sliced funfetti cheesecake with whipped cream and sprinkles on top

Funfetti RECIPES

Since the beginning of my scratch baking career, I’ve been curating funfetti (or “confetti,” “cake batter,” or birthday cake”) recipes that utilize an abundance of sprinkles and flavoring that mimic that iconic buttery, vanilla-forward flavor. The very first funfetti recipe I ever published was funfetti biscotti, and some reader favorites over the years include cake batter dip, funfetti cupcakes, funfetti cinnamon rolls, funfetti cut-out sugar cookies, and funfetti cheesecake.

A MUST TRY (MY FAVORITE!)

Funfetti LAYER CAKE

This plush, colorful cake is bursting with rainbow sprinkles and paired with creamy, buttery vanilla frosting. It’s everything you know and love about the cake you can get from a box, but better. Don’t miss this flavor in sheet cakeBundt cake, or cupcake form!

A slice of confetti layer cake on a plate with a fork.
Before you begin: CHOOSE YOUR SPRINKLES WISELY

Not all sprinkles are created equal.

Never put nonpareils (the tiny beads) into batter. They will bleed into the batter and leave you with streaks of color and, if you have a whole bunch of colors, maybe even leave you with muddy colored batter. Just don’t do it. Nonpareils are best used as a finishing touch type of sprinkle, my favorite being as the coating of funfetti snowballs.

Before you begin: YOU HAVE FLAVORING OPTIONS

Use extracts to enhance flavors.

While historically I have used almond extract to flavor my funfetti recipes, I have more recently started using cake batter extract. I often have folks ask about a nut-free extract due to allergies, and this cake batter extract from LorAnn is completely nut-free (though the facility it is produced in is not).

Before you begin: WORK QUICKLY WHEN DECORATING

Sprinkles need something to stick to.

If you’re going to enhance the decoration of your funfetti treats, be sure to add any of those sprinkles while your frosting is still fresh and before it has set. Most buttercreams crust over when they’re exposed to air, so adding sprinkles before it crusts ensures you have a place for your sprinkles to adhere to.