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
Hi! Just a question- would you recommend this cake for a sculpted cake? If so, would I be able to store in the freezer for 2 days and then thaw to use?
Hi EJ, this should work well for a sculpted cake. Here’s everything you need to know about how to freeze cakes.
Hello Sally, first of of all, thank you very much for this recipe. I just did a test run for my girl’s upcoming birthday. The texture of the dough and buttercream are amazing. However, I feel that the batter is very sweet with 2 cups of sugar AND the buttercream. If I, let’s say, add only 1 cup of sugar, would I have to add something else to keep the texture of the batter in check?
Hi Diana, sugar plays an important role in the taste, texture, and structure of cakes, so reducing the sugar by that much will change the results and require further testing. How about using a different frosting instead? This not-so-sweet whipped frosting and Swiss meringue buttercream are both less-sweet options that taste fantastic with this cake. Hope it’s a hit!
I made this cake for my daughters 1st Birthday and it was FANTASTIC! Relatively straightforward to make and the texture was beautiful. It was a hit! She’s about to turn 2 and I’m going to make your Lemon Blueberry cake this year. Obsessed with your cake recipes. Thankyou!
Any thoughts/tips/advice for using this recipe but adding the sprinkles in the middle so they fall out when you cut it?
Hi Ashleigh, here’s our piñata cake recipe you can reference!
If I wanted to add almond extract to this recipe, would you suggest adding it to the cake and frosting or just the cake? Would I need to adjust the vanilla or do you think I could just add it in with no adjustments? Thank you for your help.
Hi Susie! We would add it to the cake. We would try 1.5 tsp of both vanilla and almond extract or use 2 tsp. vanilla and 1 tsp. almond depending on how strong you would like the flavor.
What sprinkles do you use?
Hi Shelby! See recipe Notes: The pictured cake uses Betty Crocker “Parlor Perfect” rainbow sprinkles, which I find in my regular grocery store.
What are your thoughts on using cake strips on the pans?
Hi Sam, our team personally doesn’t use cake strips, but some bakers swear by them! You can certainly feel free to give them a try if you wish.
Hi! I have a birthday cake to make this weekend and was wondering if I could substitute avocado oil for the vegetable oil.
Hi Tanya, that will work in a pinch, but the taste of the cake may be slightly different.
Is there a way to use this recipe to make a two level/tiered cake?
Hi Arushi, we’re sure you could, with the proper supports. Or you could add sprinkles to our homemade vanilla wedding cake recipe.
How can I adapt this cake for high altitude baking in ABQ, NM?
Hi Trisha, I wish we could help, but have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
I’m going to make this cake tomorrow. But if your buttercream frosting recipe is enough to cover this cake do I need to double it?
The cups and grams of butter are not matching up on my end. A 1/2 cup of butter is 113 g. Should we go with the cups or the grams when measuring out the butter?
Hi Tracie, that’s correct, so 1 and 1/4 cups is 282 g.
Would you be able to help me with the notes you put in? Because I don’t understand the Substitution of the egg yolks in the notes for the updated part in 2022.
Hi Hope, you need 4 whole eggs + 2 egg whites for this cake. In the older version of this recipe, you whipped the whites separately and folded them in, but we don’t find this step is needed and don’t recommend it anymore. Does that answer your question?
It’s Friday night at 11pm and my cakes are just cooling on the racks. They look awesome, great recipe! I plan to serve it at lunchtime on Sunday…how do you recommend storing the layers? Should I frost and assemble tomorrow/refrigerate or wait and frost and assemble Sunday morning? Thanks!
Hi Allison, You can assemble and 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.
Can I substitute the sugar with maple syrup?
Hi Maricel, unfortunately, maple syrup won’t be a good substitute in this cake recipe.
I made this as a two-layer for a friend’s baby shower and coloured the icing blue. The confetti inside was a pleasant surprise and everyone enjoyed the cake. Thanks for a great recipe!
Hello! can I use this recipe for a 2-tiered wedding cake? Look soo fun!
Hi Paulene, we’re sure you could, with the proper supports. Or you could add sprinkles to our homemade vanilla wedding cake recipe.
Hi there, amazing cake!! im just wondering if theres a buttercream you could recommend to go well with the cake that does not have cream in it as i will have to leave it out overnight. Thank you
Hi Heather, after decorating anything with buttercream or cream cheese frosting, it’s fine for 1 day at room temperature. After that, we would refrigerate it. But, use your best judgment and whatever you are comfortable with- we’ve never had any problems leaving frosted desserts at room temperature for a day.
Hi, can unsweetened applesauce be substituted for the vegetable oil?
Hi Tracie, we don’t recommend that substitution. The cake would turn out gummy and dense.
Hello please can you tell me if you use kosher salt or table salt in this recipe? I am very excited to make this for my his daughter. Thanks so much!
Hi Steph, our recipes all use table salt unless otherwise noted.
Fab, thank you. Also is the temperature for a fan assisted oven? Thanks so much ☺️
Hi Steph, all our recipes are tested in and written for a conventional oven setting, not fan assisted. If you only have a fan oven as an option, try baking at a lower temperature than the recipe instructs.
I would love to make this cake in a 10” size (ideally a 3 layer cake), would I need to multiply the recipe by 1.5 to get enough batter for this size? Or what is your recommendation?
Hi Danielle, you could 1.5x the recipe, fill your pans half way, and then use any leftover batter for a few cupcakes on the side. This cake pan sizes and conversions guide will also be a helpful resource.
Hi!
I was just measuring ingredients and got to the sugar 2cups? Or 200g beacause 200g is actually 1 cup…
Hi Tara, This recipe calls for 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar.
This cake looks amazing. I am unable to find the sprinkles you suggested. I did find Wilton Rainbow jimmies sprinkles. Will these work?
Hi Ellen, they should!
I baked this cake today and after assembling/applying crumb coat found out birthday girl can’t come until day after tomorrow. Will cake be ok if I cover it in fridge (I don’t have a cake carrier) for two days, then frost on Tuesday morning?
Hi Judith, the cake may start to lose some freshness by that time, but you can store covered tightly (in air-tight container like a cake carrier would be ideal!) in the refrigerator. Hope it’s still a hit!
Can 100% egg whites in the carton be used? According to the carton, 2 Tbsp is equal to one egg white. The carton also states that due to pasteurization they will not whip. Will this affect the outcome?
Hi Joan, we haven’t tested the recipe with carton egg whites, but we recently updated this recipe and with a few other changes, we find it’s no longer necessary to whip the egg whites separately. You can read more about it under the section titled “What’s New in This Birthday Cake Recipe?” Let us know how the cake turns out if you give it a try!
I have made this cake before, it was delicious! I made some adjustments for altitude as I am at about 5,400 ft elevation. What adjustments if any should I make for this batter baked as cupcakes?
Hi Robin, we wish we could help, but have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
What other flours can be used as a substitute for cake flour?
Hi LiseeB, we definitely recommend sticking with cake flour here for best texture. If you cannot get ahold of cake flour, try this cake flour substitute instead.
Just wondering, do you need cake flour and buttermilk?
Yes, both are essential to the cake’s texture and flavor. If needed, you can make a DIY buttermilk and a cake flour substitute.
I would like to bake this in a 13 x 9” pan twice and then layer it. It is for my granddaughter’s first birthday. Do you think it would work?
Hi Terri, this is too much batter for a 9×13-inch quarter sheet cake – see recipe Notes for details on other cake recipes we recommend!
Hi there,
I have been making your funfetti cake every year since recipe #1. I have a question about this year’s birthday cake. Instead of 3 layers, I made 2 9″ layers.
The cake came out on the dry side, and I am hoping you can help, as I am making it again next week.
Do you think this might be the problem? I checked the cake at the 25 minute point. Clearly not ready. Then, put it in for 5 mins more, Still not ready. Then 5 mins more. Now the cake color was browned. Do you think this was the issue? Did I cook it too long?
Thoughts? Please help.
Thanks,
Lisa
Hi Lisa, happy to help troubleshoot. Did you make the full recipe amount of batter, that normally gets divided among 3 pans, and then divide it between just 2 pans?
Yes. The recipe said it could be divide in 9″ pans.
Hi Lisa! Yes, the bake time will be longer in two 9 inch cake pans. Sounds like you may have *just* over-baked your cakes. If they’re taking a while to bake through, you can tent foil over the cake pans to prevent them from browning too much while they continue cooking.
I have not made this yet, but want to! I’d love to make a carved Christmas tree cake. Would this cake be firm enough? If not, which cake would you recommend? I don’t need a specific flavor, but want it to be simple. My family isn’t very adventurous!
Hi Chelsea! We don’t have much experience carving cakes, but think this cake would hold up well. Let us know if you try it!
Could I use this recipe for the piñata cake and make 4 layers?
Hi Christine, you can use this recipe to make a piñata cake. No need to change the recipe, you can use it as written. Enjoy!
Hey Sally, is it possible to make this recipe by hand? Without a stand mixer or a hand mixer?
Hi Morgan, you can whisk by hand if you do not have a mixer. Just be careful not to over mix, as that can lead to a dense cake. Happy baking!