Last weekend we were having a good ol’ New England snowstorm. The kind where you can’t do much except watch from indoors. After a few hours of watching I was feeling a bit bored and decided to make a funfetti cake. In my head I had already justified it with the fact that my grandma use to make funfetti cake every Sunday. No one ever questioned her…but then again she didn’t live with my toddler or any of my kids. So, yup I was asked by all three of my kids why I was making a birthday cake and multiple times by my toddler, Teigan. All the questions made me think of that Alice in Wonderland song, A Very Merry Unbirthday.
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A very merry unbirthdayTo me?
To you
A very merry unbirthday
For me?
For you
Now blow the candle out, my dear
And make your wish come trueA very merry unbirthday to you
Funfetti Cake
No birthday or unbirthday is complete without a sprinkled filled funfetti cake. It looks fun and screams happiness in every slice. This recipe makes a super moist and sprinkled filled cake. The enitire cake is then frosted with my copycat grocery store bakery buttercream frosting. Seriously, how can you look at this cake and not smile?! Even the batter makes me happy.
Cake Making Tips
This cake is way better than box mix funfetti cake. It has that homemade flare and flavor you just can’t get from a box. Don’t get me wrong I love boxed funfetti cake but this recipe takes it up a few notches. Here’s some tips for baking the most delicious cake:
- Preheat your oven for 30 minutes prior to baking.
- Use good quality pans like Wise Life Co springform pans
- Spray your pans with nonstick spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Don’t overmix your cake batter once you add the dry ingredients.
- Use room temperature eggs, vanilla, butter, milk and sour cream (basically all your wet ingredients). Using room temperature ingredients allows the cake to bake evenly and gives it that extra smooth texture.
- Aerate – to get that airy cake whip the butter, sugar together and then add oil. Whip for 3-4 minutes on high speed or until it reaches a fluffy consistency.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs on it.
Commonly Asked Questions:
What Flavor is Funfetti Cake?
Funfetti cake is a vanilla flavored cake but not your average vanilla cake. The texture and taste is just better. After several attempts I think I not only recreated the boxed version but improved it with a stronger vanilla flavor. This Funfetti cake recipe is super moist, buttery and a little bit stronger in the vanilla flavor department. This cake is so delicious that you would prefer it over the box version – trust me!
What Can I Use Instead of Buttermilk?
Buttermilk is used in this recipe due to its high acidity. Combined with the cake flour the two work together to break down gluten and create a light and tender texture.
Don’t have buttermilk? It’s okay you can make your own. Measure out one cup of milk, minus a tablespoon. Then add one tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice. Give it a stir and let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes to curdle.
Can I subtitute the sour cream?
Yes! 2% Greek yogurt is a great substitution. But, if you don’t have Greek yogurt then you can replace 1/4 cup of sour cream with 1/4 cup of buttermilk.
What are the best sprinkles to use?
When it comes to adding sprinkles to cake batter not just any sprinkle will do. To mix into the batter, always use jimmies (these are the long and skinny sprinkles) because they won’t bleed into the batter. Jimmies won’t bleed into your cake.
As far as the outside of the cake, use whatever sprinkles you like! I chose to just add a few sprinkles into my frosting.
How do I decorate a funfetti cake?
Now for the fun part! There are many ways you can decorate a funfetti cake. You can cover the entire cake in sprinkles, add buttercream swirls and a light dusting of sprinkles on top, add sprinkle splatters or fold some Jimmies into the batter like I did here. This method is like subtle jazz hands of happiness but it’s totally up to you how subtle or not so subtle you want your jazz hands to be -lol.
Buttercream Frosting
I love the grocery store bakery butterbream frosting. I’ve tried several over the years and they always come out really sugary and not the right texture. I finally found the secret to making that grocery store cake frosting. Are you ready for it? I mean, once I tell you you’ll probably be like – seriously?! It’s so simple and unexpected that I was blown away. While most recipes were calling for more confectionary sugar, butter and heavy whipping cream grocery stores had an old staple up their sleeves. Okay, drum roll please – it’s Crisco shortening!!! I haven’t used shortening since I was a little girl baking with my mom but here’s the one time when no substitutions are allowed. For the perfect buttercream frosting you need Crisco sticks. Trust me!
Storing your cake
If you are storing the whole cake pre-sliced, you can keep it in the fridge uncovered for a day. Anything longer than that should be kept in a cake container to prevent drying out. It will keep in the fridge untouched for 3 days.
If it’s already sliced, you can either slice the entire cake and store the slices in a container, or place the entire cake in a cake container and press plastic wrap up against the sliced openings (this prevents it from drying out too quickly). Both stored in the fridge and will keep for up to 5 days.
There is a third method which will make your cake last longer but it requires you to say goodbye to cutting your cake into triangles. Rather than cutting your cake into wedges cut your cake into bars. This is a ‘Mad Genius Tip’ from Food & Wine culinary director Justin Chapple. The idea here is that cutting a cake in wedges leaves the remaining cake exposed to the fridge air, which can cause the cake to dry out. Instead, Chapple says, you should cut the cake into bars, from the center out. This is the way I have been cutting my cake for years and it really works. To get a better idea watch this video: The Best Way to Cut and Store Cake video.
Let Them Eat Cake
Now let all of the Queens of the castles say, let them eat cake. Whether or not it’s your birthday this is a fun cake to make and eat. When you try this recipe make sure to come back and leave a comment. Your comments help me stay motivated and helps other readers decide whether or not to make this recipe. You can also tag me on Facebook or on Instagram @withlove_fromcatt
Now blow the candle out, my dear
And make your wish come true
A very merry unbirthday to you!
Funfetti Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted Butter at room temperature
- 1-3/4 cups Sugar
- 1/3 cup Olive Oil
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 3 large egg whites at room temperature
- 2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup sour cream at room temperature
- 3 cup cake flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup buttermilk at room temp
- 1/4 cup rainbow sprinkles
- For the Buttercream Frosting
- 3 - 1/2 cups confectionary sugar
- 1/2 cup Crisco shortening
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 tbsp vanilla
- 3/4 tsp vanilla in addition to the 1/2 tablespoon
- 2 tbsp water
- *This recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake lightly. If you want a thicker layer or use some for piping then you may want to make an extra 1/2 batch.
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Prepare three 8-inch or four 6-inch round cake pans with non-stick spray, add parchment paper on the bottom of the pan, spray once again with non-stick spray and set aside.
- In a medium size bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the butter, oil, and sugar on high until fluffy and smooth, about 3-5 minutes. Add in the vanilla extract and mix again gently until incorporated.
- Add the eggs and the egg whites, one at a time to the bowl and beat on medium until well incorporated. Add the sour cream and beat on medium speed for an additional minute or so. It may look curdled, don't stress.
- Turn the mixer on low and add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until fully incorporated.
- Add half of the buttermilk and blend well, followed by another 1/3 of the flour mixture, the second half of the buttermilk and lastly, add the remaining flour mixture and mix until incorporated.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix on low for another 30 seconds. Fold in the sprinkles.
- Evenly distribute the cake batter among the three 8-inch or four 6-inch pans and bake for 23 to 28 minutes, or until toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs on it.
- Remove cakes from the oven and let cool in pans for 10 minutes before inverting onto cooling racks.
- When cakes are completely cooled. Wrap each cake layer individually with plastic wrap and stick it in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to frost. The cake will be easier to work withonce it is cooled.
For the Buttercream Frosting
- In a heavy duty mixer combine the shortening, butter or margarine, vanilla and water.
- Add the sugar and salt, beat until well mixed.
- Add a tablespoon or two more of water if needed.
- Turn mixer to the highest speed and beat for 15 minutes.
Assembly
- Place the first cake layer, top side up. Add about 3/4 to 1 cup of frosting. Spread over the cake layer as evenly as possible. Make sure to get eye level with the cake to ensure the frosting is spread evenly over the cake.
- Repeat this step until you get to the final cake layer, which you will lay top side down.
- Apply a thin coat of frosting around the entire cake to lock in the crumbs. Freeze for about 10 minutes.
- After the crumb coat is set, continue frosting and decorating the cake.