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    Homemade Funfetti Cake Recipe

    Published July 1, 2022. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    You will love this beautiful easy-to-make homemade funfetti cake recipe that is incredibly moist and tender and iced with buttercream. If you have a birthday coming up, then this is the cake for you.

    Is there anything better than a tasty cake for a treat? In addition to this one, I often make my simple pound cake and funnel cake for quick tasty sweets for the family.

    funfetti cake with a slice


     

    Funfetti Cake

    Funfetti cake is a simple white vanilla cake that has sprinkles folded into the batter that is then baked and frosted with buttercream. This cake can be baked in cake pans, 13×9 casserole dishes, or even turned into muffins. Funfetti cake seems to be most popular as a birthday cake.

    Believe it or not, Pillsbury is the one who came up with the funfetti cake back in the late 1980s. Since then, people have been making homemade versions without all the added ingredients. I personally love this cake and decided to make it for my birthday this year, which you can see in the video below.

    Ingredients and Substitutions

    • Flour – I used all-purpose flour in this recipe, but you can use cake flour.
    • Corn Starch – Corn starch will help make the cake tender. You will not need this if using cake flour.
    • Leavening Agents – Use both baking soda and powder.
    • Vanilla – A good real vanilla will add great flavors.
    • Milk – I used buttermilk but whole milk will work. See Chef Notes on how to make buttermilk from scratch.
    • Eggs – Large egg whites are used in this recipe.
    • Butter – Always softened unsalted butter in this funfetti cake.
    • Oil – Any neutral-flavored oil will work.
    ingredients to make funfetti cake

    How to Make a Homemade Funfetti Cake from Scratch

    Use these easy-to-follow instructions for making this delicious homemade funfetti cake from scratch:

    Whisk together the flour, corn starch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and set to the side.

    mixing dry ingredients

    Next, cream together the butter and sugar in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light, which takes about 5 to 7 minutes.

    pouring sugar to a mixer

    Add in the vanilla and then add in 1 egg white at a time until it is completely mixed in. Pour in the oil.

    adding egg whites to a stand mixer

    Stop and scrape the bowl.

    scraping a stand mixing bowl

    Alternate adding in the dry ingredients with the buttermilk beginning with dry and ending with dry until mixed in on low speed.

    adding buttermilk to a mixer

    Fold in the sprinkles just until mixed in.

    mixing sprinkles into a cake

    Distribute the batter evenly between 3 9” cake pans with parchment paper that have also been greased and floured. Bake at 350° for 25 to 27 minutes.

    adding batter to cake pans

    Cool completely on a rack, which takes about 90 minutes to 2 hours.

    cooling a funfetti cake

    With about 15 minutes left in the cake cooling process, make the buttercream recipe.

    mixing buttercream

    Ice the cake in layers until it is completely coated.

    icing a funfetti cake

    Use extra icing in a piping bag with a star tip to make decorations on top of the cake. Also, sprinkle with more sprinkles on top.

    piping buttercream onto a cake

    Make-Ahead and Storage

    Make-Ahead: You can make this cake up to 1 day ahead of time.

    How to Store: Cover and keep at room temperature for 4-5 days. Cover and keep it in the refrigerator for 6-7 days.

    How to Serve: Funfetti cake is best served at room temperature, so I advise pulling it out of the refrigerator at least an hour before you plan to serve it.

    Chef Billy Parisi

    Chef Notes + Tips

    • This recipe will convert to 24 muffins with a bake time of 22-25 minutes at 350°.
    • You can substitute the buttermilk for whole milk. Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to 1 cup of whole milk to make buttermilk.
    • To make cake flour simply combine 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1 cup of all-purpose flour.

    More Cake Recipes

    Be sure to follow me on FacebookYouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest, and if you’ve had a chance to make this then definitely drop me a comment and a rating below.

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    Let's Cook - Chef Billy Parisi

    Video

    Homemade Funfetti Cake Recipe

    5 from 2 votes
    You will love this beautiful easy-to-make homemade funfetti cake recipe that is incredibly moist and tender and iced with buttercream.
    Servings: 12
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 28 minutes
    Cooling Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

    Ingredients 

    • 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
    • 7 tablespoons corn starch
    • 1 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
    • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
    • 1 ½ cups softened unsalted butter
    • 2 cups sugar
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla
    • 7 egg whites
    • 1/2 cup neutral flavored oil
    • 1 cup buttermilk + 2 tablespoons
    • 2/3 cup sprinkles
    • Buttercream recipe x 2

    Instructions

    • Whisk together the flour, corn starch, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, until completely combined and set it to the side.
    • Next, cream together the butter and sugar in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, which takes about 5 to 7 minutes.
    • Add in the vanilla to the mixer and then add in 1 egg white at a time until it is completely mixed in.
    • Pour in the oil. Stop and scrape the bowl.
    • Alternate adding in the dry ingredients with the buttermilk beginning with dry and ending with dry until mixed in on low speed. You should be adding the dry in 3 batches and the wet in 2 batches.
    • Fold in the sprinkles just until mixed in using a rubber spatula.
    • Distribute the batter evenly between 3 9” cake pans with parchment paper that have also been greased and floured. Bake at 350° for 27 to 29 minutes.
    • Cool completely on a rack, which takes about 90 minutes to 2 hours.
    • With about 15 minutes left in the cake cooling process, make the buttercream recipe.
    • Ice the cake in layers until it is completely coated.
    • Use extra icing in a piping bag with a star tip to make decorations on top of the cake. Also sprinkle with more sprinkles on top.

    Notes

    Make-Ahead: You can make this cake up to 1 day ahead of time.
    How to Store: Cover and keep at room temperature for 4-5 days. Cover and keep it in the refrigerator for 6-7 days.
    How to Serve: Funfetti cake is best served at room temperature, so I advise pulling it out of the refrigerator at least an hour before you plan to serve it.
    This recipe will convert to 24 muffins with a bake time of 22-25 minutes at 350°.
    You can substitute the buttermilk for whole milk. Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to 1 cup of whole milk to make buttermilk.
    To make cake flour simply combine 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to 1 cup of all-purpose flour.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 627kcalCarbohydrates: 75gProtein: 7gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 63mgSodium: 565mgPotassium: 154mgFiber: 1gSugar: 43gVitamin A: 742IUCalcium: 59mgIron: 2mg
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American