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 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.
Hi Sally. I am baking for a 1st birthday tomorrow and thought a confetti cake might be fun. What do you think the difference is between this recipe and the funfetti cupcake recipe (disregarding the obvious size difference)
Hi Lisa! Apologies for the delayed response, but we wanted to get back to you regardless. This cake is very similar to our confetti cupcakes recipe. This uses all-purpose (although you can use cake flour) and the confetti cupcakes uses cake flour, so they typically are a bit softer. The confetti cupcakes also use all egg whites for a fluffier texture. Either choice is delicious, though! Hopefully this is helpful for next time 🙂
Your link to the rainbow jimmies is an 8 oz bag. How many bags are needed for the 3-layer funfetti cake and quin sprinkles in the frosting and should I use the jimmies in the cake batter and the pastel quins for the frosting decoration? How much to purchase for each for this recipe (3-layer)?
Hi Patricia, one bag of the jimmies (for the cake batter) and one bag of the pastel quins (for decorating) should be plenty.
Hi! Can I use a whisk instead of a mixer for mixing?
Hi Nicole, you can whisk by hand if you do not have a mixer. Just be careful not to over mix, as that can lead to a dense cake. Happy baking!
Hi Sally, I was wondering what adjustments I would need to make to the recipe to make 12 cupcakes?
Hi Ray, for a smaller batch of funfetti cupcakes, we recommend using this recipe instead.
Hi Sally, I only have one very deep 9-inch pan, how can I bake this cake? Wait between each cake to make 3 layers, make it two thicker layers instead ? Thank you
Hi Ramya, it would be best to wait between layers in order to make three layers of the cake (leave the batter lightly covered with a towel at room temperature while waiting for the other layers to bake). Hope this helps!
Absolutely Delicious!
My grown daughter requested a “funfetti” birthday cake this year. She has a dairy-free diet, so we did some substitutions, which worked great in this cake recipe. We used Smart Balance Original in place of the butter and Silk Half n Half for the the buttermilk.
Thank you for a great recipe!
Any suggestions on how to use this recipe to make a 2 tiered cake with 9 inch cake on the bottom and a 6 inch cake on the top? Preferably 4 layers each? Making it for a baby shower and want to make sure it is enough. I just know this recipe is awesome and want to use it. I always use it for birthday cakes and it is so good!
Hi Katy, our cake pan sizes & conversions guide will be helpful for scaling this recipe for your needs. Keep in mind that it is best still to make separate batches rather than doubling. Hope this helps!
Hi! Thank you so much for you quick response times. You saved me on my last cake Can this funfetti cake be frozen?
Hi Chrissy, absolutely! Frosted cake can be frozen up to 2 months. See more on how to freeze cakes in this post.
Hi, would there be any way to adapt this to a gluten free cake? Could I just switch out the flour for gluten free flour?
Thanks!
Hi Toni, we haven’t tested this recipe with gluten free flour but let us know if you give it a try!
Hi Emily, we recommend making the batter twice instead of doubling, but the cake will be very tall and we worry about its sturdiness. Let us know if you give it a try!
Sally, I’ve been using your recipes for years, and today my nine year old daughter made this recipe for her first completely solo bake. It turned out great! Thank you for making our lives sweeter!
Hi! Can I use half and half cream instead of heavy cream for this frosting recipe? If so, would I still use 1/3 cup to frost three 8″ cakes? If using the amounts in this recipe, would I have enough frosting to decorate the layers as well as the outside of the cake?
Hi Kat! Yes, you can use half and half in the frosting instead, same amount, though we recommend heavy cream for the creamiest frosting. This vanilla buttercream recipe yields enough to frost a 3 layer cake (as pictured). Enjoy!
I am short on time and have made this cake In Advance of my sons Birthday which is 3 days from now. In the past Ive frozen the sponge and then decorated on the day. Can you do this with this type of sponge? It’s turned out great and I dont want to ruin it! Thanks ☺️
Hi Joanne! Yes, you can freeze these cake layers – here’s the best way to freeze cakes!
Hi Sally, I LOVE your recipes! Your favorite white cake recipe is one of my go-to’s, especially when I am using fondant. Since this funfetti recipe is so light and airy with all the eggs, do you think it would hold up during the decorating process and to the weight of fondant? Or would recommend adding 3/4 cup of sprinkles to your white cake recipe? Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
I made this for a friend’s baby’s 1st birthday and it was INCREDIBLE. I’m usually not a fan of vanilla but this was moist and the buttermilk just made it a little more interesting than plain vanilla. I was wondering if I could make these into cupcakes?
I love all of your recipes. I am trying to prep some cakes and butter cream ahead of time for a big dessert weekend coming up. Can I freeze buttercream after I have made it? And if yes, should I color it and then freeze it?
Hi Maria! Yes, you can color it first. Cover tightly and store for up to 3 months in the freezer. After freezing, thaw in the refrigerator then beat the frosting on medium speed for a few seconds so it’s creamy again. After thawing or refrigerating, beating in a splash of heavy cream or milk will help thin the frosting out again, if needed. Here’s our tips for freezing cakes as well!
I just made your vanilla cake with vanilla frosting for my daughter’s 7th birthday. The cake is marvelous!!!! Thank you so 3
Hi! Can i use 6×2 cake pans for a 4 layer cake?
Hi Brittany! You can reference this handy guide to find out how much batter you’ll need for your cake pans. Enjoy!
Hi Sally! I am wanting to make this cake for my son’s first birthday in 2 weeks, but I had envisioned it to be a 6 inch, layered smash cake. How could I adjust the baking time?
Hi Elizabeth, for a 6 inch funfetti cake, we’d recommend using our confetti cupcakes recipe instead — it’s the perfect amount of batter for 3 layers!
I tried this recipe last year for a special birthday, and it has now become my go to. Delivers as promised with great crumb and wonderful taste. I also use the buttercream frosting. It also tastes just as yummy days later; it just does not get stale.
Question: have you tried halving the recipe? I have only a few guests coming and a full recipe would be too much.
Always have success with your recipes. Yours are my “go to” and I bake a great deal. Thank you.
Hi Nan, so glad to hear you love this recipe! You can certainly try halving the recipe, or you might like our one layer sprinkle cake or our two layer white cake (with sprinkles added). Thank you so much for baking and trusting our recipes. We appreciate it!
Hi Sara, We make this with 3 tsp vanilla extract. But if you would like some almond flavor you can certainly use 1.5 tsp of each or use 2 tsp. vanilla and 1 tsp. almond depending on how strong you would like the flavor.
Hi Sally,
I would like to make this cake, but I need it to serve 20 people. Do you think 3 9″ cake pans would suffice? Also, do you think if I used your recipe for Swiss Meringue Buttercream it would be nice? Thanks so much and all the best,
Kim Goldfeder Clarke
Goldiek4@yahoo.com
I made this for my newly adopted son’s birthday, the first dessert they ever had from me, so no pressure. I thought the recipe was great, the end result was delicious, and your tips helped a lot. Thank you!!
I am from the Netherlands and have a question. What is the reason that all the american recipes for buttercream contain so much icing sugar. Nearly in all the recipes the butter : sugar quantity is 1:2, it is very sweet! When I use half of the sugar (so 1:1) for me it is already sweet enough. I suppose there is a reason for that, maybe to get a good texture? In Holland we use very often a mixture of butter and pastrycream.it is delicious for filling, but not very good for frosting.. Thank you for answering me.
Hi Lieske! American buttercream is very sweet by nature. Adding an extra pinch of salt can help cut the sweetness. If you are looking for a frosting that isn’t as sweet we suggest trying Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
I made this for my son’s birthday and it was such a hit! Thank you!
Can I use mini chocolate chips instead of sprinkles?
We don’t see why not!
Sally, this cake was divine! Everyone closed their eyes and moaned with each bite. The texture and flavor were just so perfect. I made this as a small 6 inch layer cake and about 24 cupcakes for my twins 4th birthday. They had requested a rainbow cake and I just had a feeling this pretty funfetti would be spot on. I used a cream cheese marshmallow frosting that I’m fond of although I’m certain this cake would be amazing with your buttercream as well. Thank you for the easy and detailed instructions and thank you for this recipe!!
Hi Sally, I have made your Best Vanilla cake more times than I can count and it’s always great! I was comparing the vanilla buttercream recipes and all is the same except the vanilla, 3 tsp. for funfetti and 1 1/2 tsp. for best vanilla cake and was wondering why?
Hi Debbie, We just added a bit more flavor to the frosting for this cake – you can use either amount!
I love this recipe!
Loved this recipe, so good!