Nothing says celebration like sprinkles and cake! This light, moist 3-layer, 6-inch Vanilla Bean Homemade Funfetti Cake is filled with rainbow sprinkles and topped with a fluffy, creamy vanilla frosting and more sprinkles. It’s the perfect little cake to celebrate any occasion.
Vanilla Bean Homemade Funfetti Cake
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Sprinkles rule in our house. If my kids had it their way, we’d have sprinkles on everything – in pancakes, on yogurt, even on mac and cheese. Yup. You read that right. Once my 3-year old had a major freak out because I wouldn’t put sprinkles on her pasta.
So, when it’s time to celebrate, we have to include sprinkles. This little 6-inch, 3-layer Vanilla Bean Homemade Funfetti Cake is perfect for a small gathering, and while the cake is petite, it’s still packed with sprinkles on the outside and inside. It’s the perfect sprinkle-laden treat.
While the sprinkles are the showstopper, the homemade vanilla bean cake cannot be overlooked. It’s a moist and tender cake, and thanks to the vanilla beans in the cake, a natural and delicious vanilla flavor shines through.
How to make Funfetti cake
🥘Ingredients
- Cake flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Butter
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Sour cream
- Vanilla extract
- Milk
- Rainbow sprinkles
🔪Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 3, 6-inch circular baking pans with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pans and parchment paper.
- For the cake batter, in a small bowl sift all dry ingredients. In the mixer bowl fitted with paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until just combined. Add sour cream and vanilla extract and mix.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold the rainbow sprinkles into the batter. Divide batter equally between all 3 pans and bake for 25 to30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake has a few crumbs stuck on it. Do not allow the cake to brown.
- Cool the cakes in the pans for 15 minutes, then take them out on a cooling rack and let them cool completely.
- For frosting, in a stand mixer bowl fitted with paddle attachment, cream the butter until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add confectioners sugar, mix again until light and fluffy.
- Add vanilla extract and salt, mix until combined. Add milk and mix until light and fluffy.
- To assemble the cake, trim the tops of the cake to make them flat. Add frosting between the cake layers and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- Using an offset spatula cover the tops and sides of the cake with thin layers of frosting and refrigerate again for 15 minutes.
- Place a final thicker layer of frosting on the cake. Add rainbow sprinkles to bottom edges and top of the cake. Also decorate the cake with frosting using a pastry bag fitted with an attachment of your choice.
💭Top Tip
Since the I knew the cake would be doused in rainbow sprinkles, I kept the fluffy vanilla frosting white. It’s the perfect blank canvas to show off all of the colorful jimmies. So while this cake appeals to my sprinkle-loving kids, it’s pure vanilla flavor and light texture would please any cake connoisseur.
FAQs
How to make gluten free Funfetti cake?
Replace the flour mix in the cake recipe with all purpose gluten free flour blend. In addition to the flour mix, also substitute the vanilla extract and sprinkles with their gluten free versions, you can buy them easily online.
How to make vegan Funfetti cake?
You can easily make a vegan version of this cake by replacing some of the ingredients in this recipe with their vegan substitutes. For the cake recipe, replace butter and milk with flavorless oil and unsweetened soy milk respectively and skip the egg whites.
For the vegan frosting, use vegan butter and unsweetened soy milk. Also most importantly use vegan sprinkles ;).
How to store Funfetti cake?
Store your funfetti cake in an airtight container. It will stay fresh for up to 3 days at room temperature and for 5 days in the refrigerator.
What type of sprinkles should I use to make the funfetti cake?
Rainbow jimmies are the best sprinkles to use for your funfetti cake. They are longer in size and keep their color intact even after adding in the cake batter. This gives your cake a nice contrast of white canvas filled with colors making it more aesthetic.
How do you get sprinkles to stick to the sides of the cake?
If you want to cover all sides of the cake with sprinkles, do it before the frosting sets. Grab a handful of sprinkles and pull them on the sides of the cake from bottom to top. Do not apply pressure just coat them lightly on the sides.
What is the difference between a confetti cake and funfetti cake?
Both funfetti and confetti cake are loaded with rainbow sprinkles. But if you mix the rainbow sprinkles in the funfetti cake batter, when baked the sprinkles leave dots of rainbow color throughout the cake resembling a confetti.
Looking for more great cake recipes?
- Check this amazing, moist, filled with fresh flavors, peach bundt cake
- Head to our easy and delicious recipe for making the perfect rum cake
- Try our all time favorite, fun and yummy twix cake
Homemade Funfetti Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For Cake
- 1 1/2 cup cake flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter at room temp
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large egg whites
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup whole milk at room temperature
For the Frosting
- 1 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup whole or 2% milk
- 1 cup rainbow jimmies
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Instructions
For Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 3, 6-inch circle pans with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pans and parchment. Set the pans aside while making the batter.
- In a small bowl, sift the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes).
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until just combined. Add sour cream and the vanilla extract, and mix until just combined.
- Add the flour mixture and milk in three additions, starting and ending with the flour mixture.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold the rainbow sprinkles into the batter. Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake has a few crumbs stuck to it. Do not allow the cake to brown.
- Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for about 15 minutes. Then turn them out of the pans and allow them to cool completely on a cooling rack.
For the Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until light and fluffy.
- With the mixer on low, add the confectioner’s sugar. Mix until light and fluffy. Add the salt and vanilla. Mix until combined. Add the milk or cream, beat until light and fluffy.
To Assemble the Cake
- Trim the tops of the cake so they are flat. Fill each cake layer with frosting.
- Refrigerate the cake for about 15 minutes to allow the frosting between the layers to chill.
- Using an off set spatula, spread a very thin layer of frosting all over the cake top and sides of the cake. Place the cake in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to chill.
- Place a final, thicker layer of frosting on the cake. Spread until it is smooth. While the frosting is still tacky, press rainbow sprinkles on to the bottom edge of the cake.
- Spread a layer of rainbow sprinkles on top of the cake.Using a pastry bag fitted with a star attachment (or any attachment of your choosing), decorate the sides and edges of the cake.
Sarah
I haven’t made this cake in a awhile but I notice that the recipe is kinda goofy online ingredients are missing from the ingredients list so I can no longer make this recipe. My family will be sad tomorrow
Jenny
Really? Let me check everything and fix it for you. What do you mean by goofy?
Trish
The wet ingredients are missing from the cake recipe.