No birthday is complete without a sprinkle filled FUNFETTI CAKE! This recipe is super moist and loaded with sprinkles and real vanilla extract. The entire cake is smothered in a simple vanilla buttercream and loaded up with even more sprinkles. It’s so hard to look at this cake and not smile!
What flavor is Funfetti Cake?
Funfetti cake is may more than your average vanilla cake! Not only is it loaded with sprinkles, but its texture is much richer than regular cake. It’s buttery, moist, and extra sweet.
Funfetti cake is also typically made with whole eggs rather than egg whites to give it that dense and rich texture. For my recipe, I also added oil to the batter to create a super duper moist cake. It also has a little extra vanilla extract for that bold vanilla flavor.
How to make Funfetti Cake from scratch
This cake is so rewarding to make from scratch. Not only is it impressive, but it’s way better than box mix funfetti cake. It has that homemade flare and flavor you just can’t get from a box.
To make sure yours turns out perfect, here’s a few tips to follow:
- Room temperature ingredients – It’s important to make sure your butter, eggs, buttermilk, and sour cream are all at room temperature before starting. Not only does it create an extra smooth batter, but it also allows the cake to bake evenly. Think of it this way, if you’re putting cold batter into a hot oven, it will take a few extra minutes to warm it all the way through which can lead to an uneven bake. Room temp is the way to go!
- Aerate – Since the batter uses whole eggs and oil, the cake can easily turn too dense and heavy. The first step in the recipe is crucial to get an airy cake by whipping the butter and sugar together. Whip for 3-4 minutes on high speed, or until it sticks to the sides of the bowl and reaches a fluffy consistency.
- Leaveners – Another key ingredient is the leaveners (baking powder and baking soda). Make sure yours aren’t expired before baking! Both should have an expiration date on the package. They last between 6-9 months unopened.
- Cake strips – This is optional, but if you reeeallly want a deliciously moist texture all throughout use cake strips. These strips are specifically designed to be wrapped around cake pans in order to keep the edges of the pan cool while the cakes bake. They’re damped before baking which prevents the outside of the cake from baking faster than the inside.
- Cake pans – This recipe is best for 3 – 9″ round cake pans. If you have 8″ cake pans, those will also work. Just make sure to leave out about 1 1/2 cups of batter. The amount of batter in this recipe is just a hair too much for 8″ pans and if they’re filled too high, the centers will sink when baked. This isn’t a HUGE issue as the centers will still be done, it will just be a bit more dense in the middle.
What can I use instead of buttermilk?
Buttermilk is used in this recipe due to its high acidity. Combined with baking soda, the two work together to break down gluten and create a light and tender texture.
If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own! Measure out one cup of milk, minus a tablespoon. Then add one tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice. Give it a stir and let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes to curdle.
Can I subtitute the sour cream?
Yes! A great sub for sour cream is 2% plain Greek yogurt. You could also sub the 1/2 cup of sour cream for an extra 1/2 cup of buttermilk if you’re really in a pinch.
What are the best sprinkles to use?
When it comes to adding sprinkles to cake batter, the type of sprinkles you use is very important. To mix into the batter, always use jimmies (these are the long and skinny sprinkles) because they won’t bleed into the batter. Don’t use nonpareils (the tiny balls) inside the cake because they bleed very easily and will muddy up the color of the cake.
As far as the outside of the cake, use whatever sprinkles you like! I chose a combo of both jimmies and nonpareils.
How do you decorate a funfetti cake?
Now for the fun part! There are many ways you can decorate a funfetti cake. You can cover the entire cake in sprinkles, add buttercream swirls and a light dusting of sprinkles on top, or add sprinkle splatters like I did here.
To make the sprinkle splatters, add the sprinkles right when you’re done frosting to ensure they stick. If your buttercream is too thick or dry, the sprinkles will just bounce right off so make sure you have the texture just right!
First, mix together 2 parts jimmies and 1 part nonpareils. Then, place your cake over a large baking sheet to minimize the mess. I had tons of sprinkles fall into the baking sheet, and the rest were licked up by my dog sitting at my feet. Minimal clean up!
While the buttercream is still fresh, add a cluster of sprinkles to the top center of the cake. Then, randomly add smaller clusters of sprinkles all around the cake. To get the sprinkles on the side, grab a pinch of sprinkles and toss it against the sides of the cake in short and rapid motions. Go back round and gently press the sprinkles into the cake to make sure they stay there.
How to store your cake
If you are storing the whole cake pre-sliced, you can keep it in the fridge uncovered for a day. If you’re keeping it longer than that, I recommend using a cake container to ensure it doesn’t dry out. It will keep in the fridge untouched for 3 days for maximum freshness.
If it’s already sliced, you can either slice the entire cake and store the slices in a container, or place the entire cake in a cake container and press plastic wrap up against the sliced openings (this prevents it from drying out too quickly). Both stored in the fridge and will keep for up to 5 days.
Fore more cake recipes, check out my:
Make sure to tag me @butternutbakery on Instagram and leave a review below if you make this Funfetti Cake. To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, the buttons above or below this post, or on any of the photos above. Happy baking!
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Funfetti Cake
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 9” layer cake 1x
Description
This is the PERFECT funfetti cake recipe! It’s super moist, soft, and loaded with sprinkles.
Ingredients
Funfetti Cake
- 1 cup (220g) unsalted butter, room temp
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (110ml) vegetable or canola oil
- 4 large eggs, room temp
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 3 1/4 cups (435g) all purpose flour
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (125g) full fat sour cream, room temp
- 1 cup (225ml) buttermilk*, room temp
- 3/4 cup (140g) rainbow jimmies sprinkles
Buttercream
- 1 1/2 cups (330g) unsalted butter, room temp
- 5 cups (600g) powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2–3 tbsp milk
- 1/2 cup (90g) sprinkles for decorating
Instructions
Funfetti Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350F and grease and line the bottoms 3 – 9″ cake pans with parchment paper. You can also use 3 – 8″ cake pans but you will need to leave out about 1 cup of batter (If the pans are overfilled the cakes will sink in the middle. Make sure to only fill the pans a little over halfway). Line the pans in cake strips if you have them.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
- Using a hand or stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy mixing on medium high speed for 3-5 minutes with the whisk attachment. *see picture in post for reference
- With the mixer running on low, pour in the oil. Scrape down the bowl and give it another mix.
- Mix in the eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla. Scrape down the bowl after every 2 eggs.
- Mix in the sour cream.
- With the buttermilk and dry ingredients, mix into the batter alternating between the two, starting and ending with the dry ingredients (dry, wet, dry, wet, dry).
- Take the bowl off the stand once the batter is combined. Take a rubber spatula and give it a good mix, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl. Then, fold in the sprinkles.
- Pour into your cake pans and spread it even. For 9″ cakes, bake for 30-35 minutes. For 8″ cakes, bake for 35-40 minutes. They’re ready when a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and turn them out on to a cooling rack and peel the paper off. If you’re frosting the cake that day, transfer the cakes (still on the cooling rack) to the fridge to completely chill before assembling (about 1 hour). If baking the cakes a day ahead, allow the cakes to cool to room temp on the rack for 1 hour, then wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight.
Buttercream
- Mix the butter using a hand or stand mixer with the whisk attachment until smooth.
- Mix in one cup of powdered sugar at a time, adding the vanilla and milk as it begins to thicken.
- If the buttercream is still too thick when you’re done, add another tablespoon of milk.
Assemble
- Level off the chilled cakes if needed.
- Spread a thin layer of buttercream between each cake layer, then give the entire cake a thin crumb coat. Do so by spreading a very very thin layer all around the cake, just enough to enclose all of the crumbs. Place the cake in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- Frost the cake with the rest of the buttercream and decorate with extra sprinkles. Enjoy!
Notes
- *To make your own buttermilk if needed, mix together 1 cup of milk minus one tablespoon and add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice. Let it sit for 10 minutes to thicken and curdle like buttermilk.
Keywords: funfetti cake, funfetti, birthday cake, confetti cake
I only have white whole wheat flour at home will that work?
Hi Maddy – yes that should be OK, but I would recommend adding a tablespoon of cornstarch to help make a more tender texture.
Will cake flour work?! Excited to try this! 🙂
Yes it will just make a more tender cake 🙂
Hi! Can i make these as cupcakes instead of the cake? What would the temperature/time be?? Thank you!!
I haven’t tested it, but I would halve the recipe and fill the cupcakes about half full. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. You could also use my recipe for birthday cupcakes and sub with regular sprinkles rather than the homemade sprinkles.
I did see that recipe!! Thanks so much for your response! Awesome website. I’m excited to try out some of your recipes! ❤️
Hi! Can I half this recipe and use it for 2 8inch pans instead?
Yes that should be fine! The cakes might just be a bit thinner so reduce the bake time by 5-10 minutes.
I am making the cakes a day ahead. I am traveling will it be ok to make the frosting and refrigerator over night and assemble after arriving to my destination?
Yes that’s fine! Just make sure to let the frosting come to room temp and give it a mix to loosen it up.
Can I use gf all purpose flour ???
Hi! I want to make this cake for my boyfriend’s birthday. Is it possible to make it into a three layered cake using 6 inch pans? If so would the recipe just be cut in half or the ratios would be unknown to u? This is probably the most beautiful funfetti cake I’ve seen! Keep up the amazing work (:
Cut the recipe in half and bake in 2-6 inch pans. Bake for about 10 minutes less but test to make sure they’re done. That should work!
I baked this cake for my husband’s birthday today. I halved the recipe and baked it in 2- 6 inch tins for 40 minutes on 180 degrees celcius. It was so light, fluffy and delicious!! This will definitely be my go-to vanilla cake recipe! Thank you so much for this recipe and for your detailed explanations 😁
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Yay! Thanks for sharing!
Hi there! I baked The recipe and the cake was beautiful and the buttercream was delicious, but I found the cake to be a little dry. We followed the directions exactly, and we are frequent bakers. Any suggestions?
Hi! Did you weight or measure the ingredients? I suggest weighing as it’s very easy to use too much flour…leading to a dry cake.
I have a huge 12x18x2 Cake pan. Like a Costco sheet cake size. Could I double the recipe to make a nice big sheet cake. Not a skinny one. One like Costco
It should be enough to fill the pan because it makes A LOT of batter. If you aren’t satisfied with the height, bake it another time and stack the two on top of each other with frosting in the middle!
Can you do it in a Bundt?
I haven’t tested it but it should be ok. I may have to bake for twice as long.
How long do you recommend letting the ingredients sit up to get to room temperature?
30 minutes to an hour
Excited to try this tomorrow! My 3yo requested that we make it for her Nana’s birthday. 🙂 What do you think about subbing the oil (not the butter) with Apple sauce, and cutting the sugar by 1/4-1/2? Do you think it would still come together? Thanks!
I can’t guarantee anything because I haven’t tested it. Subbing the oil should be fine but I wouldn’t adjust the sugar.
Hey I’m just making sure, this makes a 3 layered cake right?:)
Yep it’s 3!
Where do you get sprinkles in bulk for this?
Amazon!
Can this be made with a gluten free all purpose flour?
I haven’t tested it myself but it’s worth a shot! Make sure it has xanthan gum in the mix.
Hi I just made this cake but the sprinkles have disappeared have I overcooked
A couple things could have happened. 1 – the sprinkles didn’t have a sugar coating to keep the colors from blending into the batter (make sure to use jimmies) or 2 – the batter may have been over mixed and the sprinkles broke down too much.
Ran out of unsalted butter for buttercream, is it ok to use salted butter?
Yep that’s fine!
Hi! So excited to make this as everything (literally. everything.) I’ve made from you is incredible! I see you stated above it makes a 3 layer cake and I plan to bake 8” rounds. I typically weigh the whole batter and then evenly divide between however many pans I’m using. You baked 9” rounds, correct?
I just want to be sure I don’t need to up the recipe/adjust at all to get those 3 layers 😊
Yes, it’s best to bake in 9″ pans so omit about 1 cup of batter and then separate it into the 8″ pans. I found that the middle would sink if the pans were filled too high.
If I halved the recipe (it’s only for 2-4 people), could I just split the batter between 2 8″ or 9″ pans? Also, I had no idea there was a difference between jimmies and sprinkles!
Split it in half and bake in 2 8″ pans. That should be fine! And jimmies are a type of sprinkle and the most classic kind. They’re oblong and not perfectly round.
Can the sour cream be substituted for plain Greek yogurt?
Yep that’s fine!
Can this be made without the sprinkles as just a vanilla cake??
Yep!
I’m making this for my daughter’s 2nd birthday and I noted that somebody on Pinterest said it was super sweet and in your notes you said that it was sweet. Can I cut out 1/2 a cup of sugar from the recipe without a problem? And what about the icing? I’ve only made icing a handful of times and am not sure about changing that up. Thanks!
It’s sweet but not overly sweet…just like any cake should be! I wouldn’t cut the sugar because it could ruin the cake.
Can I bake this in two 9” pans?
If you bake it in two you may have to leave out some of the batter. If the pans are overfilled the middle of the cake will sink when it bakes. Hope this helps!
My daughter wants a funfetti cake and I have to shape it into a avocado lol. I have a 12 & 14 inch round pan. Should I double your recipe for this?
If you’re baking it in just one of those pans, don’t halve the recipe. If you plan in filling both the 12 and 14 inch pans, you. will have to double the recipe. Hope this helps!
Hello! How many pieces/people does this cake yield?
About 10-12 slices
Could you freeze the cakes for a few days before assembling? How would you suggest doing this?
Yep! Wrap each cake layer in plastic wrap (two layers to be safe) and freeze for up to 10 days. Just make sure the cakes are completely cooled before wrapping.
I love this cake! Made it a few months ago and it was great! What kind of plates did you use in the picture? I love them!
Hii!!! i wanna make this cake for my little cousins birthday, but i’m making it a four layer cake, not 3. do you have measurements for it to be 4 layers, or should i just double it and use the rest of the batter for something else?
I don’t have exact measurements, but you could make 4 thin layers with the same amount of batter, or 1 and a half this recipe to make 4 full layers with a little bit of batter left over. Maybe for cupcakes!
Love your blog and your recipes….so a wee tip for putting sprinkles on the side if you don’t have a dog handy..just take a piece of plain printer paper and fold it in half….lay flat and put some sprinkles in the trough..hold it up near to side’s top..tilt..repeat every quarter of cake ..and voila..sprinkles on the side with little waste.
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Such a good idea! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Do you use the whisk attachment for the whole cake?
Use the whisk for the buttercream, you can use the paddle or whisk for the batter.
Will this recipe work to make into cupcakes? Thank you!
I haven’t tested it but I imagine it would be fine, it would just make a lot!
I am planning to make this cake a day in advance. I want to bake, assemble and decorate it the night before the birthday party. Should i store the whole cake (unsliced) in the fridge overnight? I have a cake carrier i plan to put it in.
Yep! If you have room, I recommend storing it in the refrigerator in the cake carrier overnight. As long as it’s unsliced, it should be totally fine.
Hello! I’m looking to double or triple this recipe! Would I cook a 12 inch round pan for the same length?
Hi – If you double it you may be able to bake it in 3 or 4 12inch round pans. Just make sure the pans aren’t more than halfway filled otherwise the cake may cave in the center.
Hi! Thank you for your recipe! I made the layers a few days ago and froze as suggested but was wondering what your recommendation would be for defrosting them and when to put frosting on them! Sounds great!
Hi Katie – to defrost, transfer the cake to the fridge the day before you plan on assembling. Hope this helps!
Hi!! I want to make this into a four layer, 9” round cake. Do you think if I did 1 1/2 the recipe I would be able to do that?
TIA
Yes, just make sure each layer isn’t filled more than halfway full of batter. If you have a bit leftover, you can make a few cupcakes on the side 🙂
Hi Jenna! This is likely a silly question. But how full do I make the cake tins? I have to bake each layer seperately as I only have the one tin. Keshnee
They should be about 2/3 full 🙂
Thank you so much x
Hi!
Can I make it in a bundt cake pan? Would I need to change anything?
Thanks!
CC
I’ve had people do this and it turns out great! I haven’t tested it myself, but it should be able to bake at 350F for 45m-1hour
I made the cake for my moms 86 birthday. It came out great.
Thanks
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Oh yay!!
I baked the cakes today they are waiting in my fridge to be frosted. I followed the recipe to a T and made sure my oven thermometer was correct.. My cakes look a little overdone.. Not so golden. I cooked them for 30 min.. Is it a wash? I dont want to bake again I am feeling defeated. Have family over for my sons second birthday and I have a newborn so time isnt on my side.
If they look sunken in the middle then they may be underdone. It sounds like they should be OK, but if they didn’t turn golden it sounds like there may not have been enough sugar in the batter.
Hi There! I made this cake today and the flavor is AMAZING but my cake fell apart- even after cooling for proper amount of time, the cake layers were too flimsy and fell to pieces almost instantly. What did I do wrong???
It could be that you added too much flour as this can cause a crumbly cake. Make sure you spoon the flour into your cup and level it off. Never scoop directly into the flour as this can pack it down.
Beautifully moist. A bit on the sweet side, though…. I’ll try cutting back the sugar by 10% next time which hopefully shouldn’t affect the texture. I used a flat beater with a silicone edge to cream the butter and sugar as the whisk attachment of my stand mixer seemed to take forever. I didn’t have sour cream so I used non fat Greek yogurt instead. I weighed the flour and sugar (thank you for including the weights in the recipe!) Also made my own buttermilk by adding 2 tbsp of vinegar to 1 cup of full fat milk. My layers baked in about 25 mins in dark colored pans with cake strips.
Thank you for a lovely recipe 😊
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This cake was absolutely PERFECT! Followed the recipe exactly and it was wonderful. I made it for my boys’ 3rd birthday and it was the best birthday cake! I really appreciated that the amount of icing was proportionate to the cake. Not too much and not too little. Thank you so much for sharing this. Will make it again FOR SURE!
Yay! Thanks for sharing!
Do you cut the parchment paper to size in the bottom of the pan or should it be sticking up on the sides? Looking forward to making this for my husbands birthday!
Cut it to the size of the bottom of the pans 🙂
Hi,
Can I use oil instead of butter? If so, can I do a 1:1 substitution?
Thanks.
I do not recommend making this substitution as the butter helps lift the cake and oil could weigh it down. If anything you could use margarine or any plant-based butter.
Hi! I want to try to bake this cake at my birthday this weekend. Do you think soy milk would be fine for the buttercream in stead of normal milk?
Thanks!
Yep that’s totally fine!
Excellent recipe! I thought it would be too sweet but it was absolutely perfect! I made it into a two layered 6 inch cake with 12 cupcakes and it was the perfect amount.
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Ah yay! Thanks for sharing!
So excited to make this for my son’s birthday this weekend. We live in Denver, do you have any suggestions for baking at altitude? Or should I bake as suggested in the recipe? Thank you!!
Oh gosh I have no clue how to adjust for altitude. Your best option would be just to do a google search on how to modify cake recipes for altitude!
Hello, i mad this cake but one of the three cakes tore completely up on the rack. What would be the ratio to make one 9 in cake?
Hi Jenna! Could I use cake flour for a softer crumb? Or does this recipe work better with all purpose flour? Thanks!
You absolutely could! Swap every cup of flour with 1 cup + 2 tbsp cake flour. Let me know how it goes!
Made this for my husband’s birthday and it was sooooooo good. It took me a long time though, because I only have 2 9-inch pans, so I made 2 layers and then made the 3rd.
I won’t use the parchment paper again. I think I would have had smoother outsides if I’d gone with a greased and floured pan instead. But absolutely delicious.
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Ah yay!
This is an amazing recipe! My pet peeve about cakes is that they are often too dry. My boyfriend wanted a funfetti cake for his bday, and everyone raved about the flavor of this cake!
I cut the recipe in half (as I was using 2 8 inch pans), and I used the cream cheese frosting from your carrot cake recipe instead of the buttercream frosting used here (as I don’t like my frostings very sweet. I didn’t have butter cream, but used your helpful suggestion of adding lemon juice to regular milk. I also used pastry flour instead of all purpose flour, as I already had some on hand.
Thanks again! I just discovered your blog (thanks google!), but I am now following you on insta 🙂
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Oh this sounds delicious! So happy you love it!
Could you suggest any swaps for the eggs? Would love to make this for a birthday, but the bday boy is allergic to eggs.
Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer! 🙂
I haven’t tested it, but I suggest using 1 flax egg for every 1 large egg. 1 flax egg = 1 tbsp ground flax mixed with 2 tbsp water. Let it sit and gel for 10 minutes before use. The cake may turn out a tad bit more dense but it should still taste delicious.