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
Izzy
I absolutely love this recipe, the icing goes great with the cake as well, thanks to this, I am indeed having a very merry unbirthday!
Erin
Can I use this recipe for a 9×13 inch cake and how long would I bake it? I am making a popsicle shaped caked for my son’s birthday?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Erin! This recipe will work in a 9ร13, but you will have excess batter. We arenโt sure of a baking time, so just keep an eye on it ๐ We hope your son loves his cake!
Bahea
Hi! Can this cake be baked in advance and frozen? I would just be freezing the layers (not trimmed/frosted) and it would be for less than one week (in the freezer). Iโve made the cake many times before but never frozen it and I know some recipes stand up to freezing better than others! I have a crazy few days and am trying to save some time where I can!
Also, I just want to say that this is a great recipe! The *one* negative reviewer clearly did something wrong on their end to have such a โmessโ of a result. Iโve made this cake numerous times in all different sizes AND cupcakes and never had an issue.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks so much, Bahea! Freezing this cake should work just fine. Make sure to wrap the layers well with plastic and foil before freezing. We hope your cake turns out beautifully โค๏ธ
Holly
How many cupcakes does this batter make? I am making them for a baby shower and will need about 40. Excited to try this recipe with all the great reviews!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Holly! This recipe will yield about 45 cupcakes, and you will want to bake them on 350 for 18 minutes. We hope they’re a hit! ๐
Holly
Thank you for the quick response!! Iโll report back after next weekend. ๐
My
Hi there I was wondering if you had a recipe on a strawberry funfetti cake ? Or do you have any recommendations on how to combine the two
Sam
I would make my strawberry cake and toss in some sprinkles. ๐
Rachel
How long should I bake a 6″ with this recipe?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Rachel! We havenโt tried baking this recipe in 6 inch pans, so we’re not sure what a bake time would be. Just keep an eye on them ๐
Mica Allen
Can I half this recipe and still get the desired fluffiness and texture?
Sam
Sure thing! Cutting the recipe in half shouldn’t alter the texture at all. ๐
Kimberly
Could you please advise on how to store this cake? Iโll be making it for a birthday party and would like to make it the day before. Thank you!
Sam
Hi Kimberly! If you are just making it the day before, an air tight container at room temperature should be just fine. ๐
Kimberly
Iโm making cupcakes using the recipe and they are all sinking. Any ideas?
Sam
Hi Kimberly! The batter may have been slightly over-mixed, or they could potentially use another minute or two in the oven. Did you use the toothpick test to confirm they were done?
Taylor
I am going to try this recipe for the first time tomorrow, celebrating our grandpa’s 80th! Typically I use cake flour but this recipe calls for all-purpose so – any advice on that? I’m not one to deviate from the recipe as written on the first try but am wondering if this would be recommended/if anyone has tried it with cake flour?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Taylor! If you are using weights you can use the same weight when substituting one for the other. If you are using cups, you will need to use 1c + 2 Tbsp of cake flour for ever 1c of all purpose flour that the recipe calls for. We hope your grandpa loves the cake! ๐
Chelsea
Hi there!
Does this hold up alright when using cake flour rather than AP flour?
Thank you! ๐
Sam
Hi Chelsea! As long as you substitute it properly cake flour will work just fine here. ๐
Jules
Sam ~ the cake turned out softer, moist and crumbly which I like! However I found it to be too sweet even without frosting. Can I reduce the sugar by half without affecting the cake texture?
Sam
I’m not sure how much you could reduce the sugar without it having an effect on the outcome of the cake. You could probably get away with a little reduction, but I can’t say for sure how much.
Samantha Tyler
I made this cake lastnight for my daughterโs birthday today and it was a hit! Great recipe! I think I over cooked it a bit but that was fault and was still delicious!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy it was a hit regardless, Samantha โค
Anna K
I made this cake as a test for my daughters birthday. White cakes are so difficult to get right but this recipe is perfect! It is pretty sweet but it wasnโt overwhelming. Itโs perfectly moist and the crumb is exactly what you want in a white cake. I was very pleasantly surprised! Iโll be using it for my daughterโs birthday this weekend and all my white cakes in the future! Thank you!
Tara
I’m wanting to try this for my daughter’s birthday party on Saturday. Is there a way to reduce the recipe to make only 2 8inch round cakes? It’s not a huge party so I think 3 would be too much cake for the girls.
Sam
Hi Tara! You can reduce the recipe by 33% but some of the measurements may get a little tricky. You can always just discard any extra batter, although I know wasting it isn’t fun. Enjoy! ๐
Nadia
Can I substitute the butter with margarine?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Nadia! We haven’t tried it ourselves, but we think it could work. If you do try it, will you let us know how it turns out for you? ๐
Meghan
Hello! Can you share which decorating tips you used? Thank you!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Meghan! We used a technique from I Am Baker for this decoration. She lists the tips that she uses, but we just used six open star tips of varying sizes. Hope that helps ๐
VMC
Hello Sam,
Thank you for all of your amazing recipes! I noticed that this cake recipe calls for whole milk rather than buttermilk like in your confetti cupcake recipe. Is there a reason for that? Would using buttermilk make it a more tender crumb? Thank you so much!
Sam
Buttermilk will work here. This was just a personal preference. I used whole milk, because it can be easier to find and more readily available. Buttermilk will make the cake a little “heavier”, not dense, but the cake won’t be as light and fluffy.
VMC
Thank you so much, Sam! I appreciate your time and help! Have a wonderful day!
Sophia
The two additional tablespoons of flour ,is that used for the pan or in the cake?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Sophia! All of the flour goes in the batter, and you will need additional for the pans. Hope that helps ๐
Tammy
I’m just here to confirm your cake recipe is trash. In today’s world of inflation the cost and amount of ingredients to make this cake to come out with such disappointment is atrocious to say the least. Due to the recipe being able to produce such a large quantity of batter, I thought I’d use it for the graduation cake I’m to have made later this afternoon. Needless to say I now have to start from scratch. Like others on this feed I’m sure we are not new to the kitchen, should have listened to the reviews. I don’t typically leave reviews, however this was horrible, there’s no saving this mess. By no means did I intend to heart this recipe or page. I can’t seem to figure out how to remove it.
Sam
Hi Tammy! Wow! This is quite a shock to hear (and is it just me or are we generally more rude when speaking to one another through a computer screen, I like to imagine you would have been a bit kinder in person, but know you must be frustrated). To be honest, this recipe has overwhelmingly positive reviews with over 1700 comments and an overall rating of 4.9 stars (you yourself seem to have not rated the recipe) so I’m not sure what you mean about how you should have “listened to the reviews” as they are overwhelmingly positive.
My funfetti cake has been made thousands of times with success including by celebrities such as Daphne Oz who has her very own cooking show and has made it live multiple times on her Instagram page (quite successfully). If this sounds a bit defensive, I’ll apologize but it’s because I might honestly be a bit defensive of a cake that I’m so proud of, one that I use for my own family’s birthday celebrations, and one that took me so many attempts to get just perfect (and, as you can guess, it wasn’t cheap for me to do all of the testing that was required, either) and that I am pleased to provide for free for people such as yourself to use.
Since you did not say what went wrong in your own kitchen and what results you had (other than it was a “mess”) I can’t help you to troubleshoot, but if you would like to reply I would truly be happy to try and help as I can assure you this is a solid recipe that I am proud to put my name behind. Wishing you the best and hoping your day gets better, but I promise you I do not share trash recipes.
Meagan Martin
We live in a small town and had a hard time finding a bakery that was available or a decent cost. My sister has used this recipe and recommended it me. I’ve made this cake twice the last few weeks for a trial run and smash cake photos and will make it a 3rd time this weekend for my son’s birthday. The recipe is easy to follow and they are all ingredients we had on hand. I just bought the carton of egg whites to make it easier. I had to adjust time and temp for our oven but that wasn’t too hard to figure out. The cakes have turned out perfect! Everyone says the cake is DELICIOUS!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We are so happy our recipe has been so successful for you, Meagan! ๐ Be careful with the carton egg whites though–they tend to have issues whipping properly and can cause the cake to turn out poorly.
Meredith
Wow. I made it yesterday with great success. You are complaining about how many ingredients the cake has? You clearly saw and read that before YOU CHOSE to make it, assuming you are able to read. Maybe you are just a tad bitter that you werenโt able to bake this cake correctly like the others. Thatโs a you problem
Jay
I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out amazing! I rarely bake so if I can do it anyone can. I also cut off the top/sides before layering (personal preference) and it was just gorgeous inside. Thanks for helping make my daughterโs 2nd birthday special (:
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy it turned out so well for you, Jay! Thanks so much for using our recipe โค
Danieal
What is the difference between cake flour and all purpose flour can I use either or does it have to be all purpose
Sam
The difference really comes down to the protein content in the flour. If you are using weights you can use the same weight when substituting one for the other. If you are using cups, you will need to use 1c + 2 Tbsp of cake flour for ever 1c of all purpose flour that the recipe calls for. ๐
Kathleen
Hi there, I’m planning on making a 6″ smash cake with 2 layers for my grandaughters birthday. Can I use the leftover batter for cupcakes? I know some cake recipes dont convert to cupcakes. Thanks in advance!
Kathleen
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
That should work just fine, Kathleen. Enjoy ๐