Funfetti Cake

This post may contain affiliate sales links. Please read my disclosure policy.

This Funfetti cake is made up of three layers of moist, buttery vanilla cake packed with colorful rainbow sprinkles. It is filled and frosted with a rich, vanilla buttercream and finished off with even more rainbow sprinkles. It practically screams “Party time!”.

The Best Funfetti Layer Cake

There’s something so nostalgic about Funfetti. It harkens back to countless birthday parties and celebrations. I can’t help but smile every time I see it appear in a dessert. This cake is no exception.

Funfetti layer cake is made up of three layers of buttery, fluffy vanilla cake dappled with rainbow sprinkles. The layers are filled and the cake is frosted with a rich vanilla buttercream that ties the whole thing together. The dessert is topped with a smattering of more rainbow sprinkles making for a perfectly sweet, wonderfully celebratory cake that will have you and yours grinning from ear to ear.

What Does Funfetti Taste Like?

Funfetti cake tastes like a buttery vanilla cake that is loaded with sweet rainbow sprinkles. While the sprinkles don’t add much in flavor, they add color that isn’t over-the-top. Simple and nostalgic, I associate the taste with birthday excitement.

Recipe Ingredients

Here is a list of what you will need to make this Funfetti layer cake. Make sure to scroll to the recipe card below for measurements.

Funfetti Cake Layers

• All-purpose flour – You want to be sure not to over or under measure your flour. Too much flour can dive you a dense and dry cake. I like to use a food scale to make sure it’s accurate. Feel free to use your favorite 1:1 gluten-free substitute instead.
• Baking powder
• Baking soda – This cake uses both baking powder and baking soda for the ideal rise and texture. The baking soda adds an extra touch of lightness to the cake.
• Salt – To bring out the flavors in the dessert.
• Unsalted butter – The butter must be at room temperature. It will not cream properly with the sugar if it is not.
• Sugar
• Vegetable oil – The addition of vegetable oil to this cake gives it a little extra moisture.
• Vanilla extract
• Eggs – Make sure you use large eggs that are at room temperature. They will mix into the batter more easily.
• Buttermilk – The buttermilk really adds to the lightness of this cake, so I highly recommend you stick with that over another milk. Make sure the buttermilk is at room temperature. It will incorporate into the batter more easily.
• Rainbow jimmies sprinkles – Jimmies are the best, in my opinion. I find that other sprinkles tend to bleed color into the cake.

Vanilla Buttercream

• Unsalted butter – The butter should be at room temperature. Otherwise, it will not mix well with the other ingredients, giving you with a lumpy buttercream.
• Powdered sugar – The powdered sugar adds volume to the frosting and helps you get the right consistency.
• Vanilla extract – For flavor.
• Heavy cream
• Salt – It might seem counterintuitive to add salt to a sweet treat but trust me, it helps bring out the flavors in the frosting.
• Sprinkles – I like rainbow sprinkles but you can choose any color you’d like.

How to Make Funfetti Cake

A simple cake and a delicious buttercream is all it takes to make this colorful Funrfetti dessert. Here’s a quick overview of how to make it. Don’t forget to scroll to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.

Make the Cake Layers

• Prep. Preheat oven to 350°F and line the bottom of three 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper and grease the sides.
• Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light in color and fluffy.

• Add. Mix. Add. Mix. Add the vegetable oil and vanilla extract and beat until well combined. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.
• Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix. Add the buttermilk and mix. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix. Fold in the sprinkles.

• Bake. Divide the batter between the cake pans and bake for 25-30 minutes.
• Cool for 2-3 minutes before transferring to cooling racks to cool completely.

Make the Buttercream

• Beat the butter until smooth and creamy.
• Mix in half of the powdered sugar.
• Add the vanilla extract, 4-5 tablespoons of water or cream, and salt. Mix until smooth.
• Mix in the remaining powdered sugar.

Assemble the Cake

• Fill. Place the first cake on a serving plate and spread 1 cup of frosting over the top of the cake. Repeat with the other 2 cakes.
• Frost the outside of the cake with the remaining vanilla buttercream.
• Add sprinkles to the sides and the top edge of the cake.

Tips for Success

Get your notepads out, everyone. Here come a few simple tips and tricks that will help you achieve the best Funfetti layer cake you can imagine.

• Room temperature ingredients. When making the cake, it is important that the butter, eggs, and buttermilk are all at room temperature. They will incorporate more smoothly into the batter than they would if they were cold. This helps minimize the risk of over mixing the batter.
• Cream Fully. You want the butter and sugar to be fully creamed so that air is incorporated into the cake batter, helping it rise and not end up dense. Look for the mixture to lighten in color and get fluffy.
• Use jimmies. Jimmie sprinkles don’t bleed as much as other types, like nonpareils, and they won’t be crunchy.
• Don’t over mix the batter. Over mixing the batter will cause the glutens in the flour to overdevelop, giving you with an overly dense, tough cake.
• Let the cake cool completely before frosting unless you want your buttercream to slide right off the cake.
• Adjust the frosting as needed. You might need to add more water or cream to the frosting to get the right consistency. Read up on how to get the right consistency of frosting.
• Frost like a pro. Check out my tutorial for frosting a smooth cake in order to get the most visually appealing dessert possible.

Serving Suggestions

This cake is absolutely delicious on its own but it is so fun to doll it up with an accompaniment or two. Here are some of my favorite ways to serve homemade Funfetti cake.

• Ice cream. Grab a pint of your favorite vanilla ice cream or, if you have a little extra time, try making my Birthday Cake Ice Cream.
• Whipped cream. Pick up a tub of cool whip or try your hand at my Homemade Whipped Cream Recipe, this Stabilized Mascarpone Whipped Cream Recipe, or even my Strawberry Whipped Cream Recipe.
• Sauce. I love drizzling this Easy Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce over this colorful cake.
• Milk. Wash down this delicious dessert with a tall glass of cold milk.

How to Store Extra Cake

Store the cake in an airtight container. Cake carriers are a great option but, if you don’t have one, you can cover the cake in saran wrap (I suggest using toothpicks to prop the plastic away from the cake). You can also refrigerate it until firm, then cover it, so that you don’t mess up the frosting. Alternatively, you can slice the cake and arrange the slices in a single layer in an airtight container.

In any case, the cake can be stored at room temperature for about 24 hours before it needs to be transferred to the refrigerator. It should be eaten within 4 days of making it.

Can I Freeze Homemade Funfetti Cake?

You can! Cut the cake into slices and wrap each piece individually. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you are ready to enjoy, allow the Funfetti cake slices to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. While I don’t typically freeze full cakes, this one might work well, since it doesn’t have fruit or anything in it. To do that, flash freeze it for about an hour, then wrap it well. Before using, thaw it in the fridge to avoid having condensation form.

More Funfetti Desserts

Something about Funfetti just screams “Time to celebrate!”. I love incorporating it into desserts. This Funfetti layer cake is one of my favorites but here are some other ideas for you to try.

• No-Bake Funfetti Oreo Birthday Cake Cheesecake
• Funfetti Millionaire Cake
• Homemade Funfetti Cake
• Funfetti Cake Batter Ice Cream Cake with Rainbow Chip Icing
• Homemade Funfetti Cupcakes
• Funfetti Cheesecake with Cake Bottom
• Ultimate Layered Cookie Cake
• Funfetti Cake Batter Cookie Cake

See How To Make Funfetti Cake

Read Transcript

Print