This is a tall, towering confetti layer cake filled to the brim with rainbow sprinkles and finished off with sweet vanilla buttercream frosting. It’s classic and party-perfect in every way! The recipe has lived on my website since 2014 and has become a popular favorite, even scoring #1 (out of 9!) in a sprinkle cake bake-off. Below you’ll find my detailed recipe, video, and best success tips.
Just Like Box Funfetti Cake
This thick, plush confetti birthday cake is filled with the flavors of childhood party nostalgia: butter, vanilla, sugar, and rainbow sprinkles. Close your eyes and you can practically hear the sound of balloons being blown up and smell the extinguished birthday candles. But this cake shouldn’t be limited to birthday parties—or to childhood! This happy cake is a joy to serve and eat at any celebration. It’s like the boxed Funfetti cake, but better.
Why You’ll Love This Confetti Layer Cake
- From-scratch and loaded with happy colorful sprinkles
- Topped with sweet & creamy classic vanilla buttercream
- Soft crumb from cake flour
- Fluffy from extra egg whites
- Buttery & cakey from creamed butter & sugar
- Stick-to-your-fork moist (without tasting greasy!) from eggs, oil, & buttermilk
- Extra flavor from pure vanilla extract
This towering rainbow delight has been on my site for a number of years, and during that time, I’ve made a couple small updates. This was a great confetti birthday cake recipe before; in fact, it was rated No. 1 (of 9) in the Pancake Princess’ best sprinkle cake bake-off, and came in a close 2nd in the Kitchn’s Funfetti cake bake-off. But with 3 small updates, the cake is now even greater.
From the Kitchn’s review: “This cake was seriously delicious. It had a nice light texture but was still super moist. The vanilla flavor was bold without being overpowering, and the cake was sweet without being cloying. I loved how easy the frosting was to make and appreciated how smoothly it went onto the cake. My only critique is that you have to whip the egg whites in a separate bowl, so it’s a bit tedious, but that’s the only negative I can think of.”
I have some egg-cellent news: that egg-stra step is gone. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)
What’s New in This Birthday Cake Recipe?
- Add the egg whites at the same time as the whole eggs: 4 whole eggs provide structure, moisture, and richness. 2 extra egg whites keep the cake lighter. Though whipping the whites separately does assist in preventing a dense cake, in recent testing, I discovered that removing this whipping step can be offset by 2 other changes to keep the batter light. (Both are next.)
- Decrease the butter and add oil: Previously, the recipe called for 1.5 cups of butter (3 sticks, about 345g), but using all creamed butter in a cake can certainly weigh down the crumb. I love using oil in cake recipes because it adds moisture and a delicate texture. And I love using butter in cake recipes because of its unparalleled flavor. Finding the right proportion of each? Now that’s the sweet spot, and I found it by reducing the butter by ¼ cup and adding in ⅓ cup oil in its place.
- Use cake flour: If you want a fluffy and soft bakery-style cake, use cake flour.
After years of testing cake recipes, I’m more confident than ever in this updated version. The cake closely resembles my vanilla cake, but uses a bit less sugar because we’re adding sweet sprinkles.
These Step Photos Will Help
Here is the butter, sugar, and oil mixture. You’ll cream butter and sugar together first, and then mix in the oil. Mixture will be creamy and mostly smooth:
Jimmies-type sprinkles are best for this Funfetti-style homemade cake. Expect a thick batter:
Divide the batter between 3 9-inch cake pans. You can squeeze the cake batter in 3 8-inch cake pans if needed, but be sure to extend the bake time as noted in the recipe. Always line your round pans with parchment paper rounds before adding the batter. Cool baked cakes for 20 minutes in the cake pans, and then remove the warm cakes and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
Sprinkle Success Tips
I’ve been baking sprinkles into cake & cupcake batters for years and have learned exactly which sprinkles work, and which don’t. Happy to share my best advice:
- My top sprinkle tip: Do not use nonpareils (the little balls) in cake batter. They will bleed their color as you fold them in, result in a less-than-appetizing-color cake.
- Rainbow sprinkles (aka “jimmies”) sold in the U.S. are intensely colored, but sprinkles sold in other countries may lose their color when baked. “Sugar strands” may be the same shape as jimmies, but they dissolve in the wet batter. For best results, try to use American-style rainbow sprinkles. The pictured cake uses Betty Crocker “Parlor Perfect” rainbow sprinkles. I also really like Canadian-brand Sweetapolita sprinkles.
- Confetti quins (the little discs) are also great to use in a sprinkle birthday cakes & cupcakes. They rarely bleed their color in batter.
- Naturally colored sprinkles are wonderful as decoration, but—depending on the brand—can lose their color in cake batter.
Buttercream Frosting
I use the same frosting as my 3-layer vanilla cake, but add a little more vanilla. It’s basically my vanilla buttercream recipe, only scaled up to yield enough for a tall layer cake. If you prefer chocolate frosting, use the chocolate fudge frosting from my piñata cake recipe. (It’s enough for this size cake.)
For a less sweet frosting option, use this recipe for Swiss meringue buttercream.
Can I tint this frosting? Yes! Feel free to add gel food coloring to the frosting to change its color.
Decorating Success Tip: Add a Crumb Coat
Because it’s so moist, the confetti cake can be a little crumbly when you’re decorating it. I recommend applying a thin crumb coat, which is a layer of frosting around the exterior of the cake to catch any crumbs. The frosting recipe below includes enough frosting for that thin crumb coat, then another thin layer of frosting on top of that. Note that I applied a slightly thicker crumb coat in the video tutorial below. Doesn’t matter either way; you’ll just have less or more frosting for that final frosting layer.
Use a flat icing spatula to spread on the frosting. Icing spatulas are handy if you decorate cakes and cupcakes often. Then you can run a bench scraper around the sides of the cake to smooth out the crumb coat as well as the top layer of frosting. You can watch me use both in the video tutorial below.
Chill the crumb-coated cake for 30 minutes, and then apply the final frosting layer.
Looking for a fun sprinkle cake that requires less effort than a 3-layer cake? Try these recipes:
- 1-Layer Homemade Sprinkle Cake
- 6-Inch Birthday Cake
- 12×17-inch Sprinkle Sheet Cake
- Super-soft Confetti Cupcakes
- Buttery Funfetti Cupcakes
- Prefer cheesecake? Try confetti sprinkle cheesecake
- Or for breakfast try birthday cake pancakes or birthday cake cinnamon rolls
And here are the 10 best cake decorating tools.
Confetti Birthday Cake
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours (includes chilling & cooling)
- Yield: serves 12-14
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Buttery vanilla layer cake filled to the brim with rainbow sprinkles and finished off with sweet vanilla frosting. Pictured cake is 9 inches; for thicker cakes, use 8-inch pans. Review the recipe notes and bring all ingredients to room temperature before you begin.
Ingredients
Cake
- 3 and 3/4 cups (443g) cake flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/4 cups (282g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (80ml) vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature*
- 2 large egg whites, at room temperature*
- 3 teaspoons (15ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) buttermilk, at room temperature*
- 3/4 cup (135g) rainbow sprinkles*
Vanilla Buttercream
- 1 and 1/2 cups (340g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 5 and 1/2 cups (650g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/3 cup (80ml) heavy cream, at room temperature
- 3 teaspoons (15ml) pure vanilla extract (or use clear imitation vanilla extract for stark white frosting)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- optional: additional sprinkles for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease three 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. (If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes video & post.)
- Make the cake: Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed for 5 full minutes until completely creamed together and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the oil and beat for 1 minute until combined. Add the eggs, egg whites, and vanilla extract and beat on medium-high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
- Add dry ingredients and buttermilk in three additions, mixing after each addition just until incorporated. Do not over-mix this batter. The batter will be velvety and thick. Gently fold in the sprinkles. Pour and spread the batter evenly into each cake pan.
- Bake for around 25–26 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. (8-inch cakes may take about 27–28 minutes.) Tent the cakes with foil after about 15 minutes to prevent the sides and top from over-browning. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done.
- Allow cakes to cool in the pans set on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edges and then remove cakes from pans. Place cakes directly on wire racks to cool completely. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, cream, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds and then switch to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. Add more confectioners’ sugar if frosting seems too thin; more cream if frosting is too thick; or an extra pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet.
- Assemble cake + apply crumb coat: First, using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. Discard (or crumble over ice cream!). Place one cake layer on your cake stand, cake turntable, or serving plate. Using a large icing spatula or small offset spatula, evenly cover the top with about 1 cup (about 250g) of frosting. Repeat with second cake layer, 1 more cup of frosting, and then the top cake layer. Spread a thin layer of frosting on the top and around the sides as a crumb coat. Run a bench scraper around the cake to smooth out crumb coat. Chill uncovered in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours to set the crumb coat.
- Spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides. Garnish with extra sprinkles, if desired.
- Serve cake immediately, or if you need to store it for a few hours, place it in a cake carrier at room temperature for up to 4 hours. For longer storage, refrigerate covered cake for up to 1 day. Cake is best served at room temperature, though, so if it’s been refrigerated, let it sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store it in the refrigerator for 5 days. Again, I like using a cake carrier for storing and transporting.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The cake layers can be baked, cooled, and covered tightly at room temperature overnight. Likewise, the frosting can be prepared and then covered and refrigerated overnight. When ready to decorate, let the frosting sit at room temperature to slightly soften for 15 minutes, then give it one more mix with the mixer on medium speed for about 1 minute before frosting cake. (Add a splash of cream to thin out frosting if needed.) See step 10 if you want to store the frosted/decorated cake before serving it. Frosted cake or unfrosted cake layers can be frozen for up to 2–3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before decorating/serving. See how to freeze cakes for detailed instructions.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 8-inch or 9-inch Round Cake Pans | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Rubber Spatula | Cooling Rack | Cake Turntable | Large Icing Spatula or Small Offset Spatula | Bench Scraper | Cake Carrier (for storage)
- 2022 Update: Recipe above was slightly updated in 2022. Old version used to call for 3 sticks (about 345g) of butter and no oil. The slight reduction of butter and added oil makes a moister cake, but feel free to use the old version. Also, the extra egg whites are now added when you add the whole eggs. You used to have to whip them separately until soft peaks form and then fold them in before adding the sprinkles. This step isn’t really necessary because we’re using a little oil and cake flour now. (See next Note.)
- Eggs: 4 whole eggs provide structure, moisture, and richness. 2 extra egg whites keep the cake light. I don’t recommend using 5 whole eggs as a replacement; stick to the 4 eggs + 2 egg whites combination.
- Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a DIY sour milk substitute. Add 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough whole milk to the same measuring cup until it reaches 1 and 1/2 cups. (In a pinch, lower-fat or nondairy milks work for this soured milk, but the cake won’t taste as moist or rich.) Stir it around and let sit for 5 minutes. The homemade “buttermilk” will be somewhat curdled and ready to use in the recipe.
- Sprinkles: Avoid using sprinkles that will dye your batter. Steer clear of nonpareils, which are the little balls. The pictured cake uses Betty Crocker “Parlor Perfect” rainbow sprinkles, which I find in my regular grocery store. I also like to use these rainbow jimmies or confetti quins. Note that naturally colored sprinkles may lose their color in cake batter.
- Chocolate Frosting: Use the frosting from this piñata cake recipe. It makes enough for this size cake.
- Amount of Cake Batter & Other Size Cakes: This recipe yields nearly 8 cups of batter, which is helpful if you need it for different Cake Pan Sizes & Conversions. For a 1-layer cake, 12×17-inch sheet cake, or 6-inch layer cake, see the list of recipe links in the post, above the recipe card. For a 2-layer cake, divide batter between 2 9-inch cake pans instead of 3. (This is too much batter for 2 8-inch pans.) Increase bake time to about 30 minutes and use a toothpick to test for doneness. For a Bundt cake, use a 10–12-cup generously greased Bundt pan and bake for about 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. There is too much batter for a 9×13-inch quarter sheet cake. I have 2 recipes on my website that would work for a 9×13-inch sprinkle cake. You could use this light and fluffy white cake recipe and fold 1/2 cup (about 90g) sprinkles into the batter before pouring into the pan. See those recipe Notes for a 9×13-inch cake. Or you can use this buttery sprinkle sheet cake recipe. See those recipe Notes for a 9×13-inch cake.
- Cupcakes: Use this batter for 3 dozen sprinkle cupcakes. Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full to avoid over-flowing. Or use my confetti sprinkle cupcakes or funfetti cupcakes recipes.
Keywords: confetti birthday cake
Hi!
So excited to make this, you cannot go wrong with funfetti! I am thinking of making your rainbow chip frosting to go in between the layers and still using the called for vanilla frosting to frost and decorate the outside… Would the consistency of the rainbow chip hold up in between the layers? Thoughts on this? Thank you!!
Hi Jessie, Yes the rainbow chip frosting would be great between the layers! I hope you love it!
Hi Sally! Do you think pearlized jimmies would work the same or cause issues in the batter? Thank you!
Those should be just fine!
Perfect cake for a birthday celebration for this weekend. Not a slice leftover. Thank you so much for sharing! I’m making it again for my daughter’s birthday next month.
★★★★★
Hi! Can you split this recipe into two 13 x 9″ pans? If so, how long would you bake them for?
Hi Jocelyn, This cake is too large for a 9×13 inch pan but it would be too thin to divide between two of them. I recommend using my recipe for White Cake, folding in 1/2 cup sprinkles and following the recipe notes for instructions on baking it in a 9×13 inch pan.
For two pans make the recipe twice (do not double for the best texture).
A lot of steps, but definitely worth it! Very moist and tasty cake…icing is great too. Just right for this cake!
★★★★★
Hi Sally! I made this for a birthday, unfortunately it came out very dense. I’m a novice baker, but my ingredients were all room temperature, I sifted my flour before measuring, checked that my baking soda and powder were still active, and I followed the mix times exactly. Any thoughts as to what happened?
Hi Alex, You can use cake flour instead of all-purpose flour for an even lighter texture. Use the same amount, 1:1 substitution.
“Sally, I’m looking forward to making this cake. I’d like to make it in a 9 X 13 pan so I can cut it into thirds as part of a slumber party “bed cake”. Will it be enough batter for the pan?
Hi Sheila, This makes a little too much batter for a 9×13 inch pan. I suggest using my White Cake recipe, folding in sprinkles, and following the recipe notes for a 9×13 pan. Enjoy!
Hi Sally! Planning to make this next week for my son’s birthday with some awesome primary colored quins I just got. I no longer measure by volume, only by weight, so I have a couple of questions for you around subbing cake flour (which I prefer): Is 431g still the correct weight for using cake flour? (It actually seems light for 3 3/4 cups of AP flour by your equivalents in your measuring post, so I’m thinking it’s fine for cake flour.) I know you say 1:1, but I wasn’t sure if that applied to weight as well as volume. Also, do you sift your cake flour also? If so, should the measurement be even lower (like 375 grams)? Many thanks!
Hi Liz! The easiest route to take– make my vanilla cake recipe which is formulated for the use of cake flour. See the recipe notes for adding sprinkles. I LOVE that vanilla cake– very popular with readers, too. You (and the birthday boy) won’t be disappointed.
Hi Sally!
I’ve baked this about 5 times now and while it has an exceptional flavor and has become a favorite request it always comes out a bit dense for me. I did all the typical trouble shooting and usually only mix the dry and wet ingredients about 30 seconds to avoid a dense cake…but still have to fold in the egg whites and sprinkles…..then it’s often not mixed properly and still comes out dense. Your cake looks light and fluffy with a tender crumb in the pictures. Is this cake recipe just a bit more dense by nature like the white cake recipe tends to be or am I still doing something wrong here? How long do you mix your batter toward the end?
Thank you kindly,
Nissa
I’m so happy you have been enjoying this cake, Nissa! If it’s turning out a bit too dense I would take a look at your flour. Make sure you sift the flour before measuring. Sifting is KEY. Otherwise, your cake layers could taste much too dense. You can also use cake flour instead of all-purpose flour for an even lighter crumb. Use the same amount, 1:1 substitution.
Sally THIS CAKE! It’s EVERYTHING! Made it for my son’s birthday and it was a HUGE hit! And with your instructions, it was fun and easy to make too! So THANK YOU SO MUCH for this recipe! Now the problem is I have requested for it! And HERE’S MY QUESTION: My nephew has requested it ‘cookies & cream style’ (his words)… do you think chopped up Oreos instead of sprinkles would work? Or chocolate chip cookies?
★★★★★
Hi Steph! You can definitely add chopped Oreos to this batter. I recommend about 1 cup chopped Oreos, then leave out the sprinkles.
Hi Sally! I love your recipes! Do you think I could use this recipe for two 12 pans I stead of the three 9 inch? Thanks so much for your help!
Hi Meg! Two 12-inch pans should be great for this amount of batter.
Hey Sally — I know I can bake layers ahead and freeze them (after cooling and wrapping)… any limit on how long I can freeze? Hoping to make this Saturday for a party next Friday.
Thanks!!
Up to 3 months is great. The shorter the amount of time, the better. See my freezing cakes tutorial if you’re interested. 🙂
Perfectly moist and tender and delicious. I love this cake!
★★★★★
Hi! Can the cake layers be baked and frozen ahead of time? Trying to get a leg up on birthday celebrations! Thank you!
Sure can! Wrap the baked and cooled layers individually in a couple layers of plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
Sally, could I do a swiss meringue buttercream with this cake? Or would your rainbow chip frosting make enough to frost this cake (the three inner layers and the top and sides)? Thanks! It looks delicious!
A swiss meringue works! I suggest 1.5x the rainbow chip frosting recipe so there is enough for this cake.
Sally, I’m a novice (but passionate!) baker and I’ve had great success with your recipes over the past couple of years. I’ve recently tried my hand at cake making for the first time and once again, your recipes and techniques have triumphed. I made this cake for my nieces 1st birthday party today and my 91 yr. old grandma – who is the queen of baking, especially cakes and bread – said “this is the best funfetti cake I’ve ever had.” It literally brought me to tears! So I just had to thank you for all of my baking successes, and particularly for this cake!
I love your recipes! They are always a hit! My question is: I never have success with getting the nonpareils to hold their colour. They ALWAYS bleed even if I’m gentle lol. What other sprinkles could I use? Would confetti (the circular flat ones) hold their colours? Thank you!
Confetti quins work! (Those are the flat sprinkles you mention) 🙂
Hi Sally! Per your usual, this recipe is fantastic! Thank you for the very detailed instructions as well! Turns out I haven’t been creaming my butter and sugar long enough, for years! I’ve never seen the consistency the creamed mixture got with the 5 minutes of mixing. I guess patience is important:)
The cake is so delicious that it really doesn’t need the frosting and I’m a frosting girl! My only issue is that I got too lazy to cut parchment for the bottoms of my cake pans so one of my layers got stuck and broke apart when I tried banging it out. Nothing a little frosting surgery can’t fix (I hope!). I learned my lesson 🙂
I made this for our Easter dessert, and I had to tell you how amazing it was! The cakes turned out beautifully! I always get a little nervous with cake recipes, because sometimes cakes sink and sometimes they turn out great, so I always get nervous opening the oven for the first time after they’ve baked. I think the key to a successful cake is great instructions. Yours were SO helpful! I like knowing how long to mix something–the time and the speed. I like having the gram/mL measurements. I love all your tips at the end. I really appreciate clear directions. I used cake flour. The crumb of the cake was perfect–it had a light, fine crumb. The frosting was delish. Although, I measured out 580 grams of powdered sugar, then I sifted it. For kicks and giggles, I decided to measure in 5 cups of the sifted powdered sugar, and once I measured the 5 cups, there was quite a bit left in the bowl, SO, I did not use 580 grams of powdered sugar. I also used my butter vanilla emulsion instead of the vanilla extract, since that emulsion is white, and I could keep that beautiful white frosting. Thanks so much for a great recipe! This is definitely a keeper!
I am a novice baker who seems to have bad luck with cakes. The flavor is spot on. They did not sink. They baked to perfection. The key is measuring as directed, whipping and creaming as directed, and the result is just awesome. Flash freezing them now to frost them. No sinking, no problems.
I made this for my daughter’s 9th birthday party with friends. It was absolutely delicious. Rave reviews from everyone!
Made this for my son’s first birthday! Followed the directions exactly and it came out perfectly. Thank you.
Made this for my daughter’s 1st birthday fiesta party. The sprinkles were perfect with the theme. I even poured sprinkles into the shape of a heart on the top of the cake – turned out great and unlike many purchased cakes, this tasted every bit as good as it looked. Great texture, moist and the vanilla really shines through. Thank you for such a perfect birthday cake recipe!
Sally, this was the best homemade cake I have ever made. You inspired me to try the 4 layer piñata cake, and it turned out awesome! My kids and family were so impressed with it. Thanks Sally.
Thanks Sally. The cake was a HUGE hit, loved by adults and kids alike!!!
Hi Jillian! I recommend making my white layer cake, which is soft, fluffy, and only 2 layers. You can add 1/2 cup of sprinkles to the cake batter.