Cake Batter Up!
Funfetti cake is cake with rainbow sprinkles folded into the batter that when baked looks like confetti. That’s why it’s sometimes called confetti cake. It is almost always flavored with vanilla as I do in this recipe, but some bakers, like Molly Yeh, add almond extract to mimic the boxed cake. To ensure the sprinkles pop, the cake itself is typically white or yellow. Yellow cake uses whole eggs—the yolk gives it a yellow hue—while white cake, like in this recipe, relies only on the egg whites. The downside of using only egg whites is that the cake becomes dry or tough as it sits. To prevent this, I have tricks:
Oil in addition to butter ensures the cake stays moist. Buttermilk adds an extra bit of fat and the faintest tang to balance out the sweetness. Thanks to its low protein content, cake flour keeps the cake tender.
The Best Sprinkles for Funfetti Cake
I recommend using rainbow sprinkles called jimmies. They’re the ones you can find at ice cream shops, shaped like short, skinny strands or rods. Avoid nonpareils—the tiny balls—or any sprinkle that tends to bleed color quickly when in contact with liquid. Feel free to swap the rainbow jimmies for another color palette! Just note that some colors, like white and yellow, won’t be as visible in the cake as say, green, pink, or blue.
Tips from a Cake Pro
Start with room temperature egg whites, butter, and buttermilk. Room temperature butter is easier to beat into a light and airy cream, which creates a lighter, loftier cake. Room temperature egg whites and buttermilk will incorporate into the cake batter easily without seizing it. The same goes for the butter in the buttercream. Cold butter won’t aerate in the way that softened, butter will, resulting in a stiff, not fluffy frosting. After the flour mixture is added to the batter, mix until just combined. A few dry spots are okay! Those dry spots will get mixed in when you fold in the sprinkles. Make sure your cake layers are completely cool before frosting. Buttercream will melt and slide off a warm cake.
Make Ahead Funfetti Cake
When I make cakes, I break the process up over a couple of days. It’s more manageable that way. Here’s how:
Bake the cake layers up to a day before you plan to assemble it. To store, cool them completely, tightly wrap each layer separately with plastic wrap, and store at room temperature.It’s best to make the buttercream the day of, but it can be prepped a day in advance. Refrigerate it in an airtight container or in the mixing bowl, tightly covered with plastic wrap. Several hours before using, take the buttercream out of the refrigerator and let it come back to room temperature. Once at room temperature, briefly beat it until light, fluffy, and spreadable.The cake can be assembled and decorated one day before you plan to serve it. Keep it covered overnight at room temperature, like in a cake carrier or cake stand with a cloche, or in the fridge.
More Beautiful Layered Cakes
Black Forest Cake Hummingbird Cake Carrot Cake Triple Layer White Cake with Orange Curd Filling Vanilla Buttermilk Layer Cake
Nonstick cooking spray
3 cups (382g) cake flour, plus more for the cake pans
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 sticks (226g) unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups (367g) sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 large (132g) egg whites, at room temperature
6 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1 1/3 cups low-fat buttermilk, at room temperature
2/3 cup rainbow sprinkles, plus more for decorating
For the buttercream
5 sticks (567g) unsalted butter, softened
3 3/4 cups (469g) powdered sugar, sifted
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk
Lightly spray 3 (8-inch) round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper. Spray the pans once more, taking care to grease the parchment and sides. Dust the bottoms and sides with flour and tap out the excess over the sink to avoid making a mess. Fun fact: Fat carries flavor, so beating the vanilla with the butter will help carry its flavor to each bite of cake! Add all the oil at once and beat on medium speed until combined. The batter will look creamy and smooth. Right out of the oven, the edges will slowly spring back when gently poked with your finger, but the center will not. The center will slowly spring back when gently poked once it cools. Sift the powdered sugar in and add the salt. Beat on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium and beat until creamy and lightened in color, about 2 minutes. You may need to scrape the sides of the bowl a couple of times. Add the vanilla and beat on medium speed until combined. With the mixer running on medium-low speed, slowly drizzle in the heavy cream. Once all the heavy cream is added, increase the speed to medium and beat until the buttercream is light, fluffy, and spreadable, about 2 minutes. You can do this without a cake turntable by simply sawing off the domed top. Use the offset spatula to spread a very thin layer of buttercream over the sides and top of the cake. Also, fill in any gaps between each layer. You should be able to see the cake through the crumb coat. Refrigerate the cake until the crumb coat is firm, about 30 minutes. Wipe the offset spatula clean. Hold the back of the offset spatula at a 30-to-45-degree angle against the top of the cake with the rounded end positioned in the center of the cake. Rotate the cake to smooth out the top and gently, but swiftly swipe the spatula away to create a smooth surface. Hold the straight edge of a bench scraper (or another straight-edged tool like a ruler) against the side of the cake so that it’s just touching the buttercream. Rotate the cake, while holding the bench scraper steady, to scrape off a thin layer of frosting and smooth out the sides of the cake. Buttercream will likely build up over the top edge. To create a sharp top edge, use the back of the offset spatula and gently swipe off the excess buttercream by swiping it towards the center. Continue doing this around the whole top of the cake, wiping the spatula between each swipe. Place the cake over a rimmed baking sheet or some other rimmed platter that can catch any rogue sprinkles. Gently press sprinkles onto the bottom edge of the cake and add some on top of the piped kisses. Did you love the cake? Leave us stars below!
