttercream, it’s sure to make any birthday memorable!
This Easy Homemade Funfetti Cake is a cheerful treat bursting with color in every bite. Each slice is speckled with vibrant pops of color, making it perfect for birthdays, celebrations, or just adding a little happiness to an ordinary day. Topped with creamy vanilla frosting and extra sprinkles, this cake is a sweet celebration all on its own.
This delish cake is definitely kid-approved, and really, who can pass up this colorful concoction? You can even mix up the color scheme by changing the sprinkles. This will surely become a yearly request. Try serving this party pleaser alongside my Easy No Churn Ice Cream or Homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.
Table of Contents
Why We Love This Funfetti Cake
- Homemade Funfetti Cake bursts with colorful sprinkles, making every slice visually delightful.
- This cake recipe is easy to customize with different sprinkle colors and shapes.
- Made from scratch, Homemade Funfetti Cake ensures high-quality, fresh ingredients.
Recipe Ingredients
- Vanilla Extract: Offers a warm, aromatic flavor.
- Buttermilk: Provides a slight tanginess and helps create a moist, tender crumb.
- Rainbow Jimmy Sprinkles: Not only add a burst of color but also a slight sweetness and fun texture, making each bite enjoyable.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
- Sprinkle Variations: I absolutely love using Sweetapolita Sprinkle mixes. You can also use simple Rainbow Jimmies sprinkles or switch up the colors for different occasions! Just stay away from nonpareils (the little balls) because the color will bleed into the batter and not be very pretty.
- Buttermilk Substitute: Buttermilk helps to produce a really tender crumb, but if you don’t have any on hand, you can create a substitute. Combine 1 tablespoon of either white vinegar or lemon juice with 1 cup of milk, and let it sit for at least 5 minutes. Make sure you use the 1:1 ratio, even though this recipe doesn’t require a full cup of buttermilk.
- Cake Options: If you want to try something different, you can easily adapt this recipe to make other delicious cakes. For a classic taste, use the same recipe to create a moist and fluffy vanilla cake. If you’re a chocolate lover, substitute some of the flour mixture with cocoa powder to transform it into a rich chocolate cake.
How to Make Funfetti Cake
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). Lightly butter and flour (or spray) a 9×13-inch pan.
Step 2: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, and extracts until light and creamy, about 3-4 minutes. With mixing speed on low, add the eggs and egg white, beating after each addition.
Step 3: In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Step 4: With mixing speed on low, alternate adding the dry ingredients with the buttermilk, taking care not to overmix. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the sprinkles.
Step 5: Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pan, spreading it into an even, smooth layer. Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cake is golden brown on top and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before frosting.
Step 6: To prepare the frosting, in a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla, salt, and powdered sugar, mix until large crumbs form, then slowly pour in the heavy cream. Gradually turn speed up to medium-high speed and beat for 2-3 minutes or until fluffy.
Step 7: Scoop the frosting into the center of the cake, then using an offset spatula, spread over the cake into an even layer. Garnish with sprinkles if desired. Cut and serve, enjoy for up to 3 days at room temperature.
Expert Tips
- Easy Removal: Run a knife around the edges of the cake to scrape and loosen it before removing it from the pan. This ensures clean edges and prevents the cake layer from sticking to the sides. Alternatively, you can line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper for even easier removal.
- Proper Cooling: Allow cakes to cool in the pans set on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Place cakes directly on wire racks to cool completely.
FAQs
To make your homemade Funfetti cake even more festive, decorate with a variety of sprinkle shapes and colors. Add a border of piped frosting around the edges and place colorful candies or edible glitter on top for a fun and eye-catching finish.
Yes, you can use a boxed cake mix for convenience. Simply follow the instructions on the box, and add your own sprinkles to make it a Funfetti cake. However, making it from scratch allows for better control over the ingredients and taste.
Storage Info
To STORE your Homemade Funfetti Cake, keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, you can refrigerate it for up to a week. To FREEZE, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. You can freeze the cake for up to 3 months.
To REHEAT, let the cake thaw at room temperature and warm individual slices in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
Easy Homemade Funfetti Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter - softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs - room temperature
- 1 egg white - room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- 1 1/2 cup cake flour
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher sea salt
- 3/4 cup +2 tbsp buttermilk - room temperature
- 1/2 cup rainbow jimmy sprinkles
For the Frosting
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter - room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 3 tbsp heavy cream
- 3 1/2-4 cup powdered sugar
- sprinkles for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). Lightly butter and flour (or spray) a 9×13-inch pan.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, and extracts until light and creamy, about 3-4 minutes. With mixing speed on low, add the eggs and egg white, beating after each addition.
- In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- With mixing speed on low, alternate adding the dry ingredients with the buttermilk, taking care not to overmix. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the sprinkles.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pan, spreading it into an even, smooth layer. Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cake is golden brown on top and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before frosting.
- To prepare the frosting, in a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla, salt, and powdered sugar, mix until large crumbs form, then slowly pour in the heavy cream. Gradually turn speed up to medium-high speed and beat for 2-3 minutes or until fluffy.
- Scoop the frosting into the center of the cake, then using an offset spatula, spread over the cake into an even layer. Garnish with sprinkles if desired. Cut and serve, enjoy for up to 3 days at room temperature.
This was way better than a boxed mix, tasted truly homemade.
Could I make this in two 8 inch rounds or squares? Would I need to increase the recipe?
Hi Jessica, here is a good resource and a snippet from it to help: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2019/04/23/the-essential-alternative-baking-pan-sizes
9” x 13” pan alternatives
Now let’s throw your 9” x 13” pan into the mix. Multiply 9” x 13” to get 117”. What’s the best way to turn that 9” x 13” sheet cake recipe into two rounds for a layer cake?
Remember, your 9” round pan’s capacity is 64”. Your 8” round pan’s, 50”. Divide 117” by 2 and you get 58.5” — which falls right in between the two round sizes. So which round pans should you choose?
The two 9” round pans offer about 10% more space than the 9” x 13”. The two 8” rounds fall about 9% short. Bake in two 9” pans, you’ll get shorter layers than the cake you’d bake in a 9” x 13” pan. But choose two 8” pans and you run the risk of batter overflowing.
Play it safe and bake in two 9” round pans.