A light and fluffy, made from scratch ย funfetti cake (sometimes also called confetti cake)! ย 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. ย 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 originallyย bought the name, Sugar Spun Run,ย inย 2012 and published a few postsย super casually, photographed viaย iPhone-only, and focused on… whatever caught my attention that particular day. ย It was maintainedย sporadically, sloppily, and definitely without intention.
So in April of 2015 when I got the bill to renew my website, I almost canceled everything. ย 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,ย nearly 250 recipes later with a bright cheerful funfetti cake to show for it.
It’s now been twoย years of late, powdered-sugar filled nights, of re-making recipes over and over again (often only to decide that they really were just rightย the first time), of website code-induced headaches, and ofย desperately attempting to solve the Rubik’s cube that is my camera.ย 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, whileย today can’t rightly be called my blog’s “birthday”, I wanted to commemorate this twoย year anniversary anyway. ย Today I’m celebrating Sugar Spun Run’s Unbirthday, and slicing up this confetti-colored, sprinkle stuffed, 3-layer, from-scratchย Funfetti cake just for the occasion. ย 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). ย Developing this recipe took weeks, andย 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). ย 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 spatulaย into the cake batter. ย This is easy to do– it takes only about 5 minutes– and isย critical for a light and fluffyย 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. ย 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 cakeย into thickย 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 postsย (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 withoutย you coming back day after day, and I know I wouldn’tย 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 Runย is here to stay.
Never give up on a dreamย just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. ย The time will pass anyway. –Earl Nightingale
Funfetti Cake from Scratch (and an UnBirthday)
Ingredients
- 9 Tablespoons (127 g) unsalted butter softened
- 3 cups (600 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (236 ml) neutral cooking oil Use canola, vegetable, or avocado oil
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 cups+ 2 Tbsp (516 g) all-purpose flour (all of the flour goes into the cake batter, you will also need additional flour for preparing the cake pan)
- 4 ยฝ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ยฝ teaspoons salt
- 1 ยฝ cup (355 ml) milk
- 9 egg whites room temperature preferred
- ยฝ cup (80 g) sprinkles*
Buttercream
- 1 lb (453 g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ยผ teaspoon salt
- 6 cups (750 g) powdered sugar
- 6 Tbsp heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons LorAnn Princess emulsion or vanilla extract
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) 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.9 Tablespoons (127 g) unsalted butter
- Add sugar and oil and beat until all ingredients are well-combined and creamy.3 cups (600 g) granulated sugar, 1 cup (236 ml) neutral cooking oil
- Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and then stir in your vanilla.4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- In separate bowl, whisk together your flour, baking powder, and salt.4 cups+ 2 Tbsp (516 g) all-purpose flour, 4 ยฝ teaspoons baking powder, 1 ยฝ teaspoons salt
- Measure out your milk.1 ยฝ cup (355 ml) milk
- With mixer on medium speed, gradually alternate between adding the flour mixture and the milk to the butter mixture, 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.9 egg whites
- 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.ยฝ cup (80 g) sprinkles*
- Evenly divide cake batter into prepared pans.
- Bake on 350F (175C) 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.1 lb (453 g) unsalted butter
- Add salt and beat again for about 20 seconds.ยผ teaspoon salt
- Gradually, about 1 cup at a time, add powdered sugar, waiting until each cup is completely mixed before adding the next cup.6 cups (750 g) powdered sugar
- 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.6 Tbsp heavy cream
- Add flavoring (vanilla extract or emulsion). and stir on medium-high for 30 seconds.2 teaspoons LorAnn Princess emulsion or vanilla extract
- 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
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase anything through these links I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Please view the disclosure policy for more information.
Recommended Kitchen Tools
You may also like:
Recipe originally published 4/13/16 — text updated 4/13/17
Mel
Hi Sam I wan to make this cake for a friend but in cupcake form, how long should they be in the oven?
Sam
Hi Mel! They need to bake for about 14-15 minutes. ๐
Iris
Hello,
I have to bake a cake for a friend that likes sprinkles and unicorns and pastels and all that kind of stuff so I want to make a funfetti cake with sprinkles covering the outside so I tried this recipe, I made only half just to try it out and it is really good but I find it a little on the sweet side without frosting (I had a leftover white chocolate frosting that I used but does not work at all because it is extremely sweet), anyway I don’t know if I’m loosing my sweet tooth or what but I don’t want my friends to feel like they are taking a spoonful of sugar (adding the sweetness of the frosting and extra sprinkles) so I was thinking in changing a few things, for starters doing a cream cheese frosting which gives it a little bit of tanginess, but also I was thinking of reducing the sugar in the cake 1/2 cup. Do you think that will change the consistency of it? Or any thoughts on other kind of frosting or filling? Thanks!
Sam
I think the cake will still be ok if you cut 1/2 cup of sugar. I have a cream cheese frosting that would work well. ๐
Kyra
Will it still work out if I use olive oil instead of canola or vegetable? I don’t use vegetable or canola enough to need a whole bottle.
Sam
Olive oil has a different flavor than a neutral oil like canola or vegetable and is likely going to impart that flavor into your cake. If you don’t mind the flavor, then it will be fine.
Kyra
Thank you for your quick response! I can’t wait to try the recipe! ๐
Sam
Enjoy! ๐
Aimee
What size eggs do you use or what weight of egg whites? x
Sam
Hi Aimee! I typically get large eggs from the store. ๐
Amanda
Hey, so Iโve made this several times and love it. But itโs my sonโs birthday and I was thinking of doubling the recipe to make a cake and cupcakes. My only concern is that the cupcake batter will have to sit for a while so that the cakes can bake, and Iโm worried that the sprinkles will run into the batter. Do you think it would be worth it just to make a separate batter after?
Sam
Hi Amanda! If you use jimmies, they shouldn’t bleed in the batter. It can’t hurt to be safe and just make a separate batch if you are concerned though. ๐
Ibet
If i dont beat the eggs. Will my cake still come out ok
Sam
No, you need to beat the eggs to stiff peaks.
Kelsey
Can you do this in 6in cake pans? Looking to make a smash cake for my almost one year old!
Sam
Hi Kelsey! You can, they will just need to bake for less time, and you may have some leftover batter. ๐
Loris
Hi Sam, am wondering if you used salted or unsalted butter?? I’m about to attempt this cake for my friends grand-daughter who will be turning 4 and is into unicorns
Sam
Hi Loris! Sorry for the confusion. I use unsalted butter. If all you have is salted butter, that will work, you will just need to adjust the amount of salt in the recipe. I hope everyone loves the cake! ๐
Brandy
What would I adjust if using salted butter
Sam
Hi Brandy! You will want to reduce the salt by 1/4 teaspoon. ๐
AC
This turned out great! I did a 6 layer ombrรฉ cake (left out sprinkles, added purple coloring, subbed a small bit of almond for vanilla) and doubled the recipe. It was a huge hit! Held up well to stacking and covering in fondant, but still moist and yummy!
Sam
That sounds awesome! I am so gla you enjoyed the cake, Amber! ๐
Faviola
I made this cake for my daughters birthday and it was a big hit!! The cake was fluffy, delicate and delicious!! Iโm keeping this recipe for parties to come!
I followed the recipe exactly how it said, instead of butter cream I used a cream cheese frosting because itโs my favorite.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed the cake, Faviola! ๐
Scarlett
Hi, can you make this without the sprinkles? ๐
I already made with the sprinkles and it was SO good!!! Best cake Iโve ever made
Sam
Hi Scarlett! You can certainly do it without the sprinkles. I’m so glad you enjoy it! ๐
Cortney
What kind of sprinkles did you use? Sanding sugar, jimmies, nonpareils? Or would any of them give you the same effect?
Sam
Hi Cortney! I recommend using jimmies. They won’t bleed in the batter. ๐
Alicia
Hi! I want to use this for an ice cream cake. Would this type of cake be good frozen? Would the texture be weird?
Sam
I can’t say for sure how it would be frozen because I haven’t served it that way. I don’t think it would be bad though. ๐ If you try it, let me know how it goes. ๐
Mary
Can this cake be baked in a 9x 13 pan?
Sam
It might be too much batter for a 9×13, I’d use about 2/3 of the batter in a 9×13 pan then maybe use the remaining 1/3 for cupcakes.
Anne
What is the baking time for the 9×13 please?
Sam
Hi Anne! I have not made it in a 9 x 13 so I can’t be exactly sure.
Maggie
Sam – are these measurements American,Australian,Canadian? I am British and work in imperial or metric measurements. Thank you.
Sam
Sorry Maggie. This is an older recipe, so unfortunately I don’t have everything converted to grams. It’s standard measurements for the U.S. ๐
Maggie
Thank you Sam. At least I now know it is U.S. measurements. I did a bit of juggling and used a conversion chart. Have frozen the sponges and am now crossing my fingers that the end result will work when I assemble the cake this week and that texture and taste will be ok.
Sam
I hope it does! ๐