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Fluffy pumpkin cake meets classic funfetti in this stunning three-tier creation. Two spiced pumpkin layers sandwich a moist confetti-studded center—top with buttercream flowers or your favorite frosting for a cake that tastes as impressive as it looks.
Autumn is all about baking. And a can of pumpkin is my all-time favorite thing to reach for. This cake is adapted from my pumpkin sheet cake with brown butter frosting. It’s DIVINE. But this one has a layer of funfetti in the center for make things fun and gorgeous.
Ingredients You’ll Need for this Pumpkin Funfetti Cake
- Sprinkles. You can of course make homemade sprinkles. But I love using these multi-colored store-bought sprinkles. It makes it easy.
- Pumpkin. I love a can of Libby’s or 365 pumpkin puree for ease and consistency.
- Butter and Oil. I love the combination of butter and oil
Recipe Tip
- If you’re after that perfectly flat cake top, use cake strips around your pans.
- Room temperature ingredients are a must – they blend better and bake more evenly.
- When folding in the sprinkles, be gentle. It’s not a race, and you don’t want to deflate the batter.
Recipe FAQs
Can I turn this cake into cupcakes?
Absolutely. This should make about 24 cupcakes. You can layer the pumpkin, funfetti and pumpkin batter in a single cupcake. Bake them for 17-22 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
More Fall Baking Recipes
Desserts
Brûléed Pumpkin Pie
Quick and Easy
Chai Apple Skillet Cake
Breakfast
Apple Cider Doughnut Muffins
Desserts
Chai Snickerdoodles
Pumpkin Funfetti Cake
This Pumpkin Funfetti Cake combines fluffy spiced layers with a nostalgic confetti center for the ultimate fall showstopper. One slice and it'll become your new seasonal obsession.
Equipment
- 3 (8-inch) cake pans
Ingredients
Funfetti Cake Layer:
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup buttermilk
- 2 large egg whites
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup rainbow sprinkles
Pumpkin Cake Layer:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 can pure pumpkin puree
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Frosting:
- 5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 3/4 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
- Pinch kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Food gel coloring, colors of choice
Instructions
To Make the Funfetti Cake Layer:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line a 8-inch cake pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a large measuring cup, measure out the buttermilk and whisk in the egg whites and vanilla extract.
- In the bowl of a stand-up mixer, add the butter, oil and sugar. Beat until light and fluffy about 2 minutes. Alternating between the buttermilk mixture and the dry mix, add them to the butter mixture, until combined.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pan and transfer to the oven to bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Set aside.
To Make the Pumpkin Cake Layer:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line a 8-inch cake pan and set aside.
- In the a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand-up mixer (or a large bowl using an electric mixer), whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil and pumpkin until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Pour the batter into the pan and smooth it out using an offset spatula or butter knife. Transfer to the oven to bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes and then invert it onto a cooling rack. When cooled, slice the cake in half.
To Make the Frosting:
- Sift in the powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand-up mixer with the paddle attachment. Or you can use a medium bowl with an electric hand mixer. Add the butter and salt. Beat the frosting for about a minute or two until smooth. Scoop out about 1 1/2 cups of frosting for the any flowers or decorative top you might use for decoration. Pour in 2 tablespoons of heavy cream and beat again for a full 2 minutes, until super fluffy. I like for the frosting for the decorative top to be a stiffer consistency and then the rest of the frosting to be nice and fluffy.
To Assemble the Cake:
- Decorate the cake how your heart desires. Add the fluffy frosting to the layers and outside of the cake. And use the remaining for the flowers or any sort of decorative top you’d like.
Nutrition
Serving: 6g | Calories: 722kcal | Carbohydrates: 94g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 216mg | Potassium: 192mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 75g | Vitamin A: 3763IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this Recipe? Please Rate & comment below!
This was seriously one of the best cakes I’ve ever made. Everyone at Friendsgiving was blown away. It wasn’t too sweet, so unique, and so flavorful!
What a gorgeous flower garden did you make! ❤❤❤ Although I’ve never made any cakes by myself, I would love to have one soonnn in the future. Anyways, I always enjoy your pastel style, it’s so pleasuring 🙂
– Natalie
I kid you NOT, when I stumbled across this post, I was thinking…how on EARTH does she do that? It looks like SO much work to create this cake! Really, in all seriousness, this is terrific work from you (as always, of course). Each layer and frosted rose probably has a lot of heart and soul into them and it really shows. I wish you the best trip in Paris if you and Josh end up going! It is such a beautiful city with a rich history and magnificent cuisine. You will both LOVE it!
Haha I did have to go in a bit of a trance when making the flowers but honestly I enjoy that type of work–it’s mediative for me.
Thank you so much! You’re so sweet.
OMGoodness Adrianna!!!!
Marvelous…..just MARVELOUS!!
I’m always pleased with your recipes, but this one, well, it just takes the cake!!
I also would like for you to PLEASE make a video/tutorial on how you made your flowers.
What a stunning cake and when you slice into it….BAM!
Delicious indeed, YAY YOU!!
What a nice idea for your get-away, have fun planning for your fun with hubby!
Happy Thanksgiving!!
Hi Dalila, I absolutely will. Thank you so much. You’re so sweet. Happy Thanksgiving! x
Adrianna, this is gorgeous! So beautiful!
What a gorgeous cake! The flowers alone are just beautiful…
My gosh you are so talented! That cake is simply stunning. My husband and I travel a lot and every year travel first class to Europe using our AMEX points. To accumulate points I use my AMEX for everything, and since I’m a big Costco shopper I was SO disappointed when they stopped taking AMEX. We leave for Europe in April, this time crossing the Atlantic on a cruise. I’m super excited!
This cake is GORGEOUS!!!! And falls under the category of “Things I Would Love to Make But Don’t Have the Patience For.” 😀 But if you send one my way for Thanksgiving, I will happily eat it. 😉
Excited for you for your Paris trip! Rack up those points. You can put them to good use in all the patisseries!!
Can you do a video sometime of how to make those gorgeous flowers? I’d love to learn.
I need to do this! It’s on my to-do list 🙂
Beautiful! The colors are stunning!