Confetti Cake (Funfetti Layer Cake)
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This plush white 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, with that iconic flavor and nostalgia in every bite. This confetti cake is perfect for everything from birthdays and holidays to cheering on your favorite sports team. Don’t miss this flavor in sheet cake, Bundt cake, or cupcake form!
LIKE BOXED FUNFETTI CAKE BUT BETTER
I know you can taste it if you close your eyes: that buttery, vanilla-forward, delicately sweet cake with the perfect stick-to-your fork texture and little bits of sprinkles in every nook and cranny. It’s nostalgia packed into layers of cake sandwiched with creamy, perfect vanilla buttercream and a blank canvas for more sprinkles and birthday candles.
Or… No candles! Any reason to make this funfetti cake recipe to celebrate is totally appropriate, and so is a random Tuesday night.
I’ve spent more than a decade and a half baking from scratch, and my first specialty was cakes. Popular recipes when I owned a cake baking business were carrot cake, chocolate cake, and an earlier (not as delicious) version of this sprinkle-studded cake.
I’ve tweaked and tested and fine-tuned and perfected this confetti cake recipe to produce a thick, moist, and fluffy cake that holds up to stacking and is as reliable as your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe.
THE REVERSE CREAMING METHOD: WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS CONFETTI LAYER CAKE
We lean into my favorite cake making method, reverse creaming, which makes this recipe virtually foolproof and one that you’ll be baking again and again (you’ve been warned!). There are many reasons why I love this method, and if you’ve never utilized this method before, I think we can turn you into a believer!
NO CREAMING: this is quite possibly my favorite thing about reverse creaming! There’s no “is my mixture light and fluffy yet? How long have I been creaming? Did I cream too much?” The reverse creaming method means you’ll add the softened butter right in with the sugar and other dry ingredients. I wasn’t lying when I said “like the box mix, but better.”
MIX, POUR, BAKE: since we aren’t creaming anything, making the batter for this sprinkle cake recipe means you just add all the ingredients (in a specific order, don’t let the rules go out the window!) to a bowl, pour it into your cake pans, and bake. It’s like my one-bowl chocolate cake! A total reader favorite for lots of reasons, but “ease of method” is certainly one of them.
NO TRIMMING: one of the amazing things about the reverse creaming method is that it’s kind of magical. This method minimizes gluten development and air incorporation, which means your cake layers are more even and flat, while also making the crumb velvety smooth and delicate.
MIX & MATCH COLORS: looking to celebrate a favorite sports team? Grab sprinkles in their color! Want to tint the icing? Pick a color any color! Don’t hold back. Make it fun.
FUNFETTI CAKE INGREDIENTS
Nothing fancy here, but be sure you’re paying attention to these carefully chosen ingredients so your results are perfect.
ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR + CORNSTARCH: this recipe is adapted from my white layer cake which comes from Cook’s Illustrated, whose recipe utilizes cake flour. While I usually have cake flour on hand, I find that using a DIY cake flour mixture of all-purpose flour and cornstarch yields the same results and makes this cake recipe more accessible to home bakers.
GRANULATED SUGAR: just pure sweetness!
BAKING POWDER: no acidic ingredients in this cake to activate baking soda, so we’re relying solely on baking powder to bring all the lift to this moist funfetti cake recipe.
SALT: this perfectly offsets the sweetness of the cake. Don’t leave it out!
UNSALTED BUTTER: be sure your butter is at room temperature and no warmer. Anything warmer than room temperature and you run the risk of your cake turning out greasy.
WHOLE MILK: whole milk is crucial to the texture of this cake. While you can use a lower fat milk or even a non-dairy one, whole milk produces the best balance of moisture and richness without weighing down the cake crumb.
EGG WHITES: while fresh eggs are my preference, you can use cartoned egg whites for this particular recipe. Aim for 30g per egg white as opposed to the 46g on the carton.
VANILLA + CAKE BATTER EXTRACTS: 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). You can use either one, but I prefer the taste of this cake with the cake batter extract.
SPRINKLES: do not use nonpareils for this cake. Jimmies/rods only! See my “success tips” section below for more details on choosing the right sprinkles for this cake.
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE FUNFETTI CAKE: STEP-BY-STEP PHOTOS
I like to make this cake in two 8″ round cake pans, though it will work in 9″ rounds as well as three 8″ rounds. See recipe notes for adjusting bake times based on the pans you have.
STEP #1: start by combining the flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, and salt, then blend the ingredients together on low until completely combined.
STEP #2: add the butter and beat the mixture on low speed until it resembles sand. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula and mix again on low for a few seconds until everything is thoroughly combined.
STEP #3: combine the milk, egg whites, and extracts in a large container with a spout (like a 2-cup glass measuring cup) and mix gently with a fork until blended.
STEP #4: with the mixer speed on medium-low, add half of the milk mixture (about 1 cup) to the crumb mixture and mix until blended. Add the remaining milk mixture to the batter and beat again on medium-low until everything is incorporated. Turn the mixer off, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula, and increase mixer speed to medium. Beat the batter for about 30 seconds until batter is smooth.
STEP #5: remove the bowl from the mixer and use a spatula to gently fold in the sprinkles until evenly dispersed.
STEP #6: divide batter evenly between the prepared cake pans, then bake. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans completely on a wire rack before removing and assembling.
FROSTING: YOU HAVE OPTIONS
While the recipe card below uses classic vanilla frosting, you can add some cake batter extract to the frosting, too, if you want to double up on the funfetti-ness of your cake.
You can also use homemade rainbow chip frosting, cream cheese frosting, or a less sweet Swiss meringue buttercream.
This is the perfect place to complement the inside of your cake by tinting the frosting. Pick a color, any color!
SUCCESS TIPS
You can call me a bit of a connoisseur of baking with sprinkles, and here are my best tips for this recipe.
DO NOT USE NONPAREILS. these are the teeny little balls. They will most definitely bleed into your cake batter, muddying it up. While it will taste fine, it will look quite unappealing.
JIMMIES/RODS OR QUINS WORK BEST: “jimmies” are the typical shape you think of when you think of sprinkles. They’re intensely colored and bright. Quins are the little discs, sometimes in different shapes, that do not bleed very much at all. They tend to lose their shape as they dissolve a bit in wet batter, so if the shape matters to you, it will likely be unrecognizable after baking.
DO NOT USE NATURALLY COLORED SPRINKLES: while you can absolutely use these sprinkles as decoration, their color will come off and bleed into the batter similar to the way nonpareils will.
Confetti Layer Cake Recipe (Funfetti)
Ingredients
CAKE
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour be sure to measure properly
- 2 Tablespoons (15g) cornstarch
- 1 and ¾ cups (350g) granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 12 Tablespoons (171g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature1
- 1 cup (240mL) whole milk room temperature1,2
- 6 large egg whites3 room temperature1
- 1 and ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cake batter extract4
- ⅔ cup (134g) sprinkles not nonpareils
VANILLA BUTTERCREAM
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ to ⅓ cup (60-80mL) milk or cream
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
CAKE
- Place oven rack on the middle setting and preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Grease and flour (or use homemade cake release) two 8" or 9" round5 cake pans.
- In a large bowl with a handheld mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend ingredients together on low until completely combined, about 1 minute.2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour, 2 Tablespoons (15g) cornstarch, 1 and ¾ cups (350g) granulated sugar, 4 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt
- Add the room temperature butter and beat mixture on low speed until it resembles sand (see photo in post text). Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula and mix again on low for a few seconds until thoroughly combined.12 Tablespoons (171g) unsalted butter
- Combine the whole milk, egg whites, vanilla extract, and cake batter extract in a large container with a spout (like a 2-cup glass measuring cup) and mix gently with a fork until blended.1 cup (240mL) whole milk, 6 large egg whites3, 1 and ½ teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon cake batter extract4
- With the mixer speed on medium-low, add half of the milk mixture (about 1 cup) to the crumb mixture and mix until blended. Add the remaining milk mixture to the batter and beat again on medium-low until everything is incorporated. Turn the mixer off, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula, and increase mixer speed to medium. Beat the batter for about 30 seconds until batter is smooth.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a spatula to gently fold in the sprinkles until evenly dispersed.⅔ cup (134g) sprinkles
- Divide batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake cakes for 26-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the tops are lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow cakes to cool in the pans completely on a wire rack before removing and assembling.
BUTTERCREAM
- In a large bowl with a handheld mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the the butter on medium-high until smooth, about 2 minutes.1 cup (227g) unsalted butter
- Reduce the mixer to low, then slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until everything is combined. Add the vanilla extract and mix again.4 cups (480g) powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon salt, ¼ to ⅓ cup (60-80mL) milk or cream
- Slowly add the milk or cream, watching for and stopping at desired consistency. Add the salt, then increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until completely smooth.
- If after beating, the frosting is too stiff, add more cream. If it is too thin, add more powdered sugar, about 2 Tablespoons at a time. Turn off the mixer and use a spatula to stir the buttercream by hand to remove air bubbles and make it smooth and creamy. This usually takes about 3-5 minutes, but can take longer, especially if your mixer is very strong. Buttercream is ready to use right away.
ASSEMBLE THE CAKE
- Place one layer, bottom side up, on a plate or cake stand. Using a spatula or knife, spread an even layer of frosting over the entire surface. Place the second layer on top, bottom side down, and press down on the top lightly. Spread the rest of the frosting on the cake, beginning with the top and working your way down the sides. Decorate as desired.
- Cake stays fresh covered at room temperature for up to 4 days. Cake may be covered and refrigerated for up to 7 days.
Video
Notes
- Room temperature ingredients: it is imperative to use room temperature ingredients in this recipe. Allow ingredients to sit out at room temperature at least 45 minutes before beginning.
- Whole milk: I strongly encourage using full fat whole cow milk in this recipe. It keeps the crumb moist and dense and adds a creaminess to the overall texture of the cake.
- Egg whites: you can use cartoned egg whites for this particular recipe. Aim for 30g per egg white as opposed to the 46g on the carton.
- Cake batter extract: 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). You can use either one, but I prefer the taste of this cake with the cake batter extract.
- Cake pans: this recipe has been tested with two 8″ round pans, but it will work in two 9″ pans OR three 8″ round pans. If using two 9″ pans, reduce bake time to 22-24 minutes. If using three 8″ pans, reduce bake time to 18-20 minutes.
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.