My light and fluffy, completely from scratch Funfetti cake recipe has over 600 five-star reviews and has even been featured on TV! ⭐️ It’s a soft white cake speckled with sprinkles and iced with buttercream frosting, perfect for beginners and advanced bakers alike. Makes the perfect homemade birthday cake! Recipe includes a how-to video!
Homemade Funfetti Cake Recipe
My fluffy Funfetti cake (also known as confetti cake) has been one of my most popular recipes for years (right up there with my “worst” chocolate chip cookies). Flecked with sprinkles, a plush, super soft texture, and a buttery, caramelized vanilla flavor–what’s not to love?
Developing this cake took me weeks and is still one of my proudest accomplishments (right there with my French macaron recipe). When I finally nailed it, I found that there were a few key ingredients that really made a difference, namely, whipped egg whites.
For maximum, fluffy softness (and snow-white color), this recipe calls for plenty of egg whites (and no egg yolks–save those for your tiramisu!). You’ll whip these separately with an electric mixer until they reach stiff peaks and then fold them (gently!) into the cake batter. This is easy and quick to do, and it’s critical for a light and fluffy white cake (don’t get me started on yellow Funfetti cakes–there should be no such thing!).
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect taste, perfect texture. Largely thanks to the afore-mentioned whipped egg whites and a combo of butter and oil in the cake batter. Oil adds moisture, while butter adds flavor, so by mixing the two you achieve perfect balance. This is how I’ve designed so many of my cake recipes, and once you try it you’ll see why.
- Bright white color. This serves as the perfect backdrop to colorful sprinkles. This Funfetti cake gets its pristine color from using egg whites only, clear vanilla (instead of regular vanilla), and a neutral oil.
- So soft and fluffy. This gorgeous texture comes from a critical ingredient: whipped egg whites. I’ve repeated this technique in several recipes since, including my lemon cake, strawberry cake, and Oreo cake. All have a plush, light-as-air texture!
- Frosted with an easy peasy classic buttercream, though you could technically use any frosting you like. Fruity pebbles frosting, strawberry frosting, and cream cheese frosting are all nice alternatives!
What You Need
For the Cake Layers
- Flour. Back when I was first developing this recipe, cake flour was difficult for me to find and when I could, it was pricey. I developed this recipe specifically with the intention of achieving a light fluffy texture with regular ol’ all-purpose flour (and it worked *perfectly* if I do say so).
- Egg whites. It’s important that you separate your own eggs (do not use eggs from a carton) and make sure not to get even a drop of yolk in the whites. Room temperature eggs work best, so try to remember to set yours out ahead of time if you can. If you forget, use my trick to quickly bring eggs to room temperature (just make sure to thoroughly dry the eggs before cracking them).
- Milk. Whole milk is my preference, but I suspect a milk substitute (like almond milk) would work just fine. Whatever you use, ideally let it come to room temperature before adding it.
- Butter & oil. As mentioned above and used in my white cake and vanilla cake, a blend of the two balances flavor and texture of this Funfetti cake perfectly. For the oil, opt for a neutral cooking oil like canola, vegetable, or avocado oil (I like avocado oil, but it’s a bit more yellow and so colors the cake slightly). Using a particularly yellow butter or oil can affect the color of your cake.
- Baking powder. Not baking soda! It will seem like a lot, but it’s not (we’re making a big cake!). There is no baking soda in my Funfetti cake recipe, and that’s intentional. While this isn’t the main reason I don’t use baking soda, baking soda encourages browning and adding it would actually make the cake more golden inside.
- Vanilla. To maintain that pristine white color, I use clear vanilla in the cake layers. If you would rather opt for natural vanilla flavoring it will work perfectly well, just know your cake may be tinted a bit more golden.
- Sprinkles. Your sprinkle choice matters! Nonpareils can bleed into your batter and ruin that pristine white color. Stick with jimmies or quins–they add color without any bleeding.
SAM’S TIP: If you want to use cake flour instead of all-purpose flour, you must substitute properly. If you are using weights, the weight is the same; if you are using cups, you will need 4 ½ cups of cake flour.
Frosting
This is a big three-layer cake, so you will need quite a bit of frosting to cover and decorate it. Just giving you a fair warning before anyone is alarmed by the amount of butter you’re about to see 😉.
- Butter. Yes, we are using a full pound (or four sticks) of butter here. Remember, this is a big Funfetti cake! I use unsalted butter and add salt separately, but if you use salted butter you likely won’t need to add any salt (taste-test the frosting and add a inch if needed — salt helps cut the sweetness and deepen the flavor).
- Powdered sugar. I highly recommend measuring your ingredients with a kitchen scale for the most accurate results (I link to the one I use in the recipe card, it’s inexpensive). It can be very easy to over-measure powdered sugar, much like measuring flour!
- Heavy cream. We’ll whip this into the frosting for a light and fluffy texture. Whipping cream or double cream would also work.
- Flavoring. For the frosting, I sometimes like to use Princess emulsion instead of vanilla (I also use this in my frosted animal cookies–another fun recipe). It accents the buttercream with notes of citrus and almond and keeps it from being overbearingly sweet. If you don’t have any or can’t find it, regular vanilla extract works perfectly.
SAM’S TIP: For that popular Milk Bar birthday cake look, frost your funfetti cake scantly on the outside and top with my confetti crumbs!
This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Funfetti Cake
Make the batter
When making the batter, you’ll want to start with an electric mixer or a stand mixer (fitted with the paddle attachment) to combine all of your ingredients thoroughly and properly. Creaming the butter in the beginning is actually important for the best texture.
You want to make sure everything is well-combined, but also be careful not to over-mix (this comes into play when adding the milk and then again adding the egg-whites). Over-mixing the batter can cause dense, dry, or sunken results.
Whip the egg whites
Before you begin, make sure your bowl and beaters are completely clean, dry, and grease-free. Even a tiny bit of grease can prevent your egg whites from whipping properly!
Stiff peaks are our aim here! This means your egg whites will have greatly increased in volume, they’ll be bright white in color, and they’ll be fluffy. To test that you’ve reached stiff peaks, lift your beaters straight out of the whites. The peaks should hold firm without folding over or falling back in on themselves.
Fold in the egg whites and sprinkles
Gently is the way to go! Gently stir in all of the egg whites at once along with your sprinkles.
Use a spatula for this step and not your mixer. Your aim is to NOT over-mix. Instead, the goal is to combine everything without deflating those egg whites we just spent all that time whipping. Make sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure everything is well combined.
You will lose some of the volume as you fold the batter, but try your hardest to incorporate the egg whites gently without totally deflating them.
Bake
Use the toothpick to test your cakes for doneness; a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake should come out clean or have a few crumbs when inserted in the center of each cake.
It’s important to keep a close eye on your Funfetti cakes as they near the end of the bake time; underbaking your cake can cause it to sink, while over-baking can dry it out (even just a minute or two too long can do this).
The outsides of the cake bake into a pretty golden color, but don’t panic! The insides will still be snow white.
Decorate
Let the cake layers cool completely before you decorate the cakes. I recommend using my buttercream frosting (in the recipe card below) as it’s a classic Funfetti cake pairing, but I have a whole catalog of frosting recipes that would work well here. Just note that most of those recipes are for 2 layer cakes so you will have to scale up by at least 50%.
I also recommend doing a crumb coating on the cake before decorating. This mean applying a thin layer to the outside of the cake then freezing it for 15 minutes before continuing to decorate. This will catch any crumbs and help your frosting apply more smoothly.
SAM’S TIP: New to cake decorating? I have a guide on how to decorate a cake that’s perfect for for beginner cake decorators! You’ll learn everything from what equipment you need to how to do crumb coat.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe makes about 12 cups of batter.
For a two layer Funfetti cake: I recommend you make my white cake recipe and add ⅓ cup of sprinkles. That recipe is actually the same as this one, but scaled down to fit two pans (and doesn’t have sprinkles, obviously!).
For a 9×13″ pan: you would technically need to reduce the recipe by ⅓. This can get tricky, so I usually recommend making the recipe as-is and using the excess batter for cupcakes (though they won’t have nice rounded tops–see below).
If you are looking for a good Funfetti cupcake recipe, I recommend making my confetti cupcakes or white cupcakes (add sprinkles) instead, as those form nice round tops. This recipe makes tasty cupcakes, but they bake up flat.
I do not recommend it, as they provide inconsistent results (and most say they are not meant for whipping). Instead, separate your own eggs and repurpose the yolks in another recipe like my pastry cream, crème brûlée, lemon crumb bars, lemon curd, key lime pie, or chocolate pie.
Yes! To do this, stir the food coloring into the batter before adding the egg whites. Gel food coloring is best for most vibrant color.
A big thank you to every one of you who has already tried my Funfetti cake recipe and reviewed it 💕 I appreciate you!
Enjoy!
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Funfetti Cake from Scratch
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 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons table salt
- 1 ½ cup (355 ml) milk
- 9 (315 ml) large egg whites room temperature preferred
- ½ cup (80 g) sprinkles see note
Buttercream
- 1 lb (453 g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 cups (750 g) powdered sugar
- 6 Tbsp (89 ml) heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons LorAnn Princess emulsion or vanilla extract
Recommended Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (recommended)
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) and lining the bottoms of each pan with a round of parchment paper.
- In stand mixer (or using an electric hand 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 extract.4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- In a separate, medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together your flour, baking powder, and salt.4 cups+ 2 Tbsp (516 g) all-purpose flour, 4 ½ teaspoons baking powder, 1 ½ teaspoons table salt
- Measure out your 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.1 ½ cup (355 ml) milk
- In separate mixing bowl (use a clean, dry, and grease-free bowl, use glass or metal), combine your egg whites and stir with an electric mixer, gradually increasing speed from low to high and continuing to beat on high-speed until stiff peaks form.9 (315 ml) large egg whites
- Add egg whites and sprinkles to the batter. 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.½ 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 butter knife around the inside rim of each pan and carefully invert each onto a cooling rack.
- Allow to cool completely before frosting.
Frosting
- Place butter in the bowl of a stand mixer in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Use the paddle attachment or an electric mixer to beat butter on medium-speed until smooth and creamy.1 lb (453 g) unsalted butter
- Add salt and beat again for about 20 seconds.¼ 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
- One Tablespoon 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 (89 ml) heavy cream
- Add flavoring (vanilla extract or emulsion). and stir on medium-high for 30 seconds. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula to ensure all ingredients are well-combined.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. For more detailed decorating instructions, see my post on how to decorate a cake.
Notes
Sprinkles
Use sprinkles/jimmies or round sequin “quin” sprinkles, do NOT use nonpareils or they may bleed through your batter and ruin the coloring of your cake.Using 9″ pans
This cake may also be made in three 9″ pans, just decrease the baking time. Start checking the cakes for doneness at 25 minutes.Storing
Store this cake tightly covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This cake may also be frozen, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap then foil, for up to 3 months.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.
Recipe originally published 4/13/16 — text and photos updated Feb 2025
Rajni
This recipe looks awesome but I don’t need three layers (we are a small family). Do you have a similar recipe if I only want to make one layer?
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you, Rajni! You can reduce the amount of batter to yield a smaller cake. By how much, is really dependant on what size pan you wish to use. This recipe makes (3) 8″ round pans or (1) 13″x9″ baking pan. I would recommend cutting this recipe in half and bake it in a 9×9 pan if you have that on hand. As you change the amount of ingredients and pan size, you just want to keep in mind that the baking time will be different than what is listed. I hope that helps! Keep me posted on how it turns out. 🙂
Laura
Hi!
I’m absolutely in love with your blog!! I made this cake for my daughter last Sunday for her 11th birthday and I’m so impressed! Thank for sharing this and baking from scratch!! My son has requested the chocolate cake for his birthday this month!
Sugar Spun Run
Happy (belated) Birthday to your daughter, Laura! I am so glad she enjoyed her birthday cake. I can’t wait to hear what you think of the chocolate cake when you make it next. Thanks so much for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Brigitte
Hi! I really want to make this for a family member’s birthday but I only have two 9 inch round pans or two 8 inch square pans. Which do you think the recipe would be easier to convert to?
Sam
Hi Brigitte! I would actually make my white cake recipe and add sprinkles to that. It’s essentially the same thing but designed for two pans rather than three. I hope that helps but let me know if you have any other questions!
Mari
Hello! I want to make this for my daughters birthday. I have a 8″x 3″ round pan. Do i need to make any adjustments on the recipe?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Mari! I use (3) 8″ round pans for this recipe to make a 3 layered cake as shown in the images. Are you looking to do the same? If so, you will be set. 🙂
Nicole
Can you make cupcakes with this recipe?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Nicole! Yes, you can. I have a confetti cupcake recipe that I would recommend instead. 🙂
Dawn
Hey there! I am not a baker, but I’m excited to try this for a birthday celebration since the bakery we love is closed. Could you clarify using the almond extract? We do like the slight almond flavoring in some wedding cakes.
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Dawn! If you enjoy the flavor, you can substitute with almond extract, however, you will want to cut the amount of extract added by half. I hope that you enjoy the cake! Keep me posted on how it turns out. 🙂
Meg Sparks
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
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
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
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
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
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! 🙂
Kate Thorlakson
Thanks for your reply. The first time I made the cake everyone LOVED it. It was so fluffy and tasty, we didn’t even frost it! I am coming back to say I’m making it for my birthday today. Thanks for the great recipe!
Karren
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
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
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
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!
Krystle
I made the cake i divided it in 3 and baked it after the other since i only have one pan. It turned out soooo good! I am making it again today for my son’s birthday tomorrow! Thank you soooo much!!!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Krystle! I hope that your son does too and that he has a wonderful birthday celebration. Thanks for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Bree Norwest
Do you know the adjustments on cooking time if I wanted to make this as cupcakes?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Bree! I actually have a recipe for confetti cupcakes based on this recipe that you can use. Enjoy! 🙂
D
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
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
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
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
I think I will be making the 2 layers to get more of the birthday cake feel 😁
Sugar Spun Run
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. 🙂
Liz
I wanted to update you that I decided to make this whole recipe I ended up baking 3, 6 in cakes plus 1, 8 in 😆 since I only have 3, 6 inch pans! OH MY!!!!!!!! It was Amazing soft moist and delicious!!!!! I trimmed the 8 in into a 6 in and stacked the layers with dowels and it was a tall 6 in cake Absolutely delicious and I had one slice left over I was lazy lol and just wrapped it with plastic on paper plate and after finding it in our fridge 3 days later it was still moist and delicious I ate it cold and all! Amazing!!!! Thank You so much for this recipe! I iced and filled in a Swiss Meringue Buttercream it was Divine! We all love it
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that it worked out so well and you enjoyed the cake, Liz! Thank you so much for the feedback, I appreciate it. 🙂
Christina Duncan
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
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. 🙂