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Ain’t she a beaut?
I am a serious funfetti-er. I adore anything and everything to do with sprinkles, cake batter, nonpareils, and rainbow colors. This right here is the mother of all funfetti cakes. I made it 100% from scratch in no time at all – the 3 coworkers of mine who tasted it say it’s the best cake they’ve EVER eaten. The crumb is SO unbelievably moist, the batter is loaded with sprinkles, and the ingredients are convenient. It is, literally, a piece of cake to make this.
I honestly can not praise this cake enough. Ditch the box mix!
I used the same recipe as my Easy Homemade Funfetti Cupcakes, with two very small changes: I added some brown sugar to replace some of the white sugar. Not much, just 1/4 cup. I did this because cakes have the tendency to dry out and I wanted to avoid this at all costs. The scant 1/4 cup of brown sugar does nothing to the taste – just the texture. I also added more vanilla extract to enhance the vanilla flavor.
I’ve heard from many friends, family, and readers who have made my homemade funfetti cupcakes that they are hooked. They tell me they are never buying a box mix again! The cupcakes are THAT good and THAT easy to make. Well, the cake is just the same. What I love most about the cake is how moist it stays after a few days. Today is day 3 and the cake is actually even more moist than the day I made it. Sort of like banana bread, the vanilla and butter flavors settle together after a few days and become more concentrated.
Typically cakes dry out as the days go on, but this magical cake gets more moist on days 2 and 3.
You may make this recipe into one 9-inch cake or 12 cupcakes. Or even mini cupcakes!
Today, we are focusing on cake. 
There is nothing complicated about the ingredients or preparation for today’s recipe. You will need: all-purpose flour, leavening agents (baking powder & soda), salt, brown sugar, white sugar, 1 stick of melted butter, vanilla extract, vanilla yogurt, and milk.
You will toss the dry ingredients together by hand. Set those aside. Grab a whisk and mix the melted butter and sugars. The whisk is used to break up all of the brown sugar lumps – you do not want any lumps. Whisk, whisk, whisk until things appear to be combined.
Now, I mentioned this in the cupcake post, but let me reiterate why I use butter instead of oil today as the fat. I love using oil in cake and cupcake recipes – it brings the finished baked good SO much moisture and a delicate texture. Oil is one of the main reasons I call my homemade carrot cake “super moist.” However, I use butter in my funfetti cake and cupcake recipe because the addition of plain yogurt does a mighty fine job keeping things moist and soft. Plus, you still get a that iconic buttery taste funfetti cakes possess.
To the butter/sugars, add 1 large egg, yogurt, a whopping 1 Tablespoon of vanilla extract, and milk. Whisk it all together so no yogurt lumps remain. Plain yogurt (greek or regular) or sour cream may be used to replace the vanilla yogurt.
Mix the dry and wet ingredients together, making sure not to overmix the batter. Use a bit of elbow grease and stir out all the lumps. The batter will be thick. And by the way… will taste AMAZING.
Now, it’s time to add the sprinkles. Sprinkles = life. Be careful adding them to the batter as nonpareils (the little balls) have the tendency to bleed their color. I used traditional sprinkles in the batter and nonpareils to decorate the cake. Looots of nonpareils.
In addition to the nonpareils, I showered the cake with Edible Gold Glitter Stars. Fact: I collect sprinkles. Another fact: this photoshoot was a trip to clean.
Bake the cake in a 9 inch springform or regular round/square pan. The cake takes 33-37 minutes to bake through. Cover the cake after 20 minutes to avoid the top from browning too much before it is finished.
For the frosting, I used my favorite vanilla buttercream recipe. I added a tad more vanilla extract to make it a little thinner to spread easier over the cake. Two tricks for my frosting: (1) use heavy cream as the liquid for the ultimate creamy, fluffy frosting and (2) whip your butter around with the mixer for a solid 3 minutes before adding anything else. This creates a solid, creamy base for the frosting.
The vanilla buttercream frosting is SO thick and full of vanilla flavor. You will LOVE it. I am quite certain that nothing beats homemade buttercream. My recipe does not taste processed or fake, like the kind you have at the grocery store.
Once the cake is cool, you may frost it any way you like. I simply frosted the top using an offset icing knife. I chose not to frost down the sides to save myself some time. There is plenty of frosting for this cake. In fact, you’ll be getting close to a 1:1 cake/frosting ratio in each bite.
Each moist bite of this childhood favorite cake is loaded with sprinkles. The sprinkles really stand out in the baked cake – colorful and bright – which I loved. I plan to make this funfetti cake again using our upcoming wedding colors – pinks, golds, and oranges.
The taste and texture? Moist, fluffy, tender, buttery, with a profound vanilla flavor. Much more profound than what you get from most funfetti cake mixes. Yes, this recipe puts ALL box mixes to shame. Don’t you just want to dive in?
Making funfetti cake from scratch is so simple – truly, you should not be intimidated at all. It’s actually easier than cupcakes – no scooping into individual muffin tins. Just pour and bake and frost and eat. You’re going to love this homemade cake!
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Ingredients
- 1 and 2/3 cup all-purpose flour (measured the correct way)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup yogurt (plain or vanilla; or greek yogurt; or sour cream)
- 3/4 cup milk (cow's milk; or soy milk; or almond milk)
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup sprinkles (not nonpareils)
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3-4 cups powdered (confectioners') sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy cream (see note above about substituting milk or half-and-half)
- 2 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- salt, as needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 9-inch springform or baking pan (round or square) with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt butter in the microwave. Whisk in the sugars vigorously getting out any brown sugar lumps - mixture will be gritty. Whisk in egg, yogurt, milk, and vanilla extract until combined. Slowly mix in dry ingredients until no lumps remain. Batter will be thick. Slowly stir in sprinkles, but do not overmix because the sprinkles will bleed their color.
- Pour batter into prepared cake pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Cover loosely with aluminum foil (loosely to avoid the top from sticking to the foil). Bake for 13-17 more minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool.
- To make the frosting, beat softened butter on medium speed with an electric or stand mixer. Beat for 3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla extract with the mixer running. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes. Add more powdered sugar if frosting is too thin or more cream if mixture is too thick. Add 1/4 teaspoon (or more) if frosting is too sweet. Frost cooled cake as desired and top with sprinkles. There may be leftover frosting depending how much you wish to use. Cover cake and store at room temperature for up to 7 days.
Notes
Interested in making a layer cake? You could: (1) Bake the cake as indicated and slice the cake horizontally to create two layers. Double the frosting if desired. (2) Double the cake recipe and bake in two separate 9-inch cake pans for 1 extra tall layer cake. Double the frosting recipe as well.
Try using this recipe to make standard size cupcakes or into 24 mini cupcakes, baking for just 8-9 minutes.
Recipe source: sallysbakingaddiction.com
© Sally’s Baking Addiction. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe.
Sprinkle mania…
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{ 190 comments… read them below or add one }
Beautiful, as usual Sally! So colourful and fluffy looking! It totally reminds me of my childhood and the Betty Crocker mix cake my mom used to make for us…
Yes, the cake is extra fluffy. It brings me back to childhood as well Ikhlas, thank you!
An absolute crowd pleaser! Loooove sprinkles! This is such a perfect cake for ANY occasion
Colleen @ What’s Baking in the Barbershop?! recently posted..Happy St. Patrick’s Day, 2013! And Irish Soda Bread with Whiskey Soaked Raisins and Whiskey Butter Syrup
My kids would love this! I think I’ll surprise them after school today! Yum!
Lisa @ Garnish with Lemon recently posted..Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs
Let me know how you (and they!) like it. Thanks Lisa!
I love that this cake is made from scratch. And with yogurt. And it’s awesome that it’s just one thick layer with the frosting right on top – so easy yet just perfect. It looks so scrumptious and it’s adorable too!
Yeah, I totally have a crush on this cake.
Kare @ Kitchen Treaty recently posted..Steel-Cut Carrot Cake Oatmeal
The 1 layer of frosting on top makes this cake even easier and just as beautiful as any other. Saves time too.
The addition of yogurt makes the cake so moist too. Thank you Kare!
Now I know exactly what I should be making for my birthday!!! Serious yum and so darn cute!
let me know how you like it Jocelyn. and happy early birthday!
I just want to eat this for breakfast!
Anne @The Cooking Campaign recently posted..My Favorite Thai Fried Rice!
Wow!! This looks delish! Adding it to my list:)
What a perfect cake! It’s so pretty and fun looking! I would be happy to get this cake for my birthday or any day!!
Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers recently posted..Are they the Best Burger Buns?
I really want to inhale a slice of this right now! I can almost just see and taste the lightness of it (yet dense enough not to be dry and ‘airy’..I dislike that really lightweight crumb some cakes have) This is the PERFECT balance of that. And as you said, it gets moister with time. With my banana bread recipes, I use 3/4 c white and 1/4 c brown, give or take, with the sugar. That bit of brown like you said really helps w/ moisture and with longevity of staying moist.
The frosting. I just want that!! What I am happy not to have to deal with tho are all those non-pareils that are no doubt all over your floor
Averie @ Averie Cooks recently posted..Soft and Chewy Brownie Cookies
The extra bit of brown sugar REALLY puts this cake apart from any other funfetti cake/cupcake I’ve tried. Just intensifies the moist/softness of it all. And cleaning up this shoot was not fun. I’ve had to run the vacuum like 3 times on Saturday.
I swear, it’s almost like you’re PSYCHIC. I’m making a cake for the neighbors on Thursday to celebrate the finalization of their adoption of 2 boys and I wanted to make a cake with TONS of sprinkles…thank you for making it easy for me!
My confectionery hero!
a confectionery hero? I’m humbled.
Thank you Melisa! Let me know how you all like this cake.
I made the cake this morning and it turned out BEAUTIFULLY! I doubled the recipe to make an 8″ layer cake and used a chocolate butter cream. It was definitely easy-peasy. I haven’t gotten the review from the neighbors yet but I made a taster cupcake and it was delicious!
Thank you again!
Hey Melisa! That is so great.
And yes, I love how easy it is to make.
My daughter turns 5 on Thursday, so I think I will make these cupcakes for her!
how perfect, Tasha.
Happy birthday to her!
So pretty and easy, I love it! I want to make all the different sprinkles cake batter cookies too, as usual you’re making it so hard to make a decision! ;-p Lx
I say you make them all and throw a huge sprinkle party of some sort. And invite me, please!
Sounds good, Scottish Sprinkle party next weekend!!
Lx
A ton of vanilla is the only way to to go with funfetti I love this!!
Cassie | Bake Your Day recently posted..Pantry Organization 101
I love funfetti cake! I’ve never tried a funfetti recipe with brown sugar, but that sounds like a great idea. The texture looks perfect!
Natasha @ The Cake Merchant recently posted..Dark Chocolate Shortbread Cookies with Pistachios and Sea Salt
I have yet to taste the funfetti cake phenomenon and it might be time to try. Your cake looks beautiful – really festive and cheerful. Plus, I love non pareil sprinkles! : ) I love that you play around with your own recipes and make all these variations to create something new. Kudos to you!
Thanks Monica – it’s fun to come up with new versions of recipes I already love. I know the recipe works, so building off from them is a guarantee success. Thanks for noticing that!
I love homemade Funfetti Cake! Your pictures and recipes are delicious and we can’t wait to try some of the them. We make Baked Funfetti Doughnut Holes from scratch. They are so good and perfect! I echo your sentiment–don’t buy the box mix EVER again!
http://burntapple.com/2013/01/25/pillsburyfunfetticakemixrecipe/
Traci recently posted..{Trying It Tuesday} How to Bake A Hard Boiled Egg
Let me know how you like the cake Traci – and those funfetti doughnut holes sound incredible. I need to check them out.
She IS a beaut! Your love for Funfetti and everything sprinkly makes me smile — and I’m glad there’s someone as equally obsessed with nonpareils as I am, haha. This cake looks phenom, Sally. The crumb DOES look super moist and fluffy, and I can only imagine how ridiculously delish it gets by day 3! I would love a huge slice for breakfast!!
Hayley @ The Domestic Rebel recently posted..Peeps Candy Bars: Spring Hop Along PEEPS Party!
you’re phenom, Hayley! and eating this for breakfast without would be even more phenom, thank you very much
I love that you used yogurt in the cake! I’ve done that with muffins but never cake or cupcakes. PS sprinkles are the best
Rachel @ Baked by Rachel recently posted..Cake Batter Funfetti Chocolate Chip Cookies
Oh you have to try it Rachel – truly takes the cakes moisture up like 10 notches. I swear by it.
IT’S SO PRETTY!
I’m like 6-year old style geeking out right now. Sprinkles! Colors! Funfetti! <3
And omg that frosting…funfetti frosting was always my fave as a kid and I bet yours is like a bjillion times better!
Kayle (The Cooking Actress) recently posted..Brown Butter Chocolate Stuffed Toffee Chip Cookies
i’m like a 6 year old around anything funfetti too Kayle. You aren’t alone there!
Perfect timing as always, Sally! My daughter’s birthday is coming up next month, and she’s requested a vanilla cupcake with sprinkles. Naturally, I was going to make Funfetti cupcakes, so I will be using your recipe for sure!
Eva @ Eva Bakes recently posted..Chinese baked custard filled buns (奶黄包)
That’s wonderful Eva! Let me know how you both like them. Happy birthday to your little girl.
Sally, this cake looks amazing! You definitely are a sprinkles girl
Sprinkles make everything much more fun, colorful, festive, they bring life to plain white cake…..Like you bring so much life and fun to your blog….Anyway, I just thought of that comparison (pretty relevant, I think) – hope you liked it!
I have a quick question: the 3rd photo (which is a collection of photos really) – did you do that in Lightroom? I just got Lightroom, so I have a bunch to learn, but if you can do a photo collection in Lightroom, that would be amazing!
Mandie recently posted..119 Ministries
Hi Mandie – no, I did not use LR for the photo collage. I used PicMonkey. And yes, I am a sprinkles girl!
Ok, Thanks! The free version of PicMonkey or the paid version?
Mandie recently posted..119 Ministries
I love sprinkles too! I just knew this kind of cake as lot of westerners’ bloggers posted about confetti/funfetti bake goods and I absolutely amazed by those pictures. They aren’t familiar over here in Asia
Can’t wait to try this out for my sister’s birthday. Thanks for the recipe Sally! xoxo
Nur Ain recently posted..peanut butter banana bread with chocolate chips
I hope you and your sister like it Nur Ain, let me know how it goes. Happy birthday to her!
As you know, the only thing I like as much as Pb+choc is funfetti! I have even combined the two before and it’s pretty darn amazing. Love your homemade funfetti!
Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie recently posted..Cheesy Double Bean Quesadillas with Avocado Ranch
ok it’s confirmed, I must combined pb + choc + sprinkles ASAP.
What a beauty! Sprinkles always add the perfect touch of fun, I think
Looks moist, delicious, and I love the idea that it gets more moist as the days pass, perfect!
Nutmeg Nanny recently posted..Baked Garlic Buffalo Wings
Ohmygoodness, that cake looks so good! I’m normally not a cake person (too dry and crumbly; I prefer fudgey treats) but I’m DEFINITELY going to have to try this!
well the stars aligned for ya today because this cake is the exact opposite of dry and crumbly. You will LOVE it! Let me know how it goes, Faith.
My kids go nuts for funfetti and sprinkles! I too am a sprinkle hoarder!
Any time you post photos with sprinkles all around, I can only imagine the clean up! Those non-pareils seem to bounce all over the place. I find them in my kitchen days after I think I’ve cleaned them all up.
Anna {Herbivore Triathlete} recently posted..Polar Bear Series Half Marathon
Oh gosh Anna – the clean up was a nightmare. Oh well, all very worth it! I find sprinkles everywhere in my apartment. And I track them to the office with my somehow too.
WAIT – funfetti cakes from scratch??!! No box cake mix??!! Wow Sally!! Is there anything you can’t do??! You’re pretty amazing in my opinion!
Meghan @ The Tasty Fork recently posted..Asian Style Sloppy Joes
yep! NO box mix in sight! there is no need for it – this cake tastes better and is pretty darn easy, too. Thank you Meghan!
I love these pictures! So clean and colorful. This recipe reminds me of the cake batter martini that Jessica at The Novice Chef made. mmmmmmm!
Courtney@BakeMeBetter recently posted..Creamy Macaroni and Cheese
a cake batter martini sounds fabulous right about now…
Drooling at my computer!
Looks amazing.
Sally, I’m a sprinkle fanatic, too! (I have the stars, as well!) I have one shelf in my pantry devoted to all the seasonal (and non-seasonal) sprinkles. (I get them all from Amazon…not really a variety here in Utah.)
I’m giving this cake some PIN action! Can’t wait to bake this! (=
Gloria @ Simply Gloria recently posted..Chicken & Bacon Lasagna Roll Ups
thank you for the pin, Gloria! And I buy sprinkles from amazon sometimes too. I like to get all different colors and kinds. So much fun shopping for them!
Such a classic. This cake looks so lovely!
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar recently posted..Browned Butter Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Bars
No wonder you got a cookbook contract! Congrats on that by the way. This cake looks miles better than a cake mix from a store. I can practically smell the buttery vanilla through the screen.
Nicole @ Young, Broke and Hungry recently posted..Chocolate Chip Bagels
thank you so much Nicole! I appreciate the congrats.
dang it all! i have yet to go thru one of your posts without drooling.
i flippin’ want a piece of this cake like yesterday.
Lisa@hooplapalooza recently posted..rainbow shortbread cookies for st. patty’s day
Fun for Funfetti. This post just makes me happy. As do sprinkles. And I also need some of the chocolate chip funfetti cookies. Ahh!
Emily @ Life on Food recently posted..Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon
oooh chocolate chip funfetti cookies sound incredible
When I saw this on Instagram I couldn’t wait to read the post! That’s an very interesting point about the brown sugar enhancing the texture. I love Funfetti, keep it coming!
Julianne @ Beyond Frosting recently posted..Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes
Sprinkles! Looove it! I love that it’s totally from scratch. I bet you could easily make a homemade cake mix to store from this recipe. I am totally on board with adding brown sugar and yogurt to keep it moist. Yummers!
Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet recently posted..Monkey Bread Muffins with 5 Minute Chocolate Sauce
Funfetti is my favorite! I grew up on it! My mom still makes it for me for my birthdays and I’m 30
Love this. Oh, and I bet those sprinkles were fun to clean up afterward!
Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes recently posted..Old Fashioned Beef Stew
So the time I tried to make funfetti cupcakes, I tried it with the nonpareils, and they COMPLETELY bled into the batter, and they came out a blueish purple. They were ugly and delicious, but like the whole point of funfetti is that it’s SO PRETTY like THIS ONE! I’ve been dying to try it again with regular sprinkles, and yours look sooooo good! Now, can you please please please recreate the Betty Crocker rainbow chip frosting with those huge chewy colorful mutant sprinkles??? I used to eat that stuff with a spoon. Then people started using worlds like “trans fat” and ruined my whole life. I feel like only you can create a suitable replacement that I will love equally
Ari @ Ari’s Menu recently posted..Vonny Bags Giveaway
Challenge accepted!! I freaking love rainbow chip frosting. The nonpareils are tricky – you can’t mix the batter much at all when you use them!
Funfetti Is the Best in any baked Treat! As always this is amazing!
Chandra@The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen recently posted..Bunny Tail Lemon Cookies
Dude there’s seriously nothing better than homemade funfetti cake. Plus, the sprinkles make me so giddy.
Can I have this for lunch? I don’t need real food!
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious recently posted..Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Taquitos
This sounds amazing!! I LOVE homemade funfetti – so much better than the boxed stuff. Let’s be honest, anything with sprinkles is amazing!!
Rachel @ Bakerita recently posted..Soft Peanut Butter M&M Cookies
agreed!
It’s like you read my mind! I was emptying the dishwasher yesterday, and for some reason, I was thinking that I haven’t had funfetti anything in such a long time. Not sure how emptying the dishwasher prompted that thought, but I think I need to act on it soon. Ha!
Ashley recently posted..Spicy Peanut Spring Vegetables and Noodles
Your cake looks so much fun and absolutely delicious too!
Rosie @ Blueberry Kitchen recently posted..Chocolate and Salted Caramel Cupcakes
So yum! Do you use clear vanilla extract for the frosting? It looks super white!
Hi Jessica! No, I do not use clear vanilla extract. There is so much heavy cream and powdered sugar, the brown extract doesn’t do anything to the color.
So easy and so fun! Nothing better than funfetti cake
Trish – Mom On Timeout recently posted..Raspberry Coconut Magic Bars
I’m definitely a homemade kind of girl, so I love this homemade funfetti cake! There’s nothing better than a homemade cake with colorful, fun sprinkles! Ill give this a try some time for sure, Sally!
Lol, I bet it was a trip cleaning up after that photo shoot – but worth it! The photos and the cake look amazing. I’m a huge funfetti fan, but I’ve never attempted making it myself. Clearly, that has to change! My kiddo typically asks for “pink cake” for his birthday (is that weird for a boy??) but I think this year we’ll try the funfetti. What kid/mom doesn’t love all those sprinkles??
Ashley @ Kitchen Meets Girl recently posted..Banana Rolo Ravioli
whoever doesn’t like “pink cake” is the weird one.
As a certified sprinkle junkie – I wholeheartedly approve of this cake!! More sprinkles the better! Sally this cake is absolutely BEAUTIFUL – I’d eat it every day if i could
Jess @ OnSugarMountain recently posted..Strawberry Surprise Cupcakes: A Guest Post from Baker Becky
Amazing! Can’t believe these are so easy to make. Totally love funfetti!!
Kristin @ Dizzy Busy and Hungry! recently posted..Buttery Shrimp with Lime
easy, homemade, funfetti? best combo of words ever. excited to try this out! it looks soooo tasty. i love funfetti but i never feel right buying boxed mix.
Kelly @ hidden fruits and veggies recently posted..Greek Salad Pizza
I am so making this Sally. I heart funfetti!
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust recently posted..Pavlova Peeps Nests
With a recipe like this, who needs a cake mix? Or are you going to come out with your own cake mix line? I would buy that.
In the meantime, I’ll make this!
Wendy recently posted..Biscoff Toffee Crunch Bars with Biscoff Icing
what a genius idea – my own cake mix line
Your work colleagues must love you coming to work with all your baking for taste testing!
I am going to try some of these sprinkles receipes with my 6yr old niece who just ‘loves’ to have a bake date!
Have fun baking with your niece, Jodie! Let me know what you make and how you like it. Thank you!
Hi Sally, tried the funfetti cake but the texture was quite doughy…is this how it should be? The reason I ask, I am in Australia, I was not sure what sugar etc to use as our ingredients are often slightly different to American, just like our peanut butter is different (dyeing to try American pb). They looked great & really pretty!
Hi Jodie – just regular granutated sugar and 1/4 cup brown sugar. What do you mean by doughy? Like undercooked?
Sorry, maybe my Australian slang
hard to explain thick & chewy, however moist. Do u make scones? I guess similar to that. Maybe I just need to reme these again 
Buttery moist funfetti cake sounds soo good! And all from scratch…yay!
Regina @ SpecialtyCakeCreations recently posted..Cornflakes Easter Nests
This cake just makes me so happy to look at Sally! It is the perfect welcome to Spring with its rainbow of vibrant colors! If only I could have a slice. . . !!!
Reeni recently posted..Italian Chopped Salad
I love single layer cakes! This is so pretty, and looks super tasty!
Maggie @ A Bitchin’ Kitchen recently posted..Lemon-Lavender Shortbread Cookies
ingle layer cakes are so much easier to handle, right?! Thanks Maggie!
This is just perfect for the first day of spring tomorrow. It reminds me of all the beautiful flowers we’ll be seeing after the gray of winter.
Yep, I think you will be finding sprinkles the vacuum missed, months from now. Oh well, there are worse things! 
Beautiful, as always!!
Luckily I am moving soon – but I still have to vacuum up all of those sprinkles. I still find some everywhere!
Oh, you know I am so with you on the ‘baking from scratch’ thing. I think anything worth baking is worth doing from scratch, but that’s just how I feel
My daughter broke one of my friends necklaces the other week and I felt like I was picking teeny tiny beads out of the carpet for a very long time. This is probably what you feel like with your sprinkle extravaganzas!
Loretta | A Finn In The Kitchen recently posted..Nut and Granola Energy Bites
I’ve broken beaded necklaces before too – I found beads for weeks. And still, to this day 2 years later, find beads! And yes, the same with sprinkles. We are doomed Loretta!
Sprinkles could be their own food group at my house. When my 8 year old wants a treat at the grocery store, he no kidding asks for his own jar of sprinkles. He would flip out for this cake!
Miss @ Miss in the Kitchen recently posted..Chocolate Honey Bun Cake
hahahaha your 8 year old and I have that in common. I could eat sprinkles with a spoon all day long. Talk about a sugar high!
I hate when people ask these kinds of questions, because, afterall, it IS a funfetti cake….and trust me, I have my own ridiculously large collection of sprinkles myself….but I’m in the midst of testing out different base recipes for yellow and white cakes….so in that spirit, do you think any adjustments would be necessary if I don’t add the sprinkles? There’s a fair amount in the recipe that likely adds both sweetness and bulk…so, if I bake it without, do you think there would be any issue?
I have only ever made funfetti from the box (i know, horrible!) This needs to change now! And I am drooling over this cake and all your other funfetti creations. Sprinkles are the best!
Carla @ Carlas Confections recently posted..Biscoff Banana Oat Cookies
I made this cake last night and didn’t get near the result you did. The funfetti seriously bled together and color saturated the cake. I used “market pantry” brand from Target since I was just trying out the recipe. Could be it’s just not good quality. I’d love to know what brand you used? Also, when you say to cover the cake with foil after 20 minutes, do you mean the whole pan or just a circle of foil over the top of the cake?
Hi Dinah – I note several times not to use nonpareil sprinkles (the little balls) inside of the batter. Are those the kind you used from target? I just want to be clear that the structure and taste of the cake was ok, it was just that your sprinkles bled? I bought my string sprinkles at Giant grocery store.
Thanks for your reply! I do just love this site. I read it every day and am always inspired by the recipes and pictures. What I used was the tiny little “logs” — like sundae sprinkles. The bottle seemed to contain more blue and green than other colors and that all bled together into a sort of “sea monster” greenish/bluish cake. But the cake itself was very moist and tasty. I am definitely going to try again. I did cover my pan with a sheet of foil after 20 minutes. No burning but it took longer to bake to done than your recipe. That’s why I asked about the foil.
Oh yes, the foil – just cover the whole pan with a large sheet of foil. I’m glad the cake tasted great, which is most important. Thank you Dinah!
So great you were able to make this into a homemade version! we are funfetti fans so this would be awesome to have around the house!
i love funfetti cake so much! i’m definitely going to have to try your homemade version. But I wonder how I could make the rainbow chip frosting? I love that stuff, its like vanilla frosting but those little candy bites, so good!
Anyway, I was wondering where you got your tray that you use to take your pics on?
aimee @ like mother like daughter recently posted..Triple Chocolate Layer Cake
Hi Aimee – I would just add a little more heavy cream to the frosting to thin it out and use circle sprinkles (not nonpareils). Without trying to make it myself, I can’t give too much help with rainbow chip frosting. I love that stuff though. I bought that wooden board at Target.
It really makes me laugh that you and I are always baking the same things! So funny!
This cake looks gorgeous! When I made the rainbow chip cupcakes this weekend I actually almost subbed some brown sugar for white but since I was adding the cornstarch and extra yogurt- I didn’t! Looks like I have another excuse to make some cupcakes! 
or cake! Beautiful pictures! I bet you still have sprinkles hiding! I sure do- I never seem to leave enough time for a really good cleaning session! Oops!
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Yum yum! Love funfetti! I love those little star sprinkles too!
That is one colorful and gorgeous cake!
You are so talented!
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That’s very nice of you to say, thank you Jennifer!
wow another awesome recipe from you.
Love you for sharing it with us.
Gonna try this one out soon….. weekend is my brother’s birthday
Have tried the cupcake version and it was a hit !
I am thinking of making this a double layer and fill it with vanilla custard in the middle and cool whip on the tops … do u think that will work ?
Hey Rupa! Yep, the double layer would work – see my notes in the recipe box in the post about baking this cake as a layered cake. Let me know how it goes and happy birthday to your brother.
This looks excellent, Sally! I love that it’s from scratch, YAY!!!!! I never make cake from a box. It’s really not hard to make one from scratch that tastes great! This one is so pretty and colorful, I just love it! I love that you use butter too. Yum
butter us best, haha!
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I knew you’d like this Stephanie – another “from scratch” gal!
I’m pretty pumped about trying this out. It looks ridiculous.
This icing is the best tasting icing I have ever made!!! It’s not too sweet, and it’s sooo light and fluffy. Loved the cake also…received lots of aahhhs when the first piece was cut. Great taste…and it’s just so cute. Thank you, Sally for another keeper!
That’s great to hear, Betsy – thank you for reporting back!
You are right…I do want to dive into this cake! I know that scratch cakes are so easy to do…I have just gotten lazy in baking and just pull out the mixes
Want to know a fun secret? I used to bake from scratch all the way through high school…never ever used a mix. I need to get back to it I guess!! I puffy heart love this fun sprinkle cake! You never disappoint me in the sprinkle load!!! It looks gorgeous!!
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Oh my goodness. It’s like elementary school up in here. Only bettter. *cries* I loved it when other kids brought in their box mix funfetti cakes for their birthdays. My mother would not mix this. :’(
LOVE this. I haven’t had funfetti anything in years. I need to find sprinkles!
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A life without sprinkles – I don’t know how you have done it so long Erin! But at least there’s peanut butter. Or homemade chocolate peanut butter
Sally, when I asked my question above, I hope there was no misunderstanding about the question….when I said “I hate when people ask these kinds of questions…” I was talking about the question that I was asking, not anyone else’s. Basically, I was asking if you can take the funfetti out of the funfetti cake (thus the stupid question) and still have the structure work since there’s so many sprinkles. Anyway, just wanted to say that no offense was meant. While testing many base cake batters, it really was simply a question to figure out if this would make a great cake base. Probably the wrong recipe to ask the question on…Anyway, love the blog and the recipes. Thanks.
Hi RMD, with my camera giveaway going on right now and new comments flooding my site, I have missed a few comments in this thread! So sorry about that. You certainly may make this cake without the sprinkles. There is plenty of batter to get away with it. I hope you enjoy – let me know how it turns out!
Sally! I love everything about this cake. It makes me want to celebrate someone’s birthday. Although I suppose it’s a celebration in and of itself.
I love the brown sugar idea, and you’re right, just a smidge would go a long way.
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This cake is adorable and I am in the process of making it for my son’s birthday…if I need a 13 X 9 size cake would I double it?
Yes, double it for 9×13. Hope you enjoy!
Just made this cake and it is delicious! It has the perfect texture for a cake, and it is so fun and festive! The icing is delish too, mine came out super whipped which I love! I always use coffee creamer for icing since I’m always trying to get rid of it before it expires, I think I’m making your carrot cake for Easter so I’ll let you know how it turns out
I also love that your recipe has vanilla as opposed to almond extract like so many recipes I’ve seen. Definitely a great flavor!
I’m so happy you liked it! Coffee creamer = love that idea! Doing that next time. Enjoy the carrot cake!
I love funfetti and sprinkles too, Sally! This cake looks so pretty and happy with all those colors. I’d love a slice of this!
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How perfectly light and fluffy this cake looks! I want a reason to make it really soon!
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Hi Sally – this cake looks AMAZING! I am thinking of making it for me and my hubby as our Easter dessert! Question though – you said about using heavy cream in the frosting and to see your note above about subbing milk or half and half, however, I’ve gone back through the post a few times and never found the referenced note. I don’t have heavy cream, and was hoping not to have to buy a big thing of it just to make this recipe. Can I sub milk?
Hi Jenn! I say that in order to achieve the fluffiest, creamiest frosting – use heavy cream. Your frosting may not be as fluffy or creamy using milk, but give it a try. I hope you enjoy!
Thanks!
Made this today and it was delicious!! I recently got a Kitchenaid stand mixer and have been making everything from scratch
Not sure if I can ever go back to box mixes or store bought breads haha
Hey Kayla! That’s so great to hear. I’ll never buy box mix for a funfetti cake ever again too! Thanks for reporting back
My wife and I tried the cupcake version of this one and we were really impressed by our baking! Having a background with pastry making makes this one easier! We love your recipe and cant wait to do the other recipes! Thanks a lot and more power! xobakingco.com
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That’s great to hear! Thanks for reporting back. Let me know what else you make sometime!
Hi Sally,
I saw your recipe on Pinterest and I couldn’t resist the urge to try it! I have never made a homemade cake so I’m a rookie and I have a “rookie” question.
It said to cover the cake with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Then continue to bake for 13-17 minutes. For the 13-17 minutes, should the cake still be covered with foil? I wasn’t sure so I uncovered it and now I’m worried because I opened the oven, which they say to NEVER do when baking a cake. I hope it still turns out!
Hi Jessica – bake for 20 minutes and then cover with foil; then bake for 13-17 more minutes. Sorry you were confused!
Hi Sally! Love your blog! I’m disappointed to report that I did not have a good experience making this cake. I had planned to make it for Easter dessert and liked that it was a single layer as I’m just feeding my husband and myself. Everything went really well until the baking part; When I covered it with the foil after the first 20 minutes of cooking, the cake rose under the foil and stuck to the foil. When I pulled the foil off there was a thin layer of cake attached to the foil and the cake was not cooked in the center. After putting it back in the oven several times with the foil and still not having the center cooked I took the foil off and put it in again. Finally the center set up but the rest of the cake was entirely overcooked. I went ahead anyway not knowing the extent of the over doneness of the cake; made the frosting using just a little bit of milk since I didn’t have heavy cream and that came out quite good. However the cake as a whole was very very dense and hard after being cooked so long, and for that reason neither me or my husband really enjoyed it.
Really bummed!! Do you think I did something wrong or do you think it’s my oven?
Hi Jenn! I’m glad you liked the frosting and gave the cake recipe a try. I’m so sorry you had baking issues – I should mention that I gave the cake a lot of room underneath the foil. What size pan did you use? I wonder if your oven temperature is off as well (perhaps too hot) – I always use an oven thermometer to be extra sure. I wish I could’ve been there to help!
My mom is going to attempt to make this recipe so I will be anxious to see how her’s comes out. I will pass along the note about the foil to her. I used a 9 inch round pan, And I actually do have an oven thermometer in the oven as well. I don’t know what happened! We are renting this house and I have never been a fan of the oven; Maybe I will attempt to make this again once we move into a new house! Thanks!
Sounds great, Jenn. Let me know how hers turns out!
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe! I plan on making this tonight for my sons 7th birthday tomorrow. Is it possible to make a gluten free version of this by subsituting the white flour for almond flour?
Thanks!
Sarah
Hi Sarah! Unfortunately, I am not the gal for gluten free cupcakes or cake. So sorry! I have no idea how it would do with a GF flour.
Hi Sally,
I made this cake last night for my daughter’s 4th birthday and I did have a bit of a problem with baking the cake. I didn’t leave enough room with the foil on top and it stuck to the foil. Oops! It was undercooked in the middle and after putting it back into the oven for a few more minutes at a time, I just couldn’t get it to set in one particular spot so I took the foil off and that worked. A little overcooked but not bad. Besides my foil mishap I blame our really old oven. I do use an oven thermometer, but like I said, its old. I thought I was careful not to overstir the sprinkles (I didn’t use non pareil) but they did bleed together. It could perhaps be how long I had the cake in the oven? It may not have been as pretty as yours but it was very delicious and that’s the best part! It was supermoist like you had said the next day and I loved the strong vanilla flavor in the cake.
Hi Sally,
How are you? Hopefully good
I made this funfetti cake for Easter, and as all your recipes are, it was really good! I’m inspired. I would love to use this recipe somehow, and tweak it, to make funfetti doughnuts. I know you have a recipe for cupcakes, just thinking of another variation. The buttery vanilla flavor would go so well in a doughnut… any ideas as to how? I know they make baked doughnut pans, but knowing me, I would bake it and then fry it, LOL. Not sure how that would turn out, you’re more the scientific baker than I am 
Hey Barbara! I have a solution for your query about doughnuts! I actually have a vanilla/buttery doughnut recipe that I LOVE. Use this recipe, but leave out the cinnamon (unless you want it!) http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2012/05/08/baked-cinnamon-bun-donuts-with-vanilla-glaze/
Thanks a bunch! I will have to give them a try!
I’m in love with this cake – the pictures are causing hearts to rise above my head. Thanks for sharing!
lol! That made me laugh.
Thanks Pamela!
Hi Sally,
I’m making this cake to surprise my daughter for her birthday tomorrow. But I’m having a problem because it’s been in the oven 15 minutes longer than you suggest, and the middle still comes out very soupy.
I wonder what gives?
Your cookies come out perfect cooked exactly the same time you give in your recipes. Any idea about where this cake might be going wrong for me?
Thanks,
Tamara
Hi Tamara! That’s strange. I fear it may be your oven. Over 50 minutes for a single layer cake is quite long. Do you have an oven thermometer?
I am making this cake tonight! My daughter turns 5 tomorrow and has been requesting this cake for about a month now. Can’t wait to try it.
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Hi Lori! Let me know how you like it and happy birthday to your baby girl.
Hi Sally,
It turned out great! Looked great too! Check out my blog to see pictures, I linked back to you for the recipe. We used loads of sprinkles and left the “5″ unsprinkled, please take a look. Can’t wait to try one of your nutella recipes.
Hey Lori! I will check it out tonight.
It sounds great!
Hello, i love this cake!!!! Thank you so much for the recipe. I have one big favour to ask, i live in the uk and our sprinkles are very “pale” could you be so kind and send me a link to the sprinkles that you have used and i get myself some from the american foodstore. Thank you so very much.xxx
Hi Sarah! Here’s a link to sprinkles similar to the ones I used. http://m.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=567D07F9-802D-F658-052A22294C879EF3&fid=3E304BE2-475A-BAC0-50804CBEDB29A58D
Enjoy!
Hi, love your pics and was inspired to try the cake recipe. All was going well until I attempted the icing. I ruined it and used up my last two sticks of butter. Not sure what went wrong but when I started beating it after adding the sugar, milk and vanilla, it started balling up and looked more like cookie dough or even wet scrambled egg when I added more liquid. Def not icing! ;-((
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Hi Diane – was the butter creamed before adding the rest of the ingredients? Was it properly sorted? Melted? Not room temperature? It sounds like more butter and sugar were needed for your frosting as well. Sorry it didn’t work out for you!
The cake was delicious although I had to cook about 7 additional minutes. Could be my oven. I did have problems with the frosting — I thought there was way too much vanilla extract which made it have this kind of strange brown tinge. I probably could’ve added more confectioner’s sugar, but then it was too sweet. Meh on the frosting. Sorry!
Hi Kate! So sorry you didn’t like the frosting. I do not that you should add salt if you add more powdered sugar. Glad you liked the cake!
Hi Sally, came across your recipe today and thought it would be a fun cake to make for my nephew’s christening but don’t know if it would work as a two tiered cake. Have you ever tried it? I prefer not to layer and just frost outside; do you think I can get away with that here? I’ll be using 6 & 8″ round, 3″ deep pans. Do you know how many cups of batter one recipe yields? Your input in greatly appreciated:)
Hi Rose! To be honest, I have never measured how many cups are in the batter. The size pans you suggest should be fine though since they are 3″ deep. Anything less – the 6″ would be too small. But you should be fine. Let me know how it turns out!
Hi Sally,
Just gave your cake a trial run and it was delicious! Think everyone will enjoy it especially the younger crowd (didn’t try the frosting). For the 8″ x 3″ pan it needed more batter for more height (maybe 1 recipe and 1/2 will do it). I’ll be sure to check back on your website for more fun recipes. Thank you:)
Hi Rose – yes you’d need about 1.5 the recipe for a pan that size. Thanks for reporting back about it, Rose! I’m always glad to hear it.
Hi Sally,
I tried your cake today and it was really nice, although I found it a little too sweet and wet (I ended up taking almost 35 mins to bake the cake!) Maybe it is the type of sprinkles I used?
Love your site so much
Quick question, would creaming the butter and sugar lead to a different texture? Why did you decide to melt the butter?
Regardless, I really enjoyed this recipe and it was quick and simple.
Thank you so much for sharing it:)
Hi Helen! I’m sorry you find the cake too sweet. It sounds like it wasn’t cooked all the way through. Do you have an oven thermometer? I swear by one. My oven is 25 degrees off! And without an oven thermometer, my baked goods would never, ever turn out. Creaming the butter could make the cake rise more. I used melted butter simply because it was easier and I wasn’t looking for a tall cake since it would be frosted anyway.
Thank you for reporting back!
So… they look delicious, but I couldn’t see how long to cook regular size cupcakes. I tried 20 minutes… I haven’t tried one yet… but I hope they’re not too under-cooked. They look colorful though!
Hi Michelle! I link to the cupcake version of this cake several times in the post: http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2012/12/19/easy-homemade-funfetti-cupcakes/
Couple Questions:
1.if I wanted to use this recipe for cupcakes (more than the 12 you said it will make), I will just double it right?
2. I think i tend over mix my batters. because when i see lumps I want them out. So is it okay to have some lumps?
3. Is it possible I canmake this with a mixer? I want to make more than the 12 (as referenced in question 1)
4.Also, should i sift my dry ingredients first?
I know I have a lot of questions but I am a very novice baker and I wanted to do something different and not use the box.
From what i have looked at on the blog so far, i like it!
Thanks in advance!
Glad to help!
1) yes
2) yes, the lumps are ok. As long as all of the flour is mixed in.
3) you need a mixer for the frosting, not the cake/cupcakes
4) no need to sift
This was my first time ever making a cake, I made it today for a friend’s birthday. I had to make my own heavy cream since I didn’t have any and I used soy milk. I drink soy milk all the time so I didn’t taste the difference but the cow milk drinkers in the house could. Also, my boyfriend did the frosting and it looked HORRIBLE. But I loved it! Thank you for another amazing recipe
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I’m so glad you liked the cake! I’ve used soy milk before too – but it doesn’t compare to the cream. Regardless, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Yeah, we had to add a tablespoon of flour to the frosting as well because it was super liquidy, but it came out nice! Just looked kinda funky (like, a lot funky).
I love to cook and bake and have tried many recipes that are not near as good as “box recipes.” However, this by far exceeded my expectations and is the best cake batter I have ever tasted! Can’t wait to try your other recipes!
Monique, what a compliment. Thank you very much! I’m so glad you love this cake.
I am so excited about this cake! My cupcakes are in the oven as we speak! I just have a question… my son wants this same cake made into a wilton football cake pan… which says make a 2 layer cake mix. In your notes you said you can make it into two layers or double it for a thick cake. Is the original recipe considered a two layer cake mix? I just don’t know if I should double or not for his cake. I making this today so I hope I hear from you soon! Thank you!!! The batter was delish!! Can’t wait for the cake!
Ashley, I would double the recipe to make a double layer cake. It will be a thick double layer cake. Glad you liked the batter – I love taste testing it
Thanks! 1 1/2 is perfect… I didn’t use all of it when I doubled it and it still overflowed a bit. But it’s so yummy and my son is so excited! Now I just need to frost it. Thanks, this is an awesome recipe and great site!
It sounds like it wil be an amazing cake for your son
Thanks Ashley!
Hi Sally! I am planning on making this cake and your funfetti cupcakes for my sister’s graduation this weekend. Do you think it would be O.K. if I baked the cake and cupcakes two days before eating? Would you suggest freezing them, or keeping them at room temperature? Thank you so much!
Hey Hailey! Keep everything at room temperature and keep them covered. They will be just fine!
I had this idea in my head to make a fun looking cake and didn’t want to make use a box mix to make a cake and somehow I came across your post. I made this cake over the past weekend for my husbands birthday and it tasted really great. I made a double layer and made a different frosting for the cake (per my liking), but it was a totally fun and delicious cake! Thanks for the recipe!
I linked your recipe on my blog post:
http://cherryblossomsandchai.blogspot.com/2013/05/funfetti-cake-avec-loads-of-sprinkles.html
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I’m so glad you enjoyed it! It’s a wonderful recipe to replace cake mix.
Hi Jodie – I’m not the hugest fan of scones, so I haven’t made them from scratch before.