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) | Silicone 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.
I think this might be the fluffiest lightest best vanilla-base cake I’ve ever made! I used all-purpose flour and whole-milk yogurt I had on hand and 2% milk, so it must be a forgiving recipe but I’ll try it as listed next time. I halved the recipe as I just needed a last-minute treat for my kids (found out today was my son’s imaginary friend’s birthday), baked in a 8inch pan for 20 min. Will make again! Thank you Sally!!
Hi There
This cake looks great! I’ve been looking for a sprinkle cake that doesn’t have a huge amount of sugar for the kids and this looks like a good compromise of not too much sugar but still sweet enough!
I was hoping to find a coconut sprinkle cake – do you think I could use coconut milk or cream instead of the milk to add some coconut flavour? And would it be ok to add some designated coconut too or would it make it too dry?
Also would it be ok to use Greek yoghurt instead of sour cream?
Thank you
PS I’ve tried lots of your other recipes and they’re all great!! Love your site!
Hi Rasha, I think this Coconut Cake Recipe is what you are looking for! If you wish to only make a one layer cake feel free to cut the recipe in half, use only one 9-inch cake pan and bake for 24-26 minutes or until cooked through. Feel free to use unsweetened shredded coconut instead of sweetened coconut shreds. The cake is sweet and moist enough! Let us know if you try it.And yes, you can use Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream.
What to do with left over yolks? I just made this cake for my granddaughter’s Birthday. Put it in the freezer for next week. Anyway, I hate to throw away yolks. Any suggestions?
Hi Donna, here are all of our recipes with egg yolks. We love making lemon curd with any leftover. Or, save them for an omelette!
What cake recipe would you recommend for a 4.5 in pan for a 2-3 layer smash cake?
Hi Laura, We don’t have any recipe specifically written for a pan that small. However you can pick your favorite recipe and then use the post Cake Pan Sizes & Conversions to help calculate how much batter you would need for an alternate pan size.
I found your website when I was looking up a recipe on another website. I have a question for you,my grandmother used to make a cake when I was 9 back in 1967, she called it coconut surprise it had different colors of coconut in the cake, with pink icing and different colors of coconut all over the tops and sides. Do you know the recipe and if you do can you send to to me please. I am going to try your cake for my grandchildren. Thank you.
i would like to make this cake for my daughter’s birthday and make it a two 9″ round layer cake. am i best off doubling this recipe, or using your favorite white layer cake recipe? https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/new-favorite-white-layer-cake/
they look similar, but proportions will be a bit different. which recipe would be best to use for two layer funfetti cake?
Hi Jen, if you are planning to make a 2 layer cake, I recommend our white cake recipe. Gently stir about 2/3 or 3/4 cup of rainbow sprinkles into the batter. Hope your daughter has a happy birthday!
Hi Sally! I was wondering if you have a recipe for a cake made with oil instead of butter. I have this problem with cakes made with butter that they come out of the oven really soft and fluffy, but when I put them in the fridge after I frost them with the buttercream, they turn hard and dense. I’ve been told that this is because the butter in the batter solidifies when the cake cools down and it’s better to make a cake with oil if I’m going to make it several hours or the night before it will be eaten because that does not happen with oil based cakes plus they usually turn more moist and tender. Is this true? Do you have any recipe?
Hi Poppy! I have a couple cakes prepared with oil instead of butter: Black Forest Cake, Chocolate Cake, Hummingbird Cake, Spice Cake, and Carrot Cake.
Hi Sally –
I’d suggest moving the old recipe to a new post (like “weeknight quick funfetti cake”) because that’s what we used it for and it was very frustrating to find the original post (took me 30 minutes whereas in the past I’d find it in 2-3 mins) since there’s no tags or anything to help find it. While I KNOW the old version makes a dense cake and am 100% okay with that – when you have three children screaming for dessert… well… let’s just say it adds to the mama-frustration and leave it at that (besides- the kids don’t care what the cake is like — they just want the dessert that was promised and mama doesn’t want to take the time to do a more “proper” cake). Feel free to put all the disclaimers of density and overflowing with the post – but the new post wasn’t worth the frustration of not finding the recipe quickly. Your site is beautifully lain out and normally VERY easily navigable to find the recipe needed.
That said – this cake was delicious – as all your recipes are… but I’d take the above into serious consideration. 🙂
Hi Kat! This is such a wonderful suggestion and I will definitely try getting that separate post up for the old version. (Just had a baby, so my hands are full at the moment!) Thank you so much for offering your feedback and for baking my recipes. So much appreciated!
Is the new frosting recipe the same as the old one? Didn’t see the old frosting recipe in the notes.
It’s the same!
I bake cakes 5- 6 times a week. I’ve made this cake twice now and both times I had to keep it in the oven for more than 90 minutes before it was fully cooked in the center. Right now I’m standing over the oven and it’s approaching the two hour mark but still completely raw in the middle. I live in a high altitude climate, which might be contributing but it’s the only cake that has ever given me problems. Could it be the cake flour? Any thoughts?
Hi Shanna, I’m concerned that it’s still raw after that long in the oven. Be sure you are using the correct measurements, the correct pan size, and that your oven is the right temperature. Of course your altitude could contribute to the problem and I wish I could help, but we have no experience baking at high altitude. I know some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
Thanks! It’s definitely the right sized pan. If it had only happened once I would have assumed I missed something in the recipe, but because it happened twice and we bake so many other cakes without issue (more than 250/yr), it makes me think it’s something specific about this recipe. I have an oven thermometer, so no issues with the temperature. I’m stumped! I will check out the link you provided and see if that helps for the next time. I wound up turning down the oven and covering with foil after 45 min to keep from browning. Once it baked, it was delicious.
When do you add milk to the cake? I see it in the ingredients but not the recipe.
Hi Dena, if you scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe, you’ll add the milk in step 3! About 2/3 of the way into step 3 you’ll see: “Turn the mixer to low speed and as the mixer runs, slowly pour in the milk.” Happy cake baking!
Hi Sally, should I sift the cake flour before measuring? I made this today with my 11-year old daughter and her friend – it was a fun project and turned out great! But the batter seemed a bit thick and the cake perhaps too dense, and I wonder if I had too much flour. I did not sift the flour before measuring – I poured the cake flour into a small bowl and fluffed it up with a whisk, then spooned it into the measuring cup and leveled without tapping or shaking. Also we dyed the icing turquoise with 3 drops blue and 1 drop green neon food coloring; it was beautiful!
Hi Milli, Thank you for trying this recipe! We don’t sift the flour before measuring for this cake but you certainly can. When in doubt, the most accurate way to measure is to weigh your ingredients (you should have 170g of cake flour). Also be sure all of your ingredients are room temperature and that you don’t overmix the batter. For more troubleshooting tips you can visit the post How to Prevent a Dry or Dense Cake.
Would this recipe/amounts be good for a 2 layer 6” cake, or does it require scaling?
Thank you!
Hi Cindy, That should work. The bake time will be about 18-21 minutes at 350°F (177°C). If you are interested here is more information on Cake Pan Sizes & Conversions.
I was drawn to this recipe due to the small size. It was delicious! I paired it with Sally’s strawberry frosting, which was divine. I didn’t have a 9″ round pan, so instead I used a square 8″ pan (about the same surface area and volume– so same bake time). It came out perfectly! Plus, with the square shape it’s easier to cut whatever size piece you want. I will definitely make this recipe again. I did forget to use my bake even strips so I had a very high middle rise and short corners, but that’s my fault.
Can I substitute heavy whipping cream for the whole milk. I thought I had everything I needed to make it today and forgot about the whole milk. I saw something online about adding water to heavy whipping cream to use as a substitute. Just curious if that would work here. Thanks!
Hi Evie, you can certainly try it but the results won’t be the same. I strongly recommend whole milk.
Sally, I used your Funfetti cupcake recipe for a 6″ in cake. Unfortunately, some of the sprinkles stained the sides of my new Fat Daddios’ pans! Ahhh! Do you have any suggestions on how best to remove sprinkle stains from baking pans? Thank you!
Hi Shirley! I’ve never had that happen before. What brand of sprinkles did you use? I would say a deep soapy soak with extra hot water could help. After a few washes, I expect those sprinkle stains to fade or disappear.
I “gently fold in the sprinkles” per the recipe, but my batter still comes out this strange shade of pink, as does the cake. How do I make a white-ish shade like the cake in the pictures? I’m not using sprinkles that bleed their colour.
Hi Lydia, sprinkles will bleed their color and some varieties bleed a lot more than others. What brand did you use? I find that pastel confetti “quins” –the little discs– hardly bleed their color.
Hi Sally! I had a quick question about the amount of vanilla in the buttercream. This small batch uses 1 teaspoon but the vanilla buttercream recipes listed with your larger vanilla cakes like the vanilla naked cake, best vanilla cake, and funfetti layer cake use anywhere from 1 to 3 teaspoons and all vary while the remaining buttercream ingredient proportions don’t change in those recipes. Is there something about the different batters that made you vary the vanilla? Thank you so much in advance!
No difference at all! Adding flavor to buttercream, I find, largely depends on your tastebuds. You can add anywhere from 1-3 teaspoons on a 2-3 cup batch of buttercream depending on how strong you want the flavor. I recommend following the recipe, tasting, then adding a bit more if you’d like!
This was amazing! I can’t believe how much it resembled Funfetti cake in taste and visually, but somehow so much better. I doubled the recipe and baked it in a 12 cup Bundt pan; 45 minutes was the right time for my oven. Thank you so much for this delicious recipe!
Hi sally
I made This recipe today. And i dont know why but it came out dry. I followed the recipe to a T. Maybe i over Mixed??
The Confetti cake was the best. My family said this was the best cake they ever ate. Thankyou for doing all the work to get this delicious recipe. You are the best Sally . thankyou
I was really excited for this recipe, but unfortunately it fell a little flat for my expectations, but I believe the error is on my part. I don’t think I whipped the egg whites for long enough, and I sifted my cake flour after measuring it. I think that I ended up using too much flour that way (should have measured again after sifting) and As a result the cake came out denser. Going to have to try again without sifting the flour next time and see how it goes!
My son will love it. Thanks for the recipe!
WOW! The cake was extremely moist and the frosting was absolutely delicious! My family loved your recipe. I made the cake and frosted it the same day. Do I need to refrigerate the cake because I frosted it, or can I leave the cake out with the frosting for one day?
Hi Monica! The cake is just fine left out for 1 day after decorating with frosting. See the last step!
Can I use buttermilk in this recipe?
Hi Ana, The best way to use buttermilk in this recipe to to replace BOTH the whole milk and the sour cream with it. So you you will use a total of 2/3 cups of buttermilk.
Just made this recently and it was so good that it was almost gone in a few hours!will bake again!
Hi! You mention in the updated version that you used Bright Sky sprinkles from Sweetapolita did you pick out the colored sixlets and candy bead? Or did you use the sprinkles as is? Thank you.
I did, yes! I typically remove the larger sprinkle mix pieces/edible beads when using in cake batter. Just a personal preference.
Do you have a good marshmallow frosting that will hold up? I LOVE your cakes but would like a non buttercream frosting. Thanks!
Hi Amy, you’ll enjoy my marshmallow meringue frosting.
I so appreciate your updated recipes! They tend to be classics that I am more likely to make, and as I have watched your techniques evolve over the years I am a bit more confident in the recipes from the last 4 years or so than I am in your early ones. I get so many compliements when I make one of your desserts (which means, I get compliments a lot!)
This is one of my favorite cake recipes. Can’t wait to try it with the updates!