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
Melissa F
Hi there. Is there a way to reduce the amount of eggs used? Is there a way to use egg whites from the carton?
Sam
Hi Melissa! Unfortunately I don’t have a good way to reduce the eggs here. They are crucial to the structure of the cake. I am hesitant to recommend egg whites from a carton because they typically say they are not good for whipping.
Jean
Hi can I freeze this cake and ice it when I pull it out of the freezer
Thanks Jean
Sam
Hi Jean! That should work just fine. ๐
Marie
Hi there!
I’m looking to make this for for my daughters 4th birthday coming up will be using 6 inch cake tins ( I had a few)
How long would you recommend cooking them for? Thanks!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Marie! We havenโt tried baking this recipe in 6 inch pans, so weโre not sure what a bake time would be. You will just need to keep an eye on them. We hope your daughter loves the cake! ๐
Chantel
Hello:
I was wondering if this recipe could be used for a large batch of cupcakes. If so, approximately how many? And what would be an appropriate baking time?
Thank you!
Sam
Hi Chantel! While I haven’t tried it myself as cupcakes, others have reported getting close to 60 cupcakes. They would bake for around 17 minutes. ๐
Kim
Hello!!
My batter before adding the egg whites resembled a cookie dough batter rather than a cake mix. Does this mean it was over mixed?
Sam
Hi Kim! It doesn’t necessarily mean that it was over-mixed, but maybe something was accidentally mis-measured? ๐
Sonia
Hi Sam! Every recipe I have made has been fantastic and I want to make this birthday cake for my daughter. 2 questions: we love your cream cheese frosting, would you use that one here? And my second may be a dumb question but do all brands of sprinkles taste the same or do you have a preference? She wants the cake fully covered in sprinkles so I wanted to get the best radiating ones if there is such thing. Thank you so much!!
Sam
Hi Sonia! Cream cheese frosting is delicious but Iโd probably double or at least increase by 50%. As for the sprinkles, Chocomaker or sweetapolita seems to be the best tasting, in my opinion. ๐
Olivia
Hi Sam! Iโm at altitude (Denver) โ do you have any idea how this recipe holds up at altitude? I tried to scan comments but didnโt find anything and just wondering where youโre located or if you have any tips. I want to make this for my birthday this weekend. TYIA!
Sam
Hi Olivia! I have not tried it at high altitude and I’m not really familiar with doing so. I think it would hold up, but I just don’t know for sure how it would go. ๐ If you do try it I would love to know how it goes so I can pass the information along. ๐
Krista Holland
Would it be possible to add some key line juice to make a key lime cake? Would something need to be replaced?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Krista! You could try substituting the key lime juice and zest for lemon juice/zest in our lemon cake. Let us know how it turns out if you do!
Hannah
This funfetti cake was just a good as it looks! Light and fluffy. I will make this again.
Kailey
This recipe was delicious. I had never baked a cake from scratch before and I wanted to make my son a special cake for his very first birthday. It was a labor of love, but it was the best Funfetti cake Iโve ever tasted and we got so many compliments on how delicious it was!
Two years later and Iโm back for the recipe so I can make it again. I think Iโm going to attempt it with cupcakes. Do you recommend I change the oven temp? Also how long should I bake for? Thank you! ๐
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for coming back to our recipe, Kailey! This recipe will work fine as cupcakes. No need to change the oven temp, but the bake time will be about 17 minutes this time. ๐
Christine
How many cupcakes will this recipe yield ?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Christine! Others have reported getting as many as 60 cupcakes from the batter. Hope that helps ๐
Shetera Vela
Hi there!
I used the white cake recipe this past weekend and it turned out lovely! Could I just add sprinkles to that recipe? What would be the difference in the final results when comparing this recipe to the white cake recipe?
Sam
Hi Shetera! I’m glad you enjoyed the white cake! You can certainly stir sprinkles into that recipe. ๐
Sallie
All I have is cake flour, will that be OK to use? If so, do I use the same amount as AP flour?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Sallie! It will work fine as long as you substitute properly. 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. Hope that helps!
Kylee
Hello! For this recipe, how many cupcakes would this make?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Kylee! Others have reported getting as many as 60 cupcakes from the batter. Hope that helps ๐
Corinne S
Hi! Excited to make this recipe for my daughter’s birthday. I am making 3 tier 9″ cake plus a 2″ sphere on the top. Would 1.5x make sense?
Sam
Hi Corinne! This will fit in 3 9 inch pans, the layers will be slightly thinner. I’m not sure about how much you’d need for the sphere though.
Brenna
So that I don’t have too much waste. Can you provide the revised portions for a 9×13 cake please ๐
Sam
Hi Brenna! You would just need to reduce everything by 1/3. ๐
Emily
Hi! How do I adjust ingredients and bake time for one 11×15 pan?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Emily! This recipe will make enough batter to fill your pan, but we aren’t sure on the bake time. Just keep an eye on it and use the toothpick test to make sure it’s done ๐
Alison
Can I freeze it after? How do I do so? How far in advance do u the cake out of freezer to get ready to decorate?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yes! Just wrap the layers tightly in plastic before storing in an airtight container or ziploc bag. You can bring them out of the freezer about an hour before you decorate so they start to thaw. Hope that helps!
Melissa
Hi you’ve put 9 tablespoons of butter but what would this be in grams ?
Thank you
Sam
Hi Melissa! 9 Tablespoons of butter is 127 grams. ๐
Anisia
Hi! I made this cake for my daughterโs birthday back in December and it was absolutely amazing!
So much so, that I have been requested to make it again for a much larger party! I want to make the top tier 6โ, have you tried baking it at this size yet, if so, how long do I bake it for with a 6โ pan? Thank you!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Anisa! We’re so happy it was a hit. We havenโt tried baking this recipe in 6 inch pans, so weโre not sure what a bake time would be. Just keep an eye on them ๐
Vanessa
I love the taste, I reduced sugar to 1cup for the kids. I made this with chocolate buttercream. My cake came out a bit dry, could I have done something wrong?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Vanessa! We’re sorry to hear your cake was dry ๐ It may have been over-baked or over-mixed, or you may have accidentally over-measured your flour. We have a post on how to measure flour properly, if you think that may have been the issue. We’re glad it still tasted good though!
Holly
Hey Vanessa,
Sugar is hygroscopic by nature (meaning it attracts moisture), so it’s often used in recipes to help keep things moist, in addition to sweetness. This is a big reason why commercially produced baked goods have lots of sugar–for moisture and softness! By reducing the sugar content in your cake batter, you eliminated some of the ingredient that keeps your cake moist–annoying, right??
Usually, to counteract this issue, people will increase the fat or liquid in a recipe to help manage moistness in another way… But that takes some testing, to get the new recipe proportions right… Sometimes it’s better to just keep the original amount of sugar in and let yourself just enjoy a nice slice of cake, as a special occasional treat ๐