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
Dheera
Hi, i want to make 3 – 6in cakes instead of 8…any suggestions on how to scale down the ingredients
Sam
You could probably cut the recipe in half. The layers will be slightly thinner but not significantly. ๐
Maria
I made this recipe twice in my very first โcake from scratchโ attempt. The first time I am pretty sure that I overfilled the pan and over baked them as one other person reviewed but the flavor was still amazing and my hubby and kids actually enjoyed the crispy corners.
Second attempt I watched them very closely and when they came out they were great! I doubled the recipe for a gathering of close to 50 people and made two shaped sheet cakes and 24 cupcakes. I also made the buttercream recipe from here and had so many compliments on how moist and fluffy the cake was!
It has been bookmarked for future use!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Maria! Hopefully they will continue to enjoy it for years to come. ๐
Jessica VanLiew
Hi,
I just made this recipe and Iโm so excited to try it. Next cake I was thinking adding almond extract instead of vanilla, do you think that will work with this recipe?
Sam
Hi Jessica! Yes, I actually recommend still using some vanilla (I like the depth of flavor it adds), maybe a teaspoon, and then exactly how much almond extract you use will vary depending on your personal preference, but keep in mind it is much more potent than vanilla extract so you will not need as much almond extract as you would vanilla, if that makes sense. Enjoy!
Nancy
I made the recipe for my granddaughter’s 3rd bday. I followed recipe to a T but was disappointed. The cake was very dense and a bit dry. I expected a light Funfetti Cake.
Sam
Hi, Nancy! That’s very frustrating and this is definitely meant to be a light and fluffy, moist cake (it’s why I love it so much!). Unfortunately the most likely culprit of a dense/dry cake is over-mixing (this will make the cake dense in a hurry, make sure you’re combining wet and dry ingredients by hand), not whipping the egg whites fully to stiff peaks (will make the cake dense, make sure you also use a gentle hand when folding into the batter), and baking a bit too long (will make the cake dry, or could your oven be running hotter than it lets on?). I suspect one of these things is the culprit as to why you didn’t get the light and fluffy results that you can see here in the photos.
kelly clark
Hello, how would you suggest storing the cake/ can it be made in advance? Would you leave it in an air tight container on the counter?
Thanks!!
Sam
Hi Kelly! I personally recommend keeping in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. If storing longer than that, store in an airtight container in the fridge (just keep in mind the fridge can dry out cakes). I hope that helps! ๐
Samantha P.
I am thinking I did something wrong with this cake, but i don’t feel as though I did.:) But, I made this last night and it was a huge disappointment. I mixed everything properly, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks formed, and then gently folded them into the batter. I made 12 cupcakes, two 6″ layers, and 4-4″ heart cakes. Every single one of them overflowed the pans they were in, and fell in the middle. The portion of the batter that overflowed then cooked to a hard crust. The 6″ layers were completely hard on the outside and I was unable to slice through them without using a serrated knife. Any guidance would be much appreciated as the batter itself tasted amazing.
Sam
I’m so disappointed to hear this, Samantha! ๐ If they over-flowed then sunk the pans were most likely over-filled. Make sure you don’t fill any pan higher than 2/3 of the way full. If they were too hard to cut you may have over-baked the cakes. Always keep an eye on them and use the toothpick test to determine if they are done or not. The toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs. I hope it goes better next time. ๐
Lora
Planning to try this out. The princess emulsion seems really interesting, but I’m not sure I want to buy a bottle of it to try it out. Is there a mixture of extracts you feel would yield a similar result? Like half vanilla half lemon. It sound nice, but clearly I haven’t tasted it so…let me know, please!
Sam
Hi Lora! I would try mixing vanilla and a teeny tiny bit of lemon and almond extract. ๐
Julie
Hi,
I’d like to try this recipe, but any tips on how to make these into cupcake format?
Sam
Hi Julie! Bake the cupcakes on the same temperature for about 17 minutes. ๐
Colleen
Do you have a weight measurement for the egg whites? I was going to use liquid egg whites rather than eggs.
I made your rainbow cake and absolutely loved it as did everyone who tried it!
Sam
Hi Colleen! I tend to not recommend the egg whites in a carton because they can be difficult to whip to stiff peaks. If you do want to try it, for me, a large egg white is typically about 35 grams. I have heard mixed results using the egg whites in a carton.
Diana
I’m planning on making this tomorrow. Do you think Oat Milk would be okay in the batter?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Diana! I am not sure how it will do. I have found the oat milk or almond milk tends to dry out the cakes, therefore, I do not reccomend using it.
Diana
I made it with the oat milk and I feel like it turned out great! Next time I will try it with dairy milk and see if there’s a difference.
Sam
I’m glad it turned out! Thanks for the feedback. ๐
Sonia
HI!
How long should I bake a 13 by 9 cake for?
Thank you!!
Sam
Hi Sonia! I haven’t tried it in a 9 x 13 so I’m not sure of a bake time. This cake will make too much batter for a 9 x 13 so make sure you don’t overfill the pan.
Kenz
I just made this yesterday, and OMG. I don’t normally like cake, but I can’t stop eating this one. SO GOOD!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much! ๐
Michelle
Hey girl itโs looks so good! Whatโs wrong with mine if the batter is really liquidy? I feel like i messed something up with the egg whites.
Sam
Hi Michelle! If you didn’t get your egg whites to stiff peaks it could be causing issues. Also if you don’t have enough flour or too much of your wet ingredients you could be running into issues as well there. Unfortunately without being there to see it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what could be going wrong.
Sabri
Hi Sam!
This looks absolutely delicious. I was looking for a beautiful funfetti cake recipe for my sonโs birthday and I think I have found it.
I have a question, Iโd like to make a three layer 6 inch cake. Should I modify the baking time/temperature?
Thank you!
Sam
Hi Sabri! You won’t want to change the temperature the cakes will just bake for less time. I’m not sure what the bake time would be, just be sure to keep an eye on them so you don’t over-bake them. This will make a lot more batter than you need for 3 6 inch layers so make sure not to overfill your pans. I hope you love the cake! ๐
Aarushi
How long did you wait to cool the cakes? Also, did you end up cutting the tops of the cake to make it easier to stack?
Sam
The cakes can take a little while to cool, but you want to make sure it is completely cooled before frosting. This cake typically comes out pretty uniform so I don’t really need to trim it to stack it. ๐
Katrina
Ahh this is a fabulous recipe!!! I just made tonight for a virtual gender reveal party Iโm making a cake for this weekend! They only wanted a 3 layer 6 inch cake so I was able to get a dozen and a half cupcakes out of this batter as well! So of course I sampled and they are so lovely and light and delicious!
One quick question I should have asked before… if I tightly wrap these and freeze them will they keep well? Iโm planning to frost and decorate Friday night! Thanks!!!
Sam
I am so glad it turned out so well! These cakes will hold up nicely in the freezer. ๐
Katrina
Great! Thank you so much!
Erika
Hi!! I absolutely love this recipe and have made it many times! I was thinking about making cupcakes instead, this time around. Do you have any idea how many cupcakes this will yield?(:
Sam
Hi Erika! It will probably yield about 45 cupcakes. You will want to bake them on 350 for 18 minutes. ๐