Funfetti Cake

This homemade funfetti cake is fluffy, moist, and packed with rainbow sprinkles! Top it with your favorite buttercream to make it a festive party!

The funfetti cake itself is soft, fluffy, and moist. The sprinkles add a slight crunch to both the cake and the frosting. Speaking of, the vanilla frosting is so smooth and creamy! This recipe makes buttery, tall, fluffy cake layers with just the right amount of frosting–not a sweetness overload like some funfetti out there.

If you want a portable version of this cake, check out my funfetti cupcakes with funfetti frosting or this brown-butter version of mini funfetti cupcakes! Or, if you’re on the birthday cake hunt, cookie lovers would also love this chocolate chip cookie cake and donut lovers would be into my ever popular donut cake. We’ve got you covered!

Professional tips for cake recipes:

• Room temperature ingredients make a difference. Having all your ingredients at room temp will make the most emulsified cake batter for a tender cake.
• Do not overmix the cake batter. This prevents tunneling, which are large air pockets, and ensures a nice light texture.
• Only frost the cake layers once they are completely cooled. We don’t want the frosting melting and sliding off!

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour: AP flour adds substance to the cake batter. You may also use gluten-free all-purpose flour or cake flour.
• Baking Powder: I use baking powder and not baking soda. This gives the cake a slow and even rise.
• Kosher Salt: Do be sure you use kosher salt or reduce the salt in the recipe by half. Kosher salt has larger granules and is less salty than sea salt or table salt by the teaspoon.
• Unsalted Butter
• Granulated Sugar
• Large Eggs: I use whole eggs for this recipe because they add moisture and fat as well as aid in the leavening. Since it is a butter based cake, I don’t need to lighten it with whipped egg whites like I do in my classic white cake recipe.
• Vanilla Extract: This is the main taste so choose a vanilla flavor that you enjoy. I love Nielson Massey’s vanilla extract. It’s what I use in this and my frosted sugar cookies and moist vanilla cake recipe!
• Whole Milk: The fat in whole milk adds flavor and contributes to the moist, tender texture. Some bakers use buttermilk for an even softer crumb.
• Rainbow Sprinkles: Rainbow sprinkles add a fun and whimsical element to the cake and their cookie cousins funfetti cookies.
• Powdered Sugar

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations

• Style it to be holiday specific! Use red, white & blue sprinkles for July 4th, red and green sprinkles for Christmas, or red, blue, and white sprinkles for Hanukkah. Red, white, and pink are also fun for Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day. Use the colors of your favorite team for the Superbowl or game day! You could also mix up your type of sprinkles! Use nonpareils, jimmies, or confetti-style for different occasions.
• What frosting goes with Funfetti cake? I love my funfetti as written in this post, topped with a solid vanilla buttercream recipe! However, a chocolate buttercream frosting, like the one on my devil’s food cake, would give a nice contrast. You could also go for a swiss meringue buttercream or a favorite like cream cheese frosting! No matter how you ice it, it’s already a party!
• Make it a little nutty! Add ½ teaspoon of almond extract to the batter, it’ll enhance the vanilla!

How to Make Funfetti Cake

Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below!

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°Fahrenheit (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans or line them with parchment paper.

If you want taller layers, divide the batter between three 8-inch cake pans instead!

Step 2: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Step 3: In a large mixing bowl, or in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar at medium speed or medium-high speed until light and fluffy.

If you forgot to take your butter out ahead of time, cut it into small cubes and let it sit for 10–15 minutes, or gently warm it in the microwave on low power for a few seconds.

Step 4: Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Step 5: At a low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, alternating with the milk. Begin and end with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure all the ingredients are incorporated.

When adding the flour mixture and milk, do so in three additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Stop mixing when just combined—overmixing can make the cake dense.

Step 6: Gently fold in the rainbow sprinkles.

Be gentle when folding in your sprinkles, or they may bleed into the batter!

Step 7: Divide the cups of batter equally between the two prepared cake pans. Smooth into an even layer with a spatula.

Step 8: Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Use cake strips and rotate halfway through for even baking!

Step 9: Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Step 10: While the cakes are cooling on a wire rack, make the frosting. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter until creamy. Gradually whip in the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Beat until light and fluffy.

If the frosting is too thick, add a splash of milk; if too thin, add more powdered sugar a tablespoon at a time.

Step 11: Once the cakes are completely cooled, place one cake layer on a serving plate. Using an offset spatula, spread a generous amount of frosting on top. Next, place the second cake layer on top and frost the entire cake with the remaining frosting.

It helps to have a flat surface! Use a serrated knife to level out the top of your cake layers.  For a smoother frosting application, crumb coat the cake first: Spread a thin layer of frosting over the cake, chill for 10–15 minutes to set, then apply the final layer to the sides and tops of the cakes.

Step 12: Lastly, decorate the outside of the cake with additional rainbow sprinkles for that bakery finish!

Frequently Asked Questions

Before You Go

I hope you enjoyed this professional chef tested recipe. Check out our other delicious, chef-developed Cupcakes & Cakes recipes.