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This Funfetti Cake recipe is everything it should be: fluffy, buttery, and packed with rainbow sprinkles, then finished with a classic vanilla buttercream. The batter comes together in less than 15 minutes, and you can bake the cake ahead for birthdays, celebrations, or just because. It’s no surprise that this is my go-to cake recipe, this and my strawberry layer cake are my favorites.
Nothing feels more like a celebration than a funfetti cake, I mean, it’s in the name FUNfetti. The joy I feel when cutting into this cake to see the rainbow speckles throughout makes me feel like a kid again. The buttery vanilla cake and vanilla buttercream frosting are a classic for a reason. And this recipe rivals Pillsbury in the best way. If it were my birthday, I’d want my lamb bolognese for dinner, a dirty shirley cocktail and this cake for dessert. Now that sounds like a party!
Ingredients You’ll Need for Funfetti Cake
- All-purpose flour – The base of the cake, giving it enough structure to hold all those colorful sprinkles while keeping the crumb tender.
- Unsalted butter – Adds rich, buttery flavor to the cake and helps create that classic birthday-cake taste.
- Neutral oil – A little oil keeps the cake moist and tender.
- Buttermilk – Adds moisture while helping create a soft, fluffy crumb.
- Rainbow sprinkles – The essential “funfetti” ingredient. Use rainbow sprinkles that hold their shape and color when baked. I used Dallies rainbow sprinkles from Aldi.
For the rest of the ingredients, please refer to the recipe index card below!
Kitchen Tools for Easy Cake Assembly
Stand-Up Mixer: This recipe is easiest to make with a stand-up mixer since it helps properly cream the butter and sugar for a light, fluffy cake. If you don’t have one, an electric hand mixer will work just fine.
Kitchen Scale: I like to add weight measurements to my baking recipes for accuracy. A kitchen scale makes baking super quick and easy.
Cookie Scoop: I love using a cookie scoop to scoop batter into pans and frosting onto cake layers.
Offset Spatula: Helpful for spreading the cake batter evenly into the baking pans and smoothing frosting between layers and around the cake.
Silicone Spatula: A handy tool for scraping every bit of batter from the bowl and folding or smoothing frosting as needed.
Bench Scraper: I prefer a flexible bench scraper for frosting cakes. It makes it much easier to smooth the sides and create clean edges.
Revolving Cake Stand: If you make cakes often, this is worth having. The rotating base makes frosting faster, easier, and much neater.
How to Make Funfetti Cake
- Make the batter. Beat the sugar, butter, and vanilla until light and fluffy, then mix in the oil and eggs until smooth.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients.
- Combine everything. Add the dry ingredients and buttermilk to the butter mixture in two additions, mixing on low until just combined.
- Fold in the rainbow sprinkles.
- Bake the cakes. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 20–22 minutes.
- Make the buttercream. Beat together butter, vanilla, and salt. Add the powdered sugar and heavy cream or buttermilk. Beat until light and fluffy.
- Assemble and decorate. Layer the cakes with buttercream, then apply a crumb coat and chill for 20 minutes.
- Frost the cake with the remaining buttercream and decorate with more sprinkles.
Quick Tips for the Best Funfetti Cake
Avoid using sprinkles that “bleed”. Using American jimmies or confetti discs hold their bright color and don’t bleed into the batter. I used Dallies brand from Aldi.
Don’t overmix the batter. Once the flour and buttermilk are incorporated, mix just until combined before folding in the sprinkles.
Cool the cake layers completely. Make sure the layers are fully cool before frosting so the buttercream stays firm and easy to spread.
Don’t skip the crumb coat. A thin layer of frosting helps trap crumbs before you add the final layer of buttercream for a cleaner finish.
Chill before slicing. You can serve the cake right away, but refrigerating it for at least an hour will give you the cleanest slices.
Make-Ahead, Storage & Serving
Make Ahead: Bake the cake layers up to 2 days in advance. Cool completely, wrap tightly, and store at room temperature. Frosting can be made 1 day ahead and refrigerated.
Storage: Store the assembled cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Serving: Let the cake sit at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes before serving so the frosting softens and the cake texture is at its best.
Freezing: Unfrosted cake layers can be wrapped tightly and frozen for up to 2 months.
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Funfetti Cake
Equipment
- 3 (8-inch) cake pans
- stand mixer
- bench scraper
- offset spatula
- Cake stand
Ingredients
- 1½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup (67g) neutral oil, such as avocado or canola
- 3 large eggs
- 2½ cups (325g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup (184g) buttermilk
- 1 cup (170g) rainbow sprinkles, plus more for decorating
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:
- 1½ cups (283g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla paste or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Pinch kosher salt
- 4½ cups (508g) powdered sugar
- 4½ teaspoons heavy cream or buttermilk
Instructions
To Make the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350degreesF. Grease three 8-inch cake pans with cooking spray or a bit of oil and then line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper. Set aside.
- Add the sugar, unsalted butter, and vanilla extract to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or you can use a large bowl with a hand mixer). Beat until light and fluffy. Then, mix in the oil until just combined. Add the eggs and beat until very smooth, about 1 minute.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. To the bowl of the butter mixture, add half of the dry ingredients and half of the buttermilk. Mix on low speed until combined. Add the remaining dry ingredients and buttermilk and mix until just combined. Lastly, fold in the sprinkles.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared baking pans about 430 grams per layer. Transfer the pans to the oven to bake for 20 to 22 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cakes cool for 15 minutes in the cake pan, then invert onto racks to cool completely.
To Make the Frosting:
- Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or a hand mixer), beat the butter with the vanilla and salt on medium speed for 1 minute, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the powdered sugar a cup at a time with the mixer on low speed. I like to use a silicone spatula to scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl to pick up any bits of powdered sugar. Now add the heavy cream or buttermilk and beat the frosting on medium-high speed for one minute, until light and fluffy.
To Assemble the Cake:
- Place one cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand and use an offset spatula to spread the top evenly with about ⅔ cup of the frosting. Repeat with the second cake layer and another ⅔ cup of frosting, then top with the third cake layer.
- Using about ½ cup of frosting, spread a crumb coat over the entire cake, then transfer to the fridge to chill for 20 minutes. Then spread the remaining frosting over the cake and decorate with more sprinkles. Allow the cake to set in the fridge for another 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Quick Tips
Avoid using sprinkles that “bleed”. Using American jimmies or confetti discs hold their bright color and don’t bleed into the batter. I used Dallies brand from Aldi. Don’t overmix the batter. Once the flour and buttermilk are incorporated, mix just until combined before folding in the sprinkles. Cool the cake layers completely. Make sure the layers are fully cool before frosting so the buttercream stays firm and easy to spread. Don’t skip the crumb coat. A thin layer of frosting helps trap crumbs before you add the final layer of buttercream for a cleaner finish. Chill before slicing. You can serve the cake right away, but refrigerating it for at least an hour will give you the cleanest slices.Make Ahead, Storage & Serving
Make Ahead: Bake the cake layers up to 2 days in advance. Cool completely, wrap tightly, and store at room temperature. Frosting can be made 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Storage: Store the assembled cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Serving: Let the cake sit at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes before serving so the frosting softens and the cake texture is at its best. Freezing: Unfrosted cake layers can be wrapped tightly and frozen for up to 2 months.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
