This is a tall, towering confetti layer cake filled to the brim with rainbow sprinkles and finished off with sweet vanilla buttercream frosting. It’s classic and party-perfect in every way! The recipe has lived on my website since 2014 and has become a popular favorite, even scoring #1 (out of 9!) in a sprinkle cake bake-off. Below you’ll find my detailed recipe, video, and best success tips.
I originally published this recipe in 2014 and have since added new photos and a few more success tips. I’ve also made a few changes to the recipe, which you can read about in the post below and in the recipe notes following the printable recipe.
Just Like Box Funfetti Cake
This thick, plush confetti birthday cake is filled with the flavors of childhood party nostalgia: butter, vanilla, sugar, and rainbow sprinkles. Close your eyes and you can practically hear the sound of balloons being blown up and smell the extinguished birthday candles. But this cake shouldn’t be limited to birthday parties—or to childhood! This happy cake is a joy to serve and eat at any celebration. It’s like the boxed Funfetti cake, but better.
One reader, Christina, commented: “You have never steered me wrong, and this cake is no exception! I first found your website on my daughter’s first birthday (4 years ago), and I swore it was the best cake I’ve ever made! Since then, I have used recipes from your website for every family birthday cake I’ve made! This one is another hit and possibly my daughter’s (now her fifth birthday cake) new favorite! ★★★★★“
Why You’ll Love This Confetti Layer Cake
- From-scratch and loaded with happy colorful sprinkles
- Topped with sweet & creamy classic vanilla buttercream
- Soft crumb from cake flour
- Fluffy from extra egg whites
- Buttery & cakey from creamed butter & sugar
- Stick-to-your-fork moist (without tasting greasy!) from eggs, oil, & buttermilk
- Extra flavor from pure vanilla extract
This towering rainbow dessert has been on my site for a number of years, and during that time, I’ve made a couple small updates. This was a great confetti birthday cake recipe before; in fact, it was rated No. 1 (of 9) in the Pancake Princess’ best sprinkle cake bake-off, and came in a close 2nd in the Kitchn’s Funfetti cake bake-off. But with 3 small updates, the cake is now even greater.
From the Kitchn’s review: “This cake was seriously delicious. It had a nice light texture but was still super moist. The vanilla flavor was bold without being overpowering, and the cake was sweet without being cloying. I loved how easy the frosting was to make and appreciated how smoothly it went onto the cake. My only critique is that you have to whip the egg whites in a separate bowl, so it’s a bit tedious, but that’s the only negative I can think of.”
I have some egg-cellent news: that egg-stra step is gone. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)
What’s New in This Birthday Cake Recipe?
- Add the egg whites at the same time as the whole eggs: 4 whole eggs provide structure, moisture, and richness. 2 extra egg whites keep the cake lighter. Though whipping the whites separately does assist in preventing a dense cake, in recent testing, I discovered that removing this whipping step can be offset by 2 other changes to keep the batter light. (Both are next.)
- Decrease the butter and add oil: Previously, the recipe called for 1.5 cups of butter (3 sticks, about 345g), but using all creamed butter in a cake can certainly weigh down the crumb. I love using oil in cake recipes because it adds moisture and a delicate texture. And I love using butter in cake recipes because of its unparalleled flavor. Finding the right proportion of each? Now that’s the sweet spot, and I found it by reducing the butter by ¼ cup and adding in ⅓ cup oil in its place.
- Use cake flour: If you want a fluffy and soft bakery-style cake, use cake flour.
After years of testing cake recipes, I’m more confident than ever in this updated version. The cake closely resembles my vanilla cake, but uses a bit less sugar because we’re adding sweet sprinkles.
These Step Photos Will Help
Here is the butter, sugar, and oil mixture. You’ll cream butter and sugar together first, and then mix in the oil. Mixture will be creamy and mostly smooth:
Jimmies-type sprinkles are best for this Funfetti-style homemade cake. Expect a thick batter:
Divide the batter between 3 9-inch cake pans. You can squeeze the cake batter in 3 8-inch cake pans if needed, but be sure to extend the bake time as noted in the recipe. Always line your round pans with parchment paper rounds before adding the batter. Cool baked cakes for 20 minutes in the cake pans, and then remove the warm cakes and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
Sprinkle Success Tips
I’ve been baking sprinkles into cake & cupcake batters for years and have learned exactly which sprinkles work, and which don’t. Happy to share my best advice:
- My top sprinkle tip: Do not use nonpareils (the little balls) in cake batter. They will bleed their color as you fold them in, result in a less-than-appetizing-color cake.
- Rainbow sprinkles (aka “jimmies”) sold in the U.S. are intensely colored, but sprinkles sold in other countries may lose their color when baked. “Sugar strands” may be the same shape as jimmies, but they dissolve in the wet batter. For best results, try to use American-style rainbow sprinkles. The pictured cake uses Betty Crocker “Parlor Perfect” rainbow sprinkles. I also really like Canadian-brand Sweetapolita sprinkles.
- Confetti quins (the little discs) are also great to use in a sprinkle birthday cakes & cupcakes. They rarely bleed their color in batter.
- Naturally colored sprinkles are wonderful as decoration, but—depending on the brand—can lose their color in cake batter.
Buttercream Frosting
I use the same frosting as my 3-layer vanilla cake, but add a little more vanilla. It’s basically my vanilla buttercream recipe, only scaled up to yield enough for a tall layer cake. If you prefer chocolate frosting, use the chocolate fudge frosting from my piñata cake recipe. (It’s enough for this size cake.)
For a less sweet frosting option, use this recipe for Swiss meringue buttercream.
Can I tint this frosting? Yes! Feel free to add gel food coloring to the frosting to change its color.
Decorating Success Tip: Add a Crumb Coat
Because it’s so moist, the confetti cake can be a little crumbly when you’re decorating it. I recommend applying a thin crumb coat, which is a layer of frosting around the exterior of the cake to catch any crumbs. The frosting recipe below includes enough frosting for that thin crumb coat, then another thin layer of frosting on top of that. Note that I applied a slightly thicker crumb coat in the video tutorial below. Doesn’t matter either way; you’ll just have less or more frosting for that final frosting layer.
Use a flat icing spatula to spread on the frosting. Icing spatulas are handy if you decorate cakes and cupcakes often. Then you can run a bench scraper around the sides of the cake to smooth out the crumb coat as well as the top layer of frosting. You can watch me use both in the video tutorial below.
Chill the crumb-coated cake for 30 minutes, and then apply the final frosting layer.
Looking for a fun sprinkle cake that requires less effort than a 3-layer cake? Try these recipes:
- 1-Layer Sprinkle Cake
- 6-Inch Birthday Cake
- 12×17-inch Sprinkle Sheet Cake
- Super-soft Confetti Cupcakes
- Buttery Funfetti Cupcakes
- Prefer cheesecake? Try confetti sprinkle cheesecake
- How about a giant birthday cookie? Here’s my confetti sugar cookie cake.
- Or for breakfast try birthday cake pancakes or birthday cake cinnamon rolls
And here are the 10 best cake decorating tools.
Confetti Birthday Cake (Funfetti)
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours (includes chilling & cooling)
- Yield: serves 12-14
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Buttery vanilla layer cake filled to the brim with rainbow sprinkles and finished off with sweet vanilla frosting. Pictured cake is 9 inches; for thicker cakes, use 8-inch pans. Review the recipe notes and bring all ingredients to room temperature before you begin.
Ingredients
Cake
- 3 and 3/4 cups (443g) cake flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/4 cups (282g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (80ml) vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature*
- 2 large egg whites, at room temperature*
- 3 teaspoons (15ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) buttermilk, at room temperature*
- 3/4 cup (135g) rainbow sprinkles*
Vanilla Buttercream
- 1 and 1/2 cups (340g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 5 and 1/2 cups (650g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/3 cup (80ml) heavy cream, at room temperature
- 3 teaspoons (15ml) pure vanilla extract (or use clear imitation vanilla extract for stark white frosting)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- optional: additional sprinkles for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease three 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. (If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes video & post.)
- Make the cake: Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed for 5 full minutes until completely creamed together and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) Add the oil and beat for 1 minute until combined. Add the eggs, egg whites, and vanilla extract and beat on medium-high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed.
- Add dry ingredients and buttermilk in three additions, mixing after each addition just until incorporated. Do not over-mix this batter. The batter will be velvety and thick. Gently fold in the sprinkles. Pour and spread the batter evenly into each cake pan.
- Bake for around 25–26 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. (8-inch cakes may take about 27–28 minutes.) Tent the cakes with foil after about 15 minutes to prevent the sides and top from over-browning. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done.
- Allow cakes to cool in the pans set on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edges and then remove cakes from pans. Place cakes directly on wire racks to cool completely. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, cream, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds and then switch to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. Add more confectioners’ sugar if frosting seems too thin; more cream if frosting is too thick; or an extra pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet.
- Assemble cake + apply crumb coat: First, using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. Discard (or crumble over ice cream!). Place one cake layer on your cake stand, cake turntable, or serving plate. Using a flat icing spatula or small offset spatula, evenly cover the top with about 1 cup (about 250g) of frosting. Repeat with second cake layer, 1 more cup of frosting, and then the top cake layer. Spread a thin layer of frosting on the top and around the sides as a crumb coat. Run a bench scraper around the cake to smooth out crumb coat. Chill uncovered in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours to set the crumb coat.
- Spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides. Garnish with extra sprinkles, if desired.
- Serve cake immediately, or if you need to store it for a few hours, place it in a cake carrier at room temperature for up to 4 hours. For longer storage, refrigerate covered cake for up to 1 day. Cake is best served at room temperature, though, so if it’s been refrigerated, let it sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store it in the refrigerator for 5 days. Again, I like using a cake carrier for storing and transporting.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The cake layers can be baked, cooled, and covered tightly at room temperature overnight. Likewise, the frosting can be prepared and then covered and refrigerated overnight. When ready to decorate, let the frosting sit at room temperature to slightly soften for 15 minutes, then give it one more mix with the mixer on medium speed for about 1 minute before frosting cake. (Add a splash of cream to thin out frosting if needed.) See step 10 if you want to store the frosted/decorated cake before serving it. Frosted cake or unfrosted cake layers can be frozen for up to 2–3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before decorating/serving. See how to freeze cakes for detailed instructions.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 8-inch Round Cake Pans or 9-inch Round Cake Pans | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack | Cake Turntable | Flat Icing Spatula or Small Offset Spatula | Bench Scraper | Cake Carrier (for storage)
- 2022 Update: Recipe above was slightly updated in 2022. Old version used to call for 3 sticks (about 345g) of butter and no oil. The slight reduction of butter and added oil makes a moister cake, but feel free to use the old version. Also, the extra egg whites are now added when you add the whole eggs. You used to have to whip them separately until soft peaks form and then fold them in before adding the sprinkles. This step isn’t really necessary because we’re using a little oil and cake flour now. (See next Note.)
- Eggs: 4 whole eggs provide structure, moisture, and richness. 2 extra egg whites keep the cake light. I don’t recommend using 5 whole eggs as a replacement; stick to the 4 eggs + 2 egg whites combination.
- Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a DIY buttermilk substitute. Add 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough whole milk to the same measuring cup until it reaches 1 and 1/2 cups. (In a pinch, lower-fat or nondairy milks work for this soured milk, but the cake won’t taste as moist or rich.) Stir it around and let sit for 5 minutes. The homemade “buttermilk” will be somewhat curdled and ready to use in the recipe.
- Sprinkles: Avoid using sprinkles that will dye your batter. Steer clear of nonpareils, which are the little balls. The pictured cake uses Betty Crocker “Parlor Perfect” rainbow sprinkles, which I find in my regular grocery store. I also like to use these rainbow jimmies or confetti quins. Note that naturally colored sprinkles may lose their color in cake batter.
- Chocolate Frosting: Use the frosting from this piñata cake recipe. It makes enough for this size cake.
- Amount of Cake Batter & Other Size Cakes: This recipe yields nearly 8 cups of batter, which is helpful if you need it for different Cake Pan Sizes & Conversions. For a 1-layer cake, 12×17-inch sheet cake, or 6-inch layer cake, see the list of recipe links in the post, above the recipe card. For a 2-layer cake, divide batter between 2 9-inch cake pans instead of 3. (This is too much batter for 2 8-inch pans.) Increase bake time to about 30 minutes; it may take even longer than this—use a toothpick to test for doneness. For a Bundt cake, use a 10–12-cup generously greased Bundt pan and bake for about 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. There is too much batter for a 9×13-inch quarter sheet cake. I have 2 recipes on my website that would work for a 9×13-inch sprinkle cake. You could use this light and fluffy white cake recipe and fold 1/2 cup (about 90g) sprinkles into the batter before pouring into the pan. See those recipe Notes for a 9×13-inch cake. Or you can use this buttery sprinkle sheet cake recipe. See those recipe Notes for a 9×13-inch cake.
- Cupcakes: Here is my recipe for confetti sprinkle cupcakes.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I ran out of time can I bake later after making batter
Hi Dakota, the leaveners are activated once the wet and dry ingredients are mixed together, so waiting to bake will impact how the cake rises. It’s best to bake the batter right after.
Hi Sally, I have made so many of your cake recipes and each and every one have turned out wonderful and amazing! I am trying to make a decision on which white or vanilla cake is best for a particular cake that I am making for a little boys birthday cake. I will need to layer the cake possibly 4, maybe even 5 layer tall. 6 inches but I will be cutting it into squares. So it will be a cube cake. I thought of making 6 inch cakes but after cutting it will make them much smaller. So I want to make larger sheet size cakes and cut those down and layer them. What recipe of yours would you recommend for that? I have debated between the white cake and layer cake. I don’t want too fluffy because of the weight but I still want nice and moist and not too heavy. I will be adding filling but just a layer of your buttercream frosting between. Thank you so much!! P.S. I will also be doing cupcakes to match cake with chocolate filling any suggestions? I have made several of your cupcakes also and love them all!!
Hi Tanya, if you’re looking for a sheet cake, we would recommend either our white cake or this sprinkle sheet cake. Directions for a 9×13 can be found in the recipe Notes for both. As for the cupcakes, you could use this chocolate ganache as filling. Hope it’s a hit!
Love your recipes! Making confetti cake and what does ” covered tightly at RT overnight” mean for storing the layers? Can I wrap in plastic, or put on plates and cover in plastic? Will frost next day.
Room Temperature
This recipe is so good. I have struggled with cake recipes for years. Your tips are super helpful. Made this one for my brother’s birthday. Only modification is that I used your cream cheese frosting instead of the frosting in this recipe. Total hit!
I made this for my daughter’s birthday party and it was an absolute hit! The sweetness level was on point for both the cake and the frosting. I’ve been slowly making my way through your recipes and have been successful with each one! Thank you!
Excited to try this! I’m making a purse cake for my friend’s bday. Would this recipe work for a shaped cake? I’m frosting with buttercream the covering w/marshmallow fondant. Thx!
Hi Kathi, this cake should hold up well. Happy baking!
Hi hi!! Is the original recipe still posted anywhere? Thanks!!!
Hi Heather, I give those details in the recipe Notes. The new version is a major improvement, if you’d like to try it.
Hi! Do you have updated recipe/measurements to make the 6inch cake posted that is similar to this? Thank you!
Hi Lisa, here is our 6-inch confetti cake recipe. Hope you enjoy it!
Hello, what you recommend if I were making this cake for 30-40 people? I’ve thought of simply doubling the recipe but then wondering about the size of the cake tins and how long to bake it for.
Hi Zahara, here’s everything you need to know about cake pan sizes and conversions. Note that we do recommend making 2 separate batches rather than doubling.
Can you tell me how many cups of buttercream this recipe makes?
Hi Monica, I’m not exactly sure but probably somewhere around 5 to 6 cups.
I’m confused. I tried three times now very carefully and each time my cake wasn’t even remotely close to being done in 30 minutes. I can’t imagine what I’m doing wrong. I tried three different sized pans (one large 10in, two nine in and then 3 8 in. Each time it was soup in the middle after a half hour. Help!
Hi Erin! Bake time will vary with the different sized pans that you use. The baking instructions here are for three 8 or 9 inch pans. If the cakes are not done in the given time, continue to bake until baked through.
Simply delicious. birthday cake is such a classic and this one is a go-to. Thanks Sally!!
I’m making for son’s 1st birthday. Party is on Sunday 11-2pm. I was going to make this on Saturday evening. Do I store at room temp or put on the fridge to serve next day.
Hi Chelsea! This cake can be stored at room temp for a day before serving. Hope it’s a hit and happy 1st birthday to your son!
Could I use FOUR 8-inch pans for thinner layers but (possibly) greater height with three inside layers of icing/filling? Just bake for a shorter period of time?
Hi Diane, the layers will be quite thin, but you can certainly make it work. The bake time will be shorter, so keep a close eye on them and use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Perfect recipe, I’ve used it for cakes several times. Going to make cupcakes this time – does this change the baking time? Thank you!
I loved this recipe but not nearly enough frosting for my 3 layers. The recipe i followed only made enough for 2.
Do you have to serve immediately simply because of the heavy cream going bad in the frosting? Is it possible to freeze this cake to enjoy at a later date? Thanks!
Hi Leanna! See recipe Notes for make-ahead and freezing instructions. The cake can be made 1 day ahead of time and stored at room temperature and leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 5 days.
Can you leave out the sprinkles? Ordered from Amazon but got lost in the post.
Hi Jade, absolutely. Or, here is our regular vanilla cake.
This recipe works! I’m rubbish usually but this came out amazing so it must be totally foolproof!!
I’d make this again! This is a good sturdy cake for layering. I used it to make a layered ice cream cake (ice cream layer sandwiched between two cake layers) so I used two 9 inch pans and while it worked out, I would probably have filled them less and made some extra cup cakes if I was going to do it all again. I also didn’t have cake flour on hand, so I used the substitute recipe with cornstarch, which would also contribute to the density. But it was crumbly and moist deliciousness… Love it!
Hi there! Can I substitute coconut oil for the vegetable oil in this funfetti cake? Thanks so much!
Hi Heather, You can but of course the flavor would change.
Hi! I’m attempting to make the duck cake from bluey and my daughter asked for confetti cake, do you think the amount of batter from the recipe you have here will cover 2 9-inch cake pans and 2 5-inch half spheres?
Hi Jessica, This recipe yields nearly 8 cups of batter, which is helpful if you need it for different Cake Pan Sizes & Conversions.
Amazingly moist and rich. Lasted for a few days before drying out
I have mostly shied away from making cakes from scratch & use doctored box cake instead, but I’ve had good luck with some of your other recipes, so I gave this a shot. It is amazing! This is for my granddaughter’s second birthday, so thank you for helping me make it a hit!
What time do I start in order to get room temp eggs, butter, and milk to room temp, make the batter, bake, and cool, and frost and set, and frost again, and then also “serve immediately”? My birthday party starts at 2pm.
Hi Mat, we recommend taking out ingredients about an hour before you’re ready to start making the cake.
I’m wanting to do a 2 layer sheet cake to feed a larger group- in theory, can I double this recipe and just be mindful to not over fill the sheet pans? (knowing ill have leftover batter?)
Hi Jane, rather than doubling, we recommend making two separate batches. Then yes, you can layer the sheet cakes. Hope it’s a hit!
Could I make this is a Bundt pan ?
My son wants this cake Saturday for his Birthday supper ?
Hi Teresa, See recipe notes for Bundt pan details: For a Bundt cake, use a 10–12-cup generously greased Bundt pan and bake for about 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Hope it’s a hit!
You need to make this! So perfect, fluffy, and the sprinkles stayed beautifully. I used Sweet Tooth Fairy bright rainbow jimmies from Michael’s for a Gabby’s Dollhouse sprinkle party themed party – tasted great and they held their color. I wish I could post a photo! My tip is to follow the recipe exactly, including the mixing times, and use name brand butter (several generics are adding a lot more water to theirs). I also barely did any mixing of the flour on the slowest speed and the batter was gorgeous! We served chocolate ice cream on the side and the combo was so tasty. I was sweating which recipe to use because all the confetti cakes I’ve had have been gross but this was perfect!
Hi! I have a quick question about sprinkles: do you still use the Betty Crocker Parlor Perfect sprinkles in your recipe? The reason I ask is because I have read several reviews of the PP sprinkles where people complain that the sprinkles have changed and no longer taste good. Is this still your go-to sprinkle for this cake, or is there another you now prefer to use? One last question—I saw that you mentioned we can also use the confetti quins type of sprinkle. Do these bleed into the batter? Do they make the cake crunchy (the cake itself, not the frosting)? Thanks so much for your help!
Hi Jamie, You can see the exact sprinkles used in this cake in the recipe notes below the recipe instructions. Or to see more sprinkles we love you can visit our baking tools page and search by “sprinkles and more.” The confetti quins we linked to do not bleed their color and soften up inside a baked cake so they are not crunchy. We hope this helps!
Looks yummy! ☺️ How can I make this into a two 13×9 inches layer cake?!
Hi Gabriela, see recipe Notes for more details about a 9×13-inch version. Hope you enjoy it!
Delicious and fluffy! I did use 2-9inch spring form pans. They took 38-40 minutes. This will be my go to funfetti cake from now on! Thank you.