Happy birthday to… ME! Is it obnoxious to celebrate one’s own birthday? Would it be narcissistic of me to think you’re all dying to participate in the fun that is this funfetti cake? Maybe, but I don’t even care. I love birthdays, and as a baking blogger, there are very few things that excite me like the chance to make my own birthday cake. This funfetti cake, albeit basic, is just the type of festive dish I want to nosh on for my special day, and I sincerely hope you’ll lend me a hand with blowing out all these candles. Let’s get started.

I refuse to believe there is a single person on this earth who doesn’t love funfetti cake. I mean, does a happier dessert exist? Those sugary sprinkled flavors hold all sorts of fond memories for me, and nothing gets me in the mood for celebrating like a cake that feels like a party. While I’ve featured all sorts of funfetti-flavored treats on this site (I’m looking at you, funfetti cookies, funfetti ice cream cake, and sugar cookie ice cream) I’ve yet to showcase an OG funfetti cake like this. Today is the day.

Funfetti Cake

This funfetti cake is about as basic as it comes. A butter and oil cake made with buttermilk and loads of clear vanilla extract bakes up with cake flour and more than a fair share of rainbow jimmies. The frosting is equally simple, made with softened butte, cream cheese, and just enough salt to balance out the sugary sweetness. I love being able to offer a homemade treat on special occasions, and this one has all the nostalgic flavors of the store-bought varieties with all the pride of a made-from-scratch offering. Now that’s a win-win situation.

Making the Cake

A few notes on this funfetti cake. First, I highly recommend cake flour here without substitutions. This will help keep the cake fluffy and light while adding a bit of that birthday cake flavor. Same goes for clear vanilla extract. While pure vanilla extract or vanilla beans will make for a delightful cake, it will lack that box cake flavor that we all kinda want with a funfetti cake. Don’t skimp here. In a pinch you can use regular milk in place of buttermilk, but do take care to ensure that your ingredients are all room temperature. This is a must.

I’ve had a bunch of you all ask me about the sprinkles I use for my funfetti-flavored treats. I typically look no further than the traditional rainbow jimmies sold at the grocery store, but I’ll link a few other favorites here and here. For the outside of this cake, I opted for a blend of sprinkles that I made with rainbow jimmies and white nonpareils. Easy peasy!

Happy birthday to moi and whoever you happen to be celebrating this week. Because more is merrier when it comes to sprinkles, I’m planning to share a second recipe later this week! Tune in for more funfetti goodness! In the meantime, give this funfetti cake a try and let me know what you think! Happy Tuesday and happy baking!

If you like this cake you should try:

Funfetti Rolls

Confetti Ice Cream Cake

Funfetti Scones 

Funfetti Cookies

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Funfetti Cake

Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.7 from 3 reviews

This funfetti cake is loaded with rainbow sprinkles and box cake mix flavor. It’s a made from scratch celebration cake!

• Author: Kate Wood
• Prep Time: 30
• Cook Time: 30
• Total Time: 90
• Yield: 9
• Category: Cake

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ½ cup vegetable or canola oil
• 1–3/4 cup sugar
• 5 eggs
• 1 tablespoon clear vanilla extract
• 3–3/4 cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• 1–1/2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
• ¾ cup rainbow jimmies

For the frosting:

• 1–1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon clear vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 6 cups powdered sugar, plus more as needed
• 1–2 tablespoons milk, as needed

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Instructions

To prepare the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare 3-8” pans by spraying them with baking spray and lining the bottoms with parchment paper rounds. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, oil and sugar on medium speed for 4 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the vanilla and eggs one at a time, stirring briefly after each addition. In a separate bowl, combine the cake flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add half of the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed, followed by the buttermilk. Add the remaining dry ingredients and jimmies and stir to combine. Divide the batter evenly between the three pans and bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
   

   To prepare the frosting:

2. Cream the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 6 minutes. Add the cream cheese and beat on medium speed just to combine, about 1 minutes. Stir in the clear extract and salt, Add about half of the powdered sugar and stir on low to combine. Add the remaining powdered sugar and scrape the sides of the bowl prior to combining. Once uniform, check the consistency. Add a tablespoon or two of milk to thin out the frosting or ¼ cup or so of powdered sugar to thicken it up. The mixture should be a smooth, soft consistency. Set aside while you get ready to prepare your cake.

To assemble the cake:

1. Use a serrated knife to trim the domes off your cakes. I like to briefly freeze my cakes in plastic wrap to make assembly easier. You can do this is you’d like. Otherwise, spread a little frosting on the bottom of an 8” cake board and place the first layer on top. Place a big dollop of frosting on top and use an offset spatula to smooth it on. Repeat this process while stacking the remaining two layers of cake. Use your offset spatula to smooth on a thin layer all over the cake. You can place your cake in the fridge briefly to allow the frosting to firm up. Continue decorating the cake as desired and enjoy! Serve at room temperature.