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Featuring light and fluffy cake layers that are exploding with rainbow sprinkles and slathered in a silky smooth cream cheese buttercream frosting, this is the Ultimate Funfetti Birthday Cake Recipe!!! Perfect for any special celebration or birthday party! This cake is sure to bring a smile to your face!
Funfetti Cake Recipe
Did you grow up with Funfetti cake? I always assumed it was a known “flavor” by all! But recently, I’ve learned a lot of folks have no idea what it is! And that its popularity is not as widespread as I once thought!
Funfetti Cake is essentially a white birthday cake with tons of sprinkles in it! Rainbow sprinkles are folded into the batter, and then more sprinkles are used to decorate the outside of the cake. As a child, this kind of cake was simply known as birthday cake. Because it’s what my mom made us for our birthdays every single year! She used the boxed mix, but would always go all out decorating the cake and adding flair!
As an adult, I still get butterflies thinking about those cakes! They were so exciting and fun… and even though I’m not a little kid anymore, I still crave a giant slice of Funfetti Cake on my birthday! But minus all of the additives and artificial flavorings!
Which is where this homemade Funfetti birthday cake comes in! Now, I won’t say this is just as easy as making a boxed cake recipe. Because it isn’t! But it’s really not hard! And the results are a million times more delicious! So let’s jump to the recipe and get your baking!
Funfetti Cake Ingredients
For the cake batter, you’ll need unsalted butter, sugar, egg whites, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sprinkles. You’ll also need oil, sour cream, and milk. This is your liquid mixture and is what will yield a pillowy soft cake!
Egg whites are used to yield a soft and pure white color, which allows the sprinkles to show through vibrantly. I do not have a recommendation for making this cake without eggs!
Must Have Cake Tools
A few things you’ll need for this recipe: two 9″ cake pans and an electric mixer! A stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or an electric handheld mixer both will work fine!
Be sure to line the bottom of each cake pan with a round of parchment paper and generously grease the sides and bottom of the pans with nonstick baking spray. This is your insurance policy to ensure your cakes don’t stick!
Let’s Bake Cake
Like most baking recipes, this one requires room temperature ingredients. Which means you should place your butter, egg whites, milk, and sour cream out on the counter for at least 30 minutes before you plan on baking. This is also a good time to preheat your oven to 350 degrees!
Next, you’ll want to beat your butter until smooth. Then, with the mixer on medium speed, add the sugar and beat until super light and fluffy. About 3 minutes! You’ll want to stop the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Then beat in the egg whites.
Finally, beat in the flour mixture, alternating with the liquid mixture, beating only until the mixture is just combined! Then gently fold in the sprinkles! If you over mix here, your cake WILL be dry.
How long to Bake?
My cakes are done in exactly 25 minutes! But depending on your oven, and the baking pan you use, yours could take anywhere from 24 to 30 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when the cakes are golden on top, slightly domed, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Can I freeze these cakes?
Yes! Allow the cakes to cool COMPLETELY! Then tightly wrap in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Do I have to slice the Layers?
Nope! If you prefer just two layers of cake, simply bake as directed, skip the slicing part, and assemble! Or you could try my Funfetti Bundt Cake Birthday Cake, which requires little to no assembly! But I do not suggest diving the cake batter into 4 pans and baking, as I’ve found the cake comes out dry and dense.
All of that said, slicing the cake layers in half sounds much scarier than it really is! If you have a good long serrated knife, and a little patience, it’s a breeze! And don’t stress about the layers being perfect. Frosting and sprinkles will cover a multitude of “sins”.
More Birthday Cake Recipes:
- White Chocolate Almond Raspberry Cake
- Old-Fashioned Devil’s Food Cake
- Brown Butter Funfetti Cake
- Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake
- Best White Cake Recipe
- Classic Yellow Cake with Creamy Chocolate Frosting
Ultimate Funfetti Birthday Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Funfetti Cake Layers:
- 2 and 2/3 cups cake flour (330 grams)
- 1 Tablespoon (13 grams) baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon (3 grams) salt
- 1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 cups (298 grams) granulated sugar
- 6 large egg whites (201 grams), beaten until frothy
- 3/4 cup (170 grams) milk
- 3/4 cup (170 grams) sour cream
- 1/4 cup oil (canola or vegetable)
- 1 Tablespoon (15 grams) vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (85 grams) rainbow sprinkles, plus more for decorating the sides of the cake
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 3 cups (706 grams) cream cheese, VERY soft
- 3/4 cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, VERY soft
- 4 cups (454 grams) confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons milk, more if needed
- Nonpareil sprinkles, for decorating, optional (do not use these in the cake!)
Instructions
For the Funfetti Cake Layers:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Generously grease the bottom and sides of two 9-inch round cake pans; line with parchment paper rounds and set aside until needed.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
- Gradually add in the sugar. Once all of the sugar has been added, beat on high speed for 2 minutes.
- Reduce the speed to low and add in the egg whites, a little bit at a time, beating well after each addition, and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl frequently.
- In a spouted measuring cup, combine the milk, sour cream, oil, and vanilla. Mix until evenly combined.
- On low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating it with the liquid milk/sour creamy mixture, beginning and ending with the flour, and mixing until just combined. Fold in the sprinkles.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans and smooth the tops. (It should be about 765 grams of batter per pan).
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly brown around the edges and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean.
- Cool the cakes in the pans places on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Then invert the cake layers onto cooling racks and cool completely.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using an electric handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until completely smooth; about 2 minutes.
- Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the sifted confectioners' sugar. Add in the salt and milk and beat until combined.
- Once all of the ingredients have been incorporated, increase the speed to high and beat for 1 to 2 minutes, or until super fluffy.
- Place 1/2 cup of the frosting in a piping bag that's fitted with a star tip. Set the rest aside to be used on the cake.
Assembly:
- Using a long, serrated knife, slice each cake in half horizontally, so that you have 4 even layers.
- Place one cake layer on a large plate or cake stand. Spread 2/3 cup of the frosting on top of the cake, covering it completely.
- Top with another cake layer, and repeat the layering process, ending with the last cake layer on top. Spread all remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Use the frosting in the piping bag to pipe stars on top of the cake and/or decorative swirls around the edges, as seen in my photos.
- Using your hands, gently press some sprinkles around the sides of the cake.
- Allow the cake to set for 20 minutes before slicing. Then slice and serve.
If I beat 6 egg whites until frothy, how do I add them one at a time?
You can just add a little bit at a time 🙂
I guess Common Sense isn’t so common….
Looks delicious
How much baking time would it take if I bake it in a rectangular pan?
Hi , I love all your baking but I don’t want to use the egg white & throw the egg yolks so how many eggs to use if I want to substitute the egg whites with whole eggs??
Use them for another recipe. We like to make hollandaise sauce.
Under ingredients for cake layers it says, “1 cup (8 ounces).” Is it 1/2 cup (8 ounces) or 1 cup ( 16 ounces)? TIA!
Never mind! I was thinking tablespoons, not ounces!! Sorry!
Looks awesome
Hi, is there any substitute for cake flour?
Hi if I can’t find dairy free Yogurt (cuz they don’t really have it where I live, soo unlessI go out of town… )Anyway can I use Buttermilk instead? & how much? (I KNOW there’s milk in it already)
(3/4 cup milk + 3/4 Yogurt … soo how much Buttermilk should I use & or milk.?
Thanking u in advance
Hi Blimey. I’ve never made this caked with buttermilk so I’m not sure how to advise. If you experiment, let us know how it turns out!
Hi, I am making this cake today, and was wondering why do you need sour cream for it?
Thank you
Baked this cake this past weekend! Amazing! highly recommend it 🙂
Hi Ashley, I am trying this recipe for first time, I want to reduce the quantity of the cake first I want to try how it comes so I can make this cake for my son’s birthday and instead of soul Cream can I use Greek yoghurt
What changes need to be made to the bake time if making cupcakes?
I made this yesterday for a Pride party (wanted something festive and colorful) and it was a huge hit. Absolutely stellar recipe and it made a perfect, crowd-pleasing cake. Thank you so much!
Making this cake today for my birthday, so far so good! Although, when I took the cakes out of the oven and smelled them (at a pretty close distance) it had a slight egg-like smell. Is this normal? Could it be if I didn’t beat the whites enough? Thanks!
I decided to make these as cupcakes. The recipe made 30 cupcakes. I baked for about 20 minutes. They came out great – absolutely delicious!!! I will be making this cake again next week for my daughter’s birthday.
I made this recipe as cupcakes last week. They came out excellent! I used the weight measurements when given, and had to add an extra egg white to get close to the 201 g of egg whites. (I used the yolks in a chocolate buttercream recipe that I was making for another cake.) I got a total of 30 cupcakes and they took about 20 minutes to bake. Today I baked this recipe again as a cake, popped the layers in the freezer, and I will be icing them on Friday for my daughter’s birthday! Great recipe …thank you!
I made this cake as a trial run for our sons 6th Birthday last week and I need to make it again this coming weekend for the actual Birthday. The one thing that didn’t work out for me was the beautiful colours that yours has. The sprinkle colour in mine just about disappeared and the only visible colour was the blue (which turned green) and faint yellow. Should I be using a specific type of sprinkle or any tips? The colour is what really drew me to your recipe 🙂
How do you think recipe will do if I use Gluten Free Flour?
I haven’t tried, so I can’t say. But I think a 1 for 1 GF flour would be your best starting point.
Hi there! It says to sift together the dry ingredients. Does that change the measurements of the flour?
Thanks!
Hi, can i make this cake with a mascarpone cream?
🙂
How do I store it? Delicious!
You can wrap it and store at room temperature for up to 3 days!
I made it ! It was delicious even using GF flour.
For the cake batter, it says 1 cup of unsalted butter (8 oz), but 1 cup is 16 oz, which is 2 sticks. So is it 1 cup or 1/2 cup (1 stick, 8 ounces)? Thanks!
1 cup of butter is 16 ounces, not 8. So is it 1 cup of butter (2 sticks, 16 ounces) or 1/2 cup (1 stick, 8 ounces)? Also, the oil is not listed under the ingredients list. How much oil is needed?
Never mind, I saw the oil measurement down the way 🙂 still need to know about the butter, though.