Funfetti Cake Recipe
After making hundreds of celebration and wedding cakes for clients, this is the Funfetti cake recipe I make when I want a dependable vanilla birthday cake with a soft crumb, sturdy layers, and classic buttercream frosting.
Unlike many overly sweet bakery-style recipes, this cake has the perfect balance of flavor, texture, and sprinkles in every bite.

Back when I was running my cake business, I used to make elegant wedding cakes all week — sugar flowers, lace piping, the whole thing. But every now and then, a client would ask for a good old Funfetti Cake. And honestly? Those were always the most fun to make. The best thing for me is that I make this in one bowl – no mixer needed!!
What is a Funfetti cake?
Funfetti cake is a vanilla birthday cake filled with colorful rainbow sprinkles. The sprinkles bake into the cake, creating a confetti-like appearance throughout each slice.
Expert Baker’s Tip
After making wedding cakes and celebration cakes for more than a decade, I’ve found that combining butter, oil, sour cream, and whole eggs creates a Funfetti cake that is both soft and flavorful while remaining sturdy enough for stacking and decorating. It gives you the rich taste of a homemade vanilla cake with the moisture and reliability needed for birthdays, parties, and special occasions.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Soft, moist vanilla cake made with butter, oil, sour cream, and whole eggs.
- Colorful rainbow jimmies baked into every slice for the classic Funfetti look.
- Tender crumb that stays fresh and moist for days.
- Easy to make with simple pantry ingredients and no whipped egg whites.
- Sturdy cake layers that stack beautifully for birthdays and celebrations.
- Finished with a smooth vanilla buttercream frosting that’s rich without being overly sweet.

Ingredients & Substitutes
For the Cake
- Butter – Adds rich flavor and helps create a soft, tender crumb.
- Oil – Keeps the cake moist even after refrigeration and gives the layers a softer texture than butter alone.
- Granulated Sugar – Sweetens the cake while helping create a light, fluffy texture.
- Eggs – Whole eggs provide structure, moisture, and richness without the extra step of separating egg whites.
- Vanilla Extract – The signature flavor in any classic vanilla birthday cake.
- Flour – You can use cake flour, which produces a slightly softer crumb, but all-purpose flour works beautifully in this recipe and gives the cake enough structure to support layers and frosting.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda – Work together to create a light, fluffy cake with a good rise.
- Salt – Balances the sweetness and enhances the vanilla flavor.
- Sour Cream – Adds richness and moisture while creating a tender crumb.
- Milk – Loosens the batter and helps create a smooth, even texture.
- Rainbow Jimmies – The best sprinkles for Funfetti cake because they hold their shape during baking and create colorful specks throughout the cake.
For the Frosting
- Butter – Creates a rich, creamy buttercream with excellent piping consistency.
- Powdered Sugar – Sweetens and stabilizes the frosting.
- Heavy Cream – Creates a silky, fluffy texture and helps the buttercream spread smoothly.
- Vanilla Extract – Gives the frosting its classic bakery-style vanilla flavor.
- Salt – Balances sweetness and enhances flavor.

Step-by-step: Funfetti Cake with Vanilla Frosting
Oven and Pan
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C.
- Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
Note – this batter will also work for 2 x 9-inch round or 3 x 7-inch round cake pans, as well as a 9 x 13 sheet cake pan. Adjust baking time accordingly.


Dry Ingredients
- In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Whisk well and set aside.


Wet Ingredients
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, oil, and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Add the vanilla extract.

Combine
- Add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the sour cream and milk.
- Mix only until combined.
- Fold in the rainbow jimmies with a spatula.


Bake
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool in the pans for 10 minutes.
- Turn onto a wire rack and cool completely.


Buttercream
- Beat the butter until pale and creamy, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the heavy cream and beat for another 2 minutes.
- Add the powdered sugar in two batches.
- Add the vanilla extract and salt.
- Whip until smooth, light, and fluffy.

Fill the Cake
- Place one cake layer on a cake board or serving plate.
- Spread an even layer of buttercream over the top.
- Place the second cake layer on top.


Crumb Coat
- Apply a thin layer of buttercream over the entire cake.
- Chill for 15 to 20 minutes until firm.

Final Coat
- Cover the cake with the remaining buttercream.
- Smooth the top and sides with an offset spatula or cake scraper.


Decorate
Piped Borders
- Transfer some frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
- Pipe a border around the top edge of the cake.
- Pipe a matching border around the base.

Sprinkles
- Add rainbow jimmies over the top border.
- Press a few sprinkles around the sides of the cake.
- Chill briefly before slicing for clean cuts.

Storage
Store the frosted cake covered at room temperature for up to two days or in the refrigerator for up to five days. Bring it to room temperature before serving for the best texture.


Funfetti Cake Recipe
This homemade Funfetti Cake is soft, moist, and packed with colorful rainbow sprinkles in every bite. Made with butter, oil, sour cream, and milk, it has a tender crumb that stays fresh for days while still being sturdy enough for layer cakes and birthday celebrations. Finished with a silky vanilla buttercream and festive sprinkles, it's the perfect cake for birthdays, parties, and special occasions.
Video
Ingredients
- 170 g (¾ cup) Unsalted butter softened
- 90 ml (⅓ cup) Neutral oil such as canola or vegetable oil
- 300 g (1½ cups) Granulated sugar
- 4 large Eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
- 375 g (3 cups) All-purpose flour
- 2 tsp Baking powder
- ½ tsp Baking soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- 120 g (½ cup) Sour cream room temperature
- 120 ml (½ cup) Milk room temperature
- 80 g (½ cup) Rainbow jimmies
- 600 g (2½ cups) Unsalted butter softened
- 600 g (5 cups) Powdered sugar sifted
- 60 ml (tbsp) Cold heavy cream
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp Almond extract optional
- ½ tsp Salt
- Rainbow jimmies for decorating
Method
- Oven and pan – Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper. Note – this batter will also work in 2 x 9-inch round or 3 x 7-inch round cake pans as well as a 9 x 13 sheet cake pan. Reduce baking time accordingly.
- Dry ingredients – In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk well and set aside.375 g All-purpose flour, 2 tsp Baking powder, ½ tsp Baking soda, ½ tsp Salt
- Wet ingredients – In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, oil, and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla and scrape the bowl well.170 g Unsalted butter, 90 ml Neutral oil, 300 g Granulated sugar, 4 large Eggs, 2 tsp Vanilla extract, 120 g Sour cream
- Combine – Add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the sour cream and milk. Mix only until combined.120 ml Milk
- Sprinkles – Fold in the rainbow jimmies gently with a spatula. Do not overmix once the sprinkles are added.80 g Rainbow jimmies
- Bake – Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool – Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack and cool completely before frosting.
- Frosting – Beat the butter until pale and creamy, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the powdered sugar in two additions, then add the vanilla, almond extract, salt, and cold heavy cream. Whip until smooth and fluffy.600 g Unsalted butter, 600 g Powdered sugar, 60 ml Cold heavy cream, 2 tsp Vanilla extract, ¼ tsp Almond extract, ½ tsp Salt
- Fill & Stack – Place one cake layer on a cake board or serving plate. Spread an even layer of buttercream over the top. Place the second cake layer on top and press gently to level.
- Crumb coat – Apply a thin layer of buttercream over the cake and chill for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Final coat – Cover the cake with the remaining buttercream and smooth the top and sides with a spatula or cake scraper.
- Decorate – Pipe swirls around the top edge and bottom border. Add rainbow sprinkles over the top and around the sides.Rainbow jimmies
- Serve – Chill briefly for cleaner slices, then bring to room temperature before serving.
Notes
- Use rainbow jimmies, not nonpareils, for the best color and texture.
- Measure ingredients by weight for the most accurate results.
- Bring the butter, eggs, sour cream, and milk to room temperature before mixing.
- Do not overmix the batter once the flour is added.
- Cool the cake layers completely before frosting.
- Store covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- Bring refrigerated cake to room temperature before serving.
Equipment you will need
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
Mention @veenaazmanov_kitchen or tag #veenaazmanovkitchen!Tips for Success
- Measure your ingredients by weight whenever possible for the most accurate results.
- Bring the butter, eggs, sour cream, and milk to room temperature before mixing.
- Cream the butter, oil, and sugar until noticeably lighter in color and texture.
- Mix the batter only until combined after adding the flour to keep the crumb soft and tender.
- Fold the sprinkles in gently to avoid breaking them or causing excess color bleeding.
- Use rainbow jimmies rather than nonpareils for the cleanest appearance.
- Bake the cakes as soon as the batter is mixed.
- Allow the cake layers to cool completely before filling and frosting.
- Chill the cake briefly after the crumb coat for smoother buttercream application.
- For the cleanest slices, refrigerate the finished cake for 20 minutes before serving.

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Troubleshooting
| Problem | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Cake sank in the center | Underbaked center or too much liquid | Bake until the center springs back and a skewer comes out clean |
| Dense cake | Overmixed batter or too much flour | Mix only until combined and weigh ingredients |
| Dry cake | Overbaked layers | Remove from the oven as soon as the center tests done |
| Sprinkles bled into the batter | Wrong type of sprinkles | Use rainbow jimmies instead of nonpareils |
| Frosting too soft | Butter too warm | Chill briefly, then rewhip |
| Cake layers domed | Oven temperature too high | Use an oven thermometer and cake strips if needed |
| Crumbly slices | Cake served too cold | Bring to room temperature before serving |

How to Make Funfetti Sheet Cake
You can easily turn this Funfetti Cake recipe into a sheet cake or snack cake.
- For a 9×13-inch sheet cake, prepare the batter as directed and bake in a greased 9×13-inch pan for 30 to 35 minutes.
- For an 8-inch square snack cake, use half the recipe and bake for 28 to 32 minutes.
- Cool completely before frosting.
- Decorate with vanilla buttercream and rainbow sprinkles.

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Frequently asked questions
Store the frosted cake covered at room temperature for up to two days or in the refrigerator for up to five days. Bring it to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
Yes. Funfetti is the trademarked name for sprinkle-filled cake, while confetti cake is the generic term. Most people use the names interchangeably.
Yes. Bake the cake layers up to two days ahead and keep them wrapped well. You can also freeze unfrosted cake layers for up to two months.
Rainbow jimmies work best because they hold their shape during baking. Avoid nonpareils, which can bleed into the batter and affect the color of the cake.
Vanilla buttercream is the classic choice because it complements the vanilla cake and colorful sprinkles without overpowering them.
Yes. This recipe can be baked in a 9×13-inch pan for a Funfetti Sheet Cake or halved and baked in an 8-inch square pan for a small-batch Funfetti Snack Cake.
Yes. This batter can be baked as cupcakes. Fill liners about two-thirds full and bake until the centers spring back when lightly touched.
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Thanks veena for sharing with us really appreciate
You are welcome Chinenye
This cake looks like so much fun! I love the frosting on top!
Thanks, Alice
Such a lovely cake – When 3 pm rolls around, Im going to be wishing I had a slice of this!
Thanks, Shashi. So easy to make.
What a fun looking cake! I am definitely going to make this with my daughter.
Thank you, Dannii.
As the name suggests – what a fun cake! I love this, and it really is something for the whole family to enjoy. I really enjoyed watching your video too – it shows how simple this cake is to make. Thank you so much!
It really is very simple and easy Alex. Thanks
Omg this cake looks absolutely amazing!! My husband loves funfetti cake and his birthday is coming up, and I think I’ll be making this for him as a surprise!
Thank you, Anjali. Happy birthday to you husband. I think he will love it