A light and fluffy, made from scratch funfetti cake (sometimes also called confetti cake)! This soft, snow-white cake is speckled with brightly colored sprinkles and iced with a sweet buttercream frosting — it’s the perfect homemade birthday cake!
If this funfetti cake looks familiar, you caught me, I shared it exactly one year ago in celebration of the first unofficial birthday of Sugar Spun Run.
Well, it’s been two years now since I almost completely deleted this whole website. Instead, I dug in full-force and have spent almost every spare second of my time developing and photographing (and now videoing) recipes to share with you.
As a brief review before we get to this favorite layered funfetti cake of mine, I originally bought the name, Sugar Spun Run, in 2012 and published a few posts super casually, photographed via iPhone-only, and focused on… whatever caught my attention that particular day. It was maintained sporadically, sloppily, and definitely without intention.
So in April of 2015 when I got the bill to renew my website, I almost canceled everything. I was literally one button-click away from doing so… and then decided maybe I’d give it one more shot.
Well, here we are, nearly 250 recipes later with a bright cheerful funfetti cake to show for it.
It’s now been two years of late, powdered-sugar filled nights, of re-making recipes over and over again (often only to decide that they really were just right the first time), of website code-induced headaches, and of desperately attempting to solve the Rubik’s cube that is my camera. Well over 200 lbs of butter have made their way through my kitchen, and my KitchenAid has become my near-constant companion.
And I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
So, while today can’t rightly be called my blog’s “birthday”, I wanted to commemorate this two year anniversary anyway. Today I’m celebrating Sugar Spun Run’s Unbirthday, and slicing up this confetti-colored, sprinkle stuffed, 3-layer, from-scratch Funfetti cake just for the occasion. So let’s get down to it.
How do you make Funfetti cake?
Funfetti cake is typically a fluffy white cake with sprinkles mixed into the batter.
Light and fluffy, this cake is made with a combination of butter (for flavor) and oil (for texture and moisture). Developing this recipe took weeks, and the ingredients and their ratios were calculated very precisely and carefully.
For maximum fluffy softness, this recipe calls for plenty of egg whites (no egg yolks). You’ll whip these separately with an electric hand mixer until they reach stiff peaks (that just means that when you lift a whisk straight out of the whites, the peaks stay and don’t recede back into themselves) and then fold them with a spatula into the cake batter. This is easy to do– it takes only about 5 minutes– and is critical for a light and fluffy white cake (don’t get me started on yellow funfetti cakes — there should be no such thing).
I used a buttercream that I flavored with a new emulsion that I found at my local cake shop (see notes in recipe), which accented the frosting with notes of citrus and almond. This kept the buttercream from being overbearingly sweet, but didn’t go over as well with Zach, who loathes lemon.
Vanilla extract (or any other that you prefer) can also be used, of course, and I included notes in the recipe.
Today, I’m cutting up this carefully-crafted funfetti cake into thick slices in an Unbirthday celebration, and I’m so glad that you are here to join me.
Thank you so much for following along, for taking the time to read my posts (or just look at the pictures, that’s OK too), comment, e-mail, and follow me on social media (your support as I tackle video on Facebook has been so helpful).
This space would be nothing without you coming back day after day, and I know I wouldn’t have made it this far without so many kind, encouraging comments (when I get a comment telling me that you tried a recipe and loved it, it makes my whole day).
Sugar Spun Run is here to stay.
Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway. –Earl Nightingale
Funfetti Cake from Scratch (and an UnBirthday)
Ingredients
- 9 Tbsp butter softened
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 cup canola oil vegetable oil would also work
- 4 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 cups+ 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 4 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cup milk
- 9 egg whites room temperature preferred
- 1/2 cup sprinkles*
Buttercream
- 1 lb unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 6 Tbsp heavy cream
- 2 tsp LorAnn Princess emulsion or vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and prepare 3 8-inch round cake pans by generously greasing and flouring. Be sure to shake out excess flour.
- In stand mixer, beat butter on medium-low speed until creamy.
- Add sugar and oil and beat until all ingredients are well-combined and creamy.
- Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and then stir in your vanilla.
- In separate bowl, whisk together your flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Measure out your milk.
- With mixer on medium speed, gradually alternate between adding the flour mixture and the milk, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Stir until each one is almost completely combined before adding the next.
- Pause occasionally to scrape down sides and bottom of bowl.
- In separate bowl, combine your egg whites and, with a hand-mixer on high-speed, beat until stiff peaks form.
- Using a spatula, gently fold your egg whites and sprinkles into your batter. Take care to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl so that ingredients are well-combined, and take care not to over-mix.
- Evenly divide cake batter into prepared pans.
- Bake on 350F for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake layer comes out clean or with few crumbs (should not be wet). For best results, rotate your cake pans halfway through baking to ensure even baking.
- Cakes will be a light golden brown when done baking.
- Remove cakes from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Run a butterknife around the inside rim of each pan and invert each onto a cooling rack.
- Allow to cool completely before frosting.
Frosting
- I used this technique from I Am Baker to frost my cake. If you intend to use this technique as well it requires a lot of icing for the top and I recommend increasing this recipe by 50%. If you are just doing a plain covering that will not be needed.
- In stand mixer, beat butter on medium-speed until creamy.
- Add salt and beat again for about 20 seconds.
- Gradually, about 1 cup at a time, add powdered sugar, waiting until each cup is completely mixed before adding the next cup.
- Tbsp at a time, add the heavy cream on medium-high speed, waiting until each addition is well-combined before adding the next 2 Tbsp.
- Add flavoring (vanilla extract or emulsion). and stir on medium-high for 30 seconds.
- Transfer one layer of your cooled cake to serving platter. Use frosting to ice the top. Add the next layer, ice the top of that. Add your third layer on top and ice the top, and then do a thin "crumb coating" around the entire cake.
- Transfer to freezer for 10-15 minutes, then remove and apply a clean, thick coat of frosting around the entire cake.
Notes
Nutrition
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Recipe originally published 4/13/16 — text updated 4/13/17
Meg Sparks says
I’m making this cake for my daughters birthday since our local bakery closed. :-(. Is there a way to use regular eggs rather than egg whites? Can you use liquid egg whites that are store bought? I’m not a baker…but going to give this a whirl! Thanks!
Sam says
Hi Meg! I wouldn’t recommend using whole eggs for this recipe. Liquid egg whites are also hit or miss, some people have success with them while they will not whip to stiff peaks for others. I do have a vanilla cake recipe that uses whole eggs if you would prefer to try that one!
Maura says
Hello, this looks delicious! My daughter’s 8th birthday is in a few days, and I’d like to make this, but I only have a 9×13 pan. Do I need to change the ratio, or cut the recipe in half? Thanks!
Sugar Spun Run says
Hi, Maura! This recipe fits in a 9″ x 13″ baking pan nicely. No adjustments are needed to the ingredients, however, the bake time will be different than what is listed. Please keep an eye on it. I hope that your daughter enjoys her birthday cake and has a nice celebration. 🙂
Kate Thorlakson says
Hello,
Is the two tablespoons flour meant to be added in the mixing bowl, or is that for greasing and flouring the pans?
Sugar Spun Run says
Hi, Kate! You want to add all the flour (including the 2TBSP) in step 5 of the directions. I hope that you enjoy the cake! 🙂
Karren says
Hi!
It’s my daughter’s birthday next week and she would love cupcakes! I want to make these funfetti cupcakes along with your cream cheese chocolate frosting.
Can you tell me how long I should cook them for and at what temp?
Thank you so much!
Sugar Spun Run says
Hi, Karren! I actually have a confetti cupcake recipe that was created based off of this recipe that I would use instead. Details will be listed within the recipe. I hope that your daughter has a wonderful birthday celebration! 🙂
Krystle says
Hi! I would like to bake this cake today to surprise my husband tomorrow (his birthday) my only problem is.. i only have 1 20cm pan.. can i use 1 pan but have to leave the rest of the batter out. Please i need help
Sugar Spun Run says
Hi, Krystle! If you wish to make a 2- layered cake you will use the pan twice. If you wish for it to be a single layer cake, you will cut the recipe in half. Please keep in mind since the pan size is different so will the baking time, so I reccomend keeping an eye on it. I hope that your husband enjoys his special cake and birthday!
Bree Norwest says
Do you know the adjustments on cooking time if I wanted to make this as cupcakes?
Sugar Spun Run says
Hi, Bree! I actually have a recipe for confetti cupcakes based on this recipe that you can use. Enjoy! 🙂
D says
Hi.. I am making this for my daughters birthday since we can’t go out to celebrate. Do you know how to adjust for high altitude? Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run says
I am sorry that your daughter is stuck inside on her birthday, but I do hope her birthday cake brings her joy, D. Unfortunately, I do not have experience baking at high altitude so I can’t give you any personal recommendations. I hope that someone else who has tried this recipe under the same conditions will chime in. 🙂
Liz says
Hi!!! I want to make this for my daughters birthday but we don’t need this much cake. My question is, Can I cut the recipe for a 6in cake or would that cause a problem? Thank You so much! FYI I tried the Best Vanilla Cake recipe and it was Amazing!!!!! Thank You
Sugar Spun Run says
Hi, Liz! You can most certainly cut the recipe down and make adjustments as needed. Will you be making a two-layered cake or one?
Liz says
I think I will be making the 2 layers to get more of the birthday cake feel 😁
Sugar Spun Run says
Since you’d like to cut it down, I would cut it in half. The layers will be thinner than shown but should work nicely. Keep me posted on how it turns out. 🙂
Christina Duncan says
I am going to make this for my daughter’s birthday since her party had to be canceled. I have 2 round 10 inch pans on hand. Can this be made as a two layer with these? Could you estimate the cook time? She mostly cares about the frosting anyway.
Sugar Spun Run says
Hi, Christina! I am so sorry that your daughter’s party had to be canceled due to the virus. I hope that her birthday cake brings her some joy in the midst of her disappointment. You can use your 10″ pans, however, the layers will be slightly thinner than what is shown and require less time in the oven. Unfortunately, I do not know the exact bake time so I reccomend keeping an eye on it. You can test by inserting a toothpick into the center of your cake or cupcake. If there is wet batter still on the toothpick, it needs more time in the oven. If it comes out clean, your cake is done! I hope that helps. 🙂