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.
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Recipe originally published 4/13/16 — text updated 4/13/17
Amanda
This recipe looks delicious! I can’t wait to try it! For some reason when I attempt to make a homemade cake recipe it always turns out more like a bread? What do I do wrong??
Sam
Hi Amanda! I’m not sure what would cause that, this recipe definitely doesn’t come out like bread and I hope you love it!
Carmen
Hi, I just came across your Funfetti Cake recipe through Pinterest and am planning on baking this today or tomorrow for my little girl’s birthday ๐
Do you have any post or video on how to apply the base frosting? Also, for the cake, do you think I could use liquid egg whites (that come ready to use) or should I use fresh eggs and separate the whites and yolks? Thanks and congratulations on your blog!
Sam
Hi Carmen! Sorry this response is a bit late, I would recommend using fresh eggs separated just because I’m not familiar with using liquid egg whites.
I don’t have a video for the base frosting, I’m sorry! There is a link on how to apply the decorative frosting on top, though.
Pau
I used liquid egg whites for the cake and it came out great!
Izzy
Hi Pau,
What brand of liquid egg whites did you use? Iโm in California(USA). Did they whip-up stiff? Iโm trying to find egg whites to use in recipe, so I donโt end up with so many yolks. Thank you
Brianne
Hello, is it okay to use cake flour as opposed to regular flour?
Sam
I haven’t tried it that way so I can’t be certain, sorry!
Bee Gianni
Wow! What a yummy looking cake. And, since it’s MY unbirthday too, I deserve it.๐๐
Sam
YEAH you do!!! ๐
Joanne
Happy Anniversary, and love your recipes!
Sam
Thank you so much, Joanne. I appreciate you reading and following along so much! <3
Anett
Never mind, I found it ๐ Thanks!
Sam
๐
Anett
hi! I did not see when you add the sprinkles to the batter? The ingredient list includes the sprinkles but the description then never mentions adding them… Can you advise? Thank you!
Charlotte @ What Charlotte Baked
Happy Un-Birthday! This is one of my favourite blogs, it’s weird to think you were that close to pulling the plug. I think we’re all glad you didn’t ๐
Stephanie
I adore this cake! I’m looking to make it for Easter. Any way I can know the decorating tips you used here?
Sam
Hi Stephanie! I hope you love the cake! I actually mention in the recipe that I followed these instructions here: http://iambaker.net/mothers-day-cake-open-star-tip-cake/ to decorate the cake, she breaks it down really well and the video is helpful. Hope it helps! ๐
Taylor
Hi, I love that you use oil and butter as it is a great combination to achieve a flavorful and moist cake.
Do you know if this cake is suitable for fondant and stacking a two tier cake?
Also, is there any benefit to using buttermilk instead of regular milk?
Sam
Hi Taylor! It would be fine to use fondant on this cake so long as it is applied properly. I’m not sure what you mean by stacking a two tier cake, though. Do you mean to make it just two tiers, one larger than the other? Do you mean using dowels? That should be fine if done properly, but I am not certain of what the baking time should be for each layer if it is changed from what is written.
Buttermilk is great for making cakes especially moist, but I have not tried using buttermilk in this recipe. If I did, I suspect I may have to play with the leavening agents a bit to make sure everything comes out OK, though sometimes no change is made — it’s honestly too hard to say without having tried it this way. If you try the cake with buttermilk I would love to know how it turns out!
Sarah
Hello! What a gorgeous cake. Can you please share what kind of sprinkles you used inside the batter? Is it the longer ‘rod’ sprinkles, the tiny balls (that end up all over the kitchen), or the confetti sprinkles? I’m not sure which would be best to use! Thank you ๐
Sam
Thank you, Sarah! I used the longer “rod” sprinkles inside the cake. I hope you love it! ๐
Rebecca
Beautiful cake! What brand of the “rod” sprinkles did you use? I’ve made funfetti cakes a few different times and every brand I’ve tried so far leaves the bleeding-rainbow-tie-die-effect inside. I’m still on the hunt for sprinkles that don’t do that and judging by your pictures, you’ve found them!
Sam
Hi Rebecca! I actually buy my sprinkles in bulk, I’ve bought them from several different places online so I’m not even sure if all of the sprinkles in this cake are from the same place/brand, I’m sorry! I will check and see if I can find any old receipts, one place I bought a lot of sprinkles from was an online cake supplier and I’m sure the name will come to me eventually!
Shalyn
If you don’t want the sprinkles to leave a rainbow effect in the bater you add them at the very end and only stir it a few times. that avoids the streaking/ rainbow effect then immediately put in pan and bake. if you let it sit for a while before transferring to the pan for baking it will moisten the sprinkles to much and cause streaking during the transfer.
I haven’t made this recipe yet but made a different one a few years ago and didn’t like ho dense the cake was. looking forward to trying this for my daughters birthday in a few weeks. I am thinking of trying a berry center instead of just icing.
Shalyn
The sprinkles won’t streak if you put them in last second only stir a few times to keep them from getting to moist. you transfer it immediately to the pan and bake. just made it a few days ago a worked out well. I used the sprinkles that are technically called Jimmies. hope this helps ya.
Penny
I know this is a very late comment but this cale is just perfect for my little ones second bday ! I just have a question though… for the flour it calls for an extra 2 tablespoons… it that to flour the cake pans or do they acting go in the cake? Hope you see this on time and awesome blog btw!!
Sam
Hi Penny! The 2 Tablespoons go into the cake, mixed in right with the 4 cups. The flour needed for greasing and flouring the pans isn’t accounted for in the ingredients list.
I hope this helps, and I hope you and your little one both love the cake!! ๐
Madison
Hi, I was wondering if you would be opposed to also putting weights for the needed ingredients. If the required ingredients need to be precise, this would offer better results when duplicating.
Thanks!
I am excited to try the recipe!
Sam
Hi Madison, I agree completely, I do currently weigh everything but I haven’t gone back yet to update all of my old recipes. Hoping to get back to this one with weighted measurements this year ๐
Armena
Congrats on your dedication to your blog and thanks for the notes on the funfetti cake!
Sam
Just saw this Armena, thanks for your kind comment and I hope you love the cake! ๐
Kelly
Would this recipe work for two 12″ cake pans as well? What do you think the temp and cooking time would be?
Thanks!
Sam
Hi Kelly! Yes, think that would work, I would keep the temperature the same, but I’m not positive about the time. Here is a guide that I think will help you: http://www.wilton.com/cake-serving-guide/cms-baking-serving-guide.html, but I would keep a close eye on the cake as it bakes. I hope you love the cake! ๐