There’s nothing like sprinkle cake to make you feel like a kid again! Reminiscent of box cake mix, this homemade version is soft, moist, and loaded with rainbow sprinkles. It’s a single layer cake baked in a regular 9-inch cake pan, so it’s perfect for smaller gatherings and celebrations. Top with vanilla buttercream for the ultimate birthday treat!
There’s a lot of recipe testing and baking science background discussed in this post, so feel free to skip it by clicking the button above.
Do you remember when I shared an updated recipe for my pineapple upside down cake? I love looking back at older recipes, reading your reviews, and applying new techniques to make the recipes even better. With constant practice and recipe testing comes the opportunity to bring you the best content that I can. Baking is truly a science and I’m happy to continue to deliver you well tested and improved recipes!
Improved Cake Recipe – Read the Difference
I published a homemade sprinkle cake recipe several years ago. It’s a wonderful one layer cake, but it often tasted overly dense and was prone to overflowing. Though I kept the original recipe written in the notes below, I want to share my new and improved version with you.
This new sprinkle cake recipe, written below, is much softer than the original. Using (1) creamed butter instead of melted, (2) cake flour instead of all-purpose flour, (3) white sugar instead of brown sugar + white, and (4) just egg whites all guarantee a HUGE textural difference. I adapted it from my sprinkle cupcakes and it’s nearly the same base as my new pineapple upside down cake, too. We’re actually using the same ingredients in the updated recipe—just in different forms, ratios, and amounts.
- Old Cake Recipe (in notes below): Overly heavy, dense, overflowed
- New Cake Recipe (below): Softer, pleasantly moist, reduced amount of batter
This Easy Homemade Sprinkle Cake Is:
- Soft, cakey, & fluffy
- A smaller, 1 layer version of this confetti cake
- Buttery & moist
- Completely homemade and better than a box mix
- Loaded with colorful sprinkles
- Topped with extra creamy vanilla buttercream
- The same batter we use for tie dye cake (so fun!)
Overview of Ingredients & Why They Work
- Cake Flour: Lighter than all-purpose flour, cake flour produces a soft crumb.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: The two add plenty of lift.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness.
- Butter: Instead of melted butter, use 6 Tablespoons of softened butter. Creaming butter and sugar guarantees a buttery soft crumb.
- Sugar: White granulated sugar sweetens and tenderizes the cake.
- Egg Whites: Egg whites create the fluffiest white cake and they’re doing the same job here. Egg yolks, though excellent for moisture, weigh a cake down. Sometimes they’re imperative for flavor, such as in my yellow cake recipe, but we don’t need them in this fluffy sprinkle cake. The sour cream makes up for the lost moisture. And so there’s no waste, here are my recipes using egg yolks.
- Vanilla Extract: Flavor. Homemade vanilla extract is excellent and really shines through in this cake!
- Sour Cream: Along with cake flour and egg whites, sour cream promises a tender cake crumb. Plain yogurt works in a pinch.
- Milk: Liquid is key in most cakes because it thins out the batter.
Best Sprinkles to Use
I’ve been baking cake and cupcake batters with sprinkles for quite awhile and have learned exactly what works—and what doesn’t. Here’s what I know:
- Sprinkles sold in the US are intensely colored where sprinkles sold in other regions tend to lose their color when baked. I actually used Sweetapolia “Bright Skies” medley in the pictured cake batter.
- Use confetti quins (the little discs) if you can. They rarely bleed their color in batter.
- Do not use nonpareils (the little balls) in cake batter. They bleed their color.
- Naturally colored sprinkles are wonderful in cookies and as decoration, but—depending on the brand—can lose their color in cake batter. I actually use and love this Starfetti mix. They seem to hold their color wonderfully when baked in cake batter. They’re what I used to decorate the top of this cake.
Vanilla Buttercream
We’re using a slightly scaled down version of my favorite vanilla buttercream. (Although strawberry buttercream frosting would be fantastic here, too.)
Creamy, silky, and smooth, this vanilla buttercream is perfect on birthday cakes, cupcakes, chocolate cupcakes, cookies, and more. My #1 tip is to make sure that you use room temperature heavy cream/half-and-half/milk. Using cold liquid can cause the buttercream to break and separate. You need room temperature butter anyway, so simply set out the measured liquid when you set out the butter.
Does your buttercream have air bubbles? See vanilla buttercream for tips to get rid of them.
Other Size Cakes
- 9×13 Inch: Double this recipe for a 9×13 inch quarter sheet cake. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Top with vanilla buttercream, which is slightly scaled up from the frosting amounts here. I also have this vanilla sheet cake, but it’s denser than today’s cake. For a 12×17 inch jelly roll sheet, use my funfetti sheet cake recipe.
- 9-Inch Square: Follow the recipe below. The cake will be thinner and the bake time will be a few minutes shorter since a 9-inch square baking pan holds more batter than a 9-inch round cake pan. I recommend lining with a parchment paper square, just as instructed in step 1.
- Cupcakes: Make this sprinkle cupcakes recipe, which is essentially the same, only slightly scaled up. Same taste and texture.
- Bundt Cake: Doubling this recipe would be plenty for a 10-12 cup Bundt pan. Bake at 350°F (177°C). I’m unsure of the best bake time, but use a toothpick to test for doneness.
- Layer Cake: Use my 3 layer confetti cake recipe or try this 2 layer white cake recipe, which is just as light and fluffy. Gently stir about 1/2 cup (90g) sprinkles into the batter.
One Layer Sprinkle Cake
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours (includes cooling)
- Yield: serves 8
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Updated in 2020, this is my favorite recipe for a one layer sprinkle cake. Tastes close to box cake mix, but it’s completely from-scratch. For best success, read the recipe and recipe notes before beginning.
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups (177g) cake flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 2 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup (80g) sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup (80ml) whole milk, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (70g) sprinkles
Vanilla Buttercream
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 cups (360g) confectioners’ sugar
- 3 Tablespoons (45ml) heavy cream, half-and-half, or whole milk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- salt, to taste
- optional: sprinkles for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9×2 inch round cake pan, line with a parchment paper round, 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. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on high speed until creamed together, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. On high speed, beat in the egg whites until combined, then beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Turn the mixer to low speed and as the mixer runs, slowly pour in the milk. Beat on low speed just until all of the ingredients are combined. Do not over-mix. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick. Gently fold in the sprinkles.
- Pour batter evenly into prepared cake pan.
- Bake for around 27-31 minutes or until the cake is baked through. After about 18 minutes, tent the cake with aluminum foil to prevent the top and edges from over-browning. To test the cake for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done.
- Allow cake to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack. The cake must be completely cool before frosting.
- Make the buttercream: With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners’ sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to medium-high speed and beat for 2 full minutes. Add up to 1/4 cup (30g) more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin or a splash of heavy cream if frosting is too thick. Add a pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet. (I add a small pinch.)
- Spread frosting all over the top. I always use an icing spatula. Top with sprinkles, if desired.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare cake through step 6. Wrap the baked and cooled cake tightly and keep at room temperature for 1 day or freeze up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature (if frozen) then continue with step 7. Frosting can also be made 1 day ahead of time. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. Bring frosting to room temperature, then beat the frosting on medium speed for a few seconds so it’s creamy again. Adding a splash of cream/milk will help thin the frosting out, if needed. Frosted cake freezes well, up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature or serve cold. See How to Freeze Cakes.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9×2-inch Round Cake Pan | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Rubber Spatula | Cooling Rack | Icing Spatula
- Other Size Cakes: See details above the recipe.
- Best Sprinkles to Use: See details above the recipe.
- Old Recipe: The current cake recipe was updated in 2020. If you loved the old cake batter recipe, originally published in 2013, here it is: Follow step 1 in the recipe above, but use a 9-inch springform pan instead of a regular 9-inch cake pan (too small for the following batter). For the cake batter, whisk 1 and 2/3 cups (210g) all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt together. In a separate bowl, whisk 1/2 cup (115g) melted unsalted butter, 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar, 1/4 cup (50g) packed light or dark brown sugar, 1 large egg, 1/4 cup (60g) yogurt or sour cream, 3/4 cup (180ml) milk, and 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract together. Whisk wet and dry ingredients together until smooth. Fold in 2/3 cup (90g) sprinkles. Continue with step 4 in the recipe above and extend the bake time to 33-37 minutes.
- Cake Flour: If you can’t get your hands on cake flour, use this cake flour substitute. I suggest doing this 2x, then remove 1/2 cup since you need 1 and 1/2 cups in this recipe.
- Sour Cream & Milk: Full fat sour cream and whole milk are strongly recommended for the best taste and texture. A full fat plain yogurt would work instead of the sour cream, though the cake may not taste as tender. Same goes with a lower fat or nondairy milk.
- Heavy Cream in Buttercream: I love using heavy cream for the creamiest consistency. You can use half-and-half or whole milk instead if needed. The lower the fat, the less creamy your buttercream will be. Whichever you use, make sure it’s at room temperature. Otherwise your frosting could separate or appear grainy.
- Why is everything at room temperature? All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. Read here for more information.
Keywords: sprinkle cake, birthday cake
Just made this, and the cake came out perfectly! I halved the icing, and it was more than enough to frost the top and sides of the one layer. My kids loved it, and declared it a 10/10.
★★★★★
Amazing recipe! I’ve tried about 6 different funfetti recipes over the years and this one is for sure the winner. Thanks Sally!
★★★★★
Hi Sally! I’m thinking of using this recipe for a cake this upcoming weekend, but wondering what’s the difference between this cake and your other funfetti layer cake recipe? This one looks so yummy and moist, and I just wanted to know if there was a reason I should use one over the other if I plan to make a layer cake.
Can’t wait to try it, and thanks for your help!
Hi Kai, They are both delicious but a little different. This recipe is written for only one layer – it has a tighter crumb and is very moist. The Funfetti Layer Cake recipe is fluffier due to the whipped egg whites while still being very moist. This one is obviously larger and makes 3 layers!
Hi Sally,
Can you tell me why this recipe includes brown sugar and your Funfetti cupcakes recipe does not? I have had great success using the cupcake recipe before and am debating which version to use for a 3 tier cake. Also would you recommend that I just double either recipe when using 3 8 inch cake rounds?
Hi Steph! They are simply different recipes. This funfetti cake is a little more dense and would be great for a tiered cake. My vanilla cake would be excellent as well.
Hi Sally. I have made this cake countless time and it is my to-go vanilla cake ever. I am making a latte cake and am wondering if i can swap the vanilla extract with latte syrup/ latte caramel sauce? If it is possible, is it 1 tbs as well? Thank you in advance.
★★★★★
Hi Muna, I’m so glad you enjoy it! I’ve never tried to make this latte flavor – but it sounds so good! I found this recipe where to flavor it she uses espresso powder in the milk – you could try that! https://livforcake.com/vanilla-latte-cake/
I just finished making this cake. For European standards this cake is way way too sweet. I had to reduce the sugar by half because the amount of sugar I had in front of myself was ridiculous. So even by putting 50% less sugar in the cake it was almost impossible to eat it. So I improvised with some cream cheese icing without addingbany sugar and some blueberries to even out the sweetness. I can not understand how can a cake twice this sweet be eaten and considered “just sweet enough”.
Is this a good recipe to use to make funfetti cake pops? And would you suggest using this same icing recipe or a different icing for the pops?
You can make cake pops from this recipe – the trick to cake pops is the ratio of cake to frosting. Or you can use my cake pop recipe so you can be sure of the quantities and simply add sprinkles to the cake. You can get the recipe and watch me make them here.
Just made this cake and icing for my daughter’s birthday. She is 22 but loves anything with sprinkles. It was a home run. She loved it. I doubled the recipe and split it evenly between two 9″ round cake pans. I covered them loosely as suggested after the first 20 minutes of baking. They turned out perfectly. Thank you for sharing this recipe. It will be added to my recipe book for future use.
I have a set of small pans (5 pans) for a 6″ layer cake. How many layers do you think this recipe would provide? Any suggestions on cook time? Thanks!
Hi Cassie! I’m unsure about this one, but I have a 6 inch sprinkle cake on my blog if you want to use that one instead. It’s only 3 layers. This cake would likely produce at least 5.
How long would I bake this if I’m making it in a bundt pan?
Hi Angela! I recommend this vanilla cake recipe for a Bundt pan. You can add sprinkles to the batter.
I’m making this recipe for my daughters smash cake. I want to make a 2 layer cake and my pans are 6 inches – should I still double the recipe? If I double, would it make 3 layers easily? I don’t have a problem making 3 layers, I just don’t want too many extra cupcakes hanging around.
Hi Gina! This recipe, as written, will easily make a 3 layer 6 inch cake. And you’ll probably have extra batter leftover. For best recipes, use my 6 inch cake recipe.
I am going to give this cake a try for my grand-daughters 6th birthday cake. I will be putting in a spongebob cake pan. What I would like to know is will your frosting recipe work for making the stars in decorating, will it hold a shape…hope you know what I am asking…LOL!
This frosting should hold a shape, yes.
Made this a couple weeks ago for my daughters 2nd birthday. I used non pareils because i ran out of the jimmies…and it worked out fine- i just had to stir gently.
Me and my little family enjoyed it so much that we werent able to save a piece for my mom!!! I also only made a half batch of icing and i had some leftover…it was plenty. Loved the dense crumb….and it was unbelieveably delicious!! Will definately be making again!! Thank you!
I doubled the recipe and put all the batter in a 9 x 13 in. cake pan. It seems like it took close to an hour for the toothpick to come out clean, But after 40 min of baking I kept checking for doneness every 5 minutes. So a lot a heat escaped and lowered the oven temp. I tasted the crumbs that were left in the pan once I turned out the cake. The crumbs taste good. I hope I did not over-bake the cake. It is for my grandson’s 5th birthday party tomorrow. I covered the cake loosely with tin foil after around 40 minutes of baking. I should have covered it sooner, as the recipe indicated. I need to put a Zelda sword on the cake next.
Same for me with how long it took!
Wonderful recipe! I made this with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour and it turned out perfect. I made no other changes. Amazing! Thank you!
I made this for my daughter’s birthday party, and let me start by saying it tasted delicious!! I had issues with the baking time though. At 35 minutes in the oven the center was still very visibly raw. I have no clue why. I had to bake it an additional 10 mins or so in order to get a toothpick inserted into the center to come out clean! I thought all was lost and the cake would be too dry/crusty on the outsides, but even with slightly crisp edges, the rest of the cake was dense and moist and very good. Very pretty too. I used a cream cheese frosting recipe and thought it went very well.
Next time I am going to try cupcakes instead and hope the baking time works more in my favor.
I made this 2 days ago for my daughter’s birthday and it was perfect! I made a 3 tier layer cake and everyone RAVED about the flavour and texture! The crumb was so satisfying
Sally, my granddaughter and I made this yesterday. We didn’t have a crumb left by the end of the night. Everyone could not stop raving about it. The texture and taste was perfect. This recipe is a keeper. Thank you.
I made this cake today and it is the most moist and delicious white cake I’ve ever made. I can’t get over how much I love it. Thank you so much for this great recipe. I will use it over and over again in the future. I doubled the recipe and made 2, 9″ round pans, as well as 16 cupcakes. I didn’t double the icing as recommended and ran out with 4 cupcakes left to ice. No problem though, I have some leftover cinnamon buttercream in the freezer. 🙂
One of my best friends is celebrating his birthday tomorrow, and since he’s never tasted a proper funfetti cake (the horror!), I took the liberty of baking him, and 60 of our closest friends, such a cake myself. Except for the flour, which I swapped with self-rising flour, I followed the recipe precisely as it was written (despite the intense horror that shook me when I realized how much butter would be going into this production). I am at an extremely beginner’s level in the kitchen, so much so that my incompetence when it comes to baking has become a wildly popular joke, and yet my cake ultimately came out looking as beautiful as Sally’s cake pictured in this post, and the taste (I made a few cupcakes with the remaining batter for tasting purposes) is absolutely divine. I could not recommend more!! Thank you Sally, will deffinitley be using more of your recipies xx
Used this recipe and it was great. Really nice cake and frosting. The only thing that didn’t work was the sprinkles. Think this is due to the natural colouring they use in the UK. Next time I need to find some brighter artificial coloured ones and I am sure it will be coloured too! Thanks for the recipe!!!
Just wanted to thank you for this wonderfully easy and delicious recipe! I used this recipe (without the sprinkles, just plain vanilla) to make a rainbow cake for my daughter’s birthday. I found several rainbow cake recipes online but, because I trust you and I’ve used your recipes before, I knew this one would work for me. It was a success!
Everyone loved it and your instructions and ingredientes made the process so much easier. Again, thank you.
I both love you and hate you (because I’ve eaten too many cupcakes 🙂 haha! I made both the cupcakes and the cake and it did not disappoint! Unbelievable! Thank you for this great recipe.
Hi Sally, I tried out this cake today and it was absolutely delicious! I left out the sprinkles because I didn’t have enough, but the cake is so moist and the buttercream frosting is the best I’ve ever tasted! I’ll definitely be making it again, thank you so much for such a great and easy-to-follow recipe 🙂
Hi Sally, I just made this cake tonight with my boys and it turned out really great. I want to thank you for all your recipes and the photos and all the details you include. I have never liked baking but I’ve been forced to learn how to make lots of different things, since I live in France, where they have delicious pastries of course, but the simple things like yellow cake with sprinkles and peanut butter treats are totally non-existent. So your website has become my go-to address whenever I get a craving for something from back home. What makes your site different than others is how you explain different things, having tested it yourself, and that makes it so much easier to understand the “science” behind what I’m doing. That’s what always made me hate baking because I would always mess up on little things like the butter wasn’t melted or the sugar was not measured right etc. So many many thanks and please keep up the detailed work! À bientôt !!
Wow! my friend made thie care for our friends birthday and its to DIE for. The cake is so moist and the perfect sweetness. The buttercream cn be eaten all by itself as well. Im very picky when it comes to homemade baked goods, but this is definitely on my top list now.
AMAZING
Fantastic funfetti recipe! I love vanilla/white cakes that utilize pudding or yogurt. AND SO MANY SPRINKLES!
Just made this cake and it is delicious. Definitely like the fact that the cake is moist and not super sweet because to me the buttercream frosting was a little over sweet – even after adding some salt. But I have never made buttercream from scratch before so I may need to adjust a little. Overall I love the taste and texture – and the sprinkles inside make it gorgeous! Next time I may use a regular cake pan instead of a springform pan as the edges baked way faster than the middle, leaving the middle somewhat dented. From someone whohas never really baked, I thought the recipe was easy and very tasty.
just whipped this up for my son’s birthday! he is SO excited!!!
Hi Sally. I made this cake earlier this week for my work colleagues who had never experienced funfetti cakes before (they’re all British, I’m American). They were impressed, and I can happily say that your recipe was super easy and tasted even better than the boxed funfetti cakes from my childhood. I will definitely be making it again in the future. Thanks so much for posting your wonderful recipe!