Easy Homemade FUNFETTI® Cake with Vanilla Buttercream

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Homemade Funfetti Cake with Funfetti Frosting — This cake is as close to store-bought funfetti cake mix that I’ve been able to replicate at home. I have no shame in admitting my love for that stuff, but it’s nice to be able to pronounce all the ingredients and prep a cake from scratch in literally 5 minutes!

Funfetti Cake with Funfetti Frosting — This cake is as close to store-bought funfetti cake mix that I’ve been able to replicate at home. I have no shame in admitting my love for that stuff, but it’s nice to be able to pronounce all the ingredients and prep a cake from scratch in literally 5 minutes!

Easy Funfetti Cake … From Scratch!

I’ve always loved Funfetti. Who can resist all those sprinkles buried in soft, fluffy cake? None of us in my house can.

This homemade funfetti cake has sprinkles in the batter and also has a wall of sprinkles in the funfetti frosting. Sprinkle overload, such a beautiful thing.

The cake and funfetti frosting are both fast and easy to make, and the cake always turn out supremely moist, springy, and fluffy thanks to buttermilk, sour cream, and oil. That trifecta of moisturizing and tenderizing ingredients makes it impossible to have a dry cake!

Funfetti Cake with Funfetti Frosting — This cake is as close to store-bought funfetti cake mix that I’ve been able to replicate at home. I have no shame in admitting my love for that stuff, but it’s nice to be able to pronounce all the ingredients and prep a cake from scratch in literally 5 minutes!

Funfetti Cake Ingredients 

To make the funfetti cake from scratch, you’ll need: 

  • All-purpose flour
  • Granulated sugar
  • Baking powder
  • Salt
  • Egg
  • Buttermilk
  • Sour cream
  • Canola oil
  • Vanilla extract
  • Sprinkles 

And for the homemade funfetti frosting, you’ll need:

  • Unsalted butter
  • Vanilla extract
  • Salt
  • Confectioners’ sugar
  • More sprinkles! 
Funfetti Cake with Funfetti Frosting — This cake is as close to store-bought funfetti cake mix that I’ve been able to replicate at home. I have no shame in admitting my love for that stuff, but it’s nice to be able to pronounce all the ingredients and prep a cake from scratch in literally 5 minutes!

How to Make Funfetti Cake

If you’ve never made a cake with sprinkles baked into the batter, you’re in for a real treat! Here’s how this easy homemade funfetti birthday cake recipe comes together: 

  1. Whisk together the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet in another.
  2. Gently stir in the sprinkles. 
  3. Turn the batter into a greased 8×8-inch baking dish and bake until the center is set and not jiggly, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.
  4. Once the funfetti birthday cake comes out of the oven, let it cool completely before frosting. The homemade funfetti frosting is as simple to make as whipping the ingredients together until light and fluffy! 
Funfetti Cake with Funfetti Frosting — This cake is as close to store-bought funfetti cake mix that I’ve been able to replicate at home. I have no shame in admitting my love for that stuff, but it’s nice to be able to pronounce all the ingredients and prep a cake from scratch in literally 5 minutes!

Funfetti Cake FAQs

Is Funfetti Cake Just White Cake With Sprinkles? 

Nope! White cake is incredibly light, fluffy, and “pure” in flavor thanks to the multitude of egg whites in the batter. 

Funfetti cake is made with a whole egg, buttermilk, sour cream, and plenty of vanilla to create a richer, moister cake that is — yes — loaded with sprinkles! 

What’s the difference between funfetti vs confetti cake?

They’re the exact same cake! Funfetti cake is trademarked by Pillsbury, whereas confetti cake is the generic term for this type of sprinkle-laden cake.

What Flavor is funfetti cake?

Funfetti cake tastes like a richer version of a vanilla cake. It also has a subtle tang to it from the buttermilk and sour cream in the batter.

Can I Substitute the Buttermilk? 

Get your hands on real buttermilk, if possible. Otherwise, you can make a buttermilk substitute in a couple of minutes. You can also use powdered buttermilk, which has a long shelf life and comes in handy for recipes like this funfetti birthday cake. 

What Kind of Sprinkles Are Best for Funfetti Cake? 

I used generic, store-brand sprinkles to make this funfetti cake recipe and they didn’t bleed into the batter at all. Long, skinny sprinkles work best for this recipe. 

Can Cake Flour Be Used Instead? 

I have only make this with all purpose so really can’t say if cake flour will yield the same results with the same measurement of flour or not.

How to Store Frosted Cakes

Cake will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days (I’m comfortable storing frosted cakes at room temp, if you’re not store in the fridge) or in the freezer for up to 6 months. 

Can I Double This Recipe? 

I’m sure you can. You’d need to double the ingredients listed and bake the funfetti cake in a 9×13-inch pan. Note that your baking time will differ since you’re making a much larger cake. 

Can I Make This Recipe as Cupcakes? 

You probably can, although I haven’t done so myself so I can’t say for sure. If baking this recipe as cupcakes, you’d likely need to bake them for around 18 to 20 minutes. Use your best judgement! 

Can I Make This as a Funfetti Layer Cake? 

If you want to make a more “traditional” looking funfetti birthday cake, you likely can double this recipe and bake it in two 8- or 9-inch round cake tins.

To be safe, Google the volume of an 8×8-inch baking dish versus an 8- or 9-inch round baking tin to see how much of a difference there is between the two. This way, you’ll know if you need to double the recipe or 2.5x it, and so forth. 

Can I Make This as a Funfetti Bundt Cake? 

If you’re looking for a funfetti bundt cake recipe, I recommend making this recipe instead. I’ve tested it multiple times and know that it works in a bundt pan. 

Funfetti Cake with Funfetti Frosting — This cake is as close to store-bought funfetti cake mix that I’ve been able to replicate at home. I have no shame in admitting my love for that stuff, but it’s nice to be able to pronounce all the ingredients and prep a cake from scratch in literally 5 minutes!

Tips for Making the Best Homemade Funfetti Cake 

Sprinkles Tips

If you’re concerned with the sprinkles bleeding into the batter, I recommend being very gentle when stirring them in. If you overmix the batter after adding the sprinkles, it may change color. 

Frosting Tips

 If you’re in a time crunch you don’t necessarily need to make scratch funfetti frosting. You can cheat and use a tub of store bought frosting. 

However, since you’re making a scratch cake, making scratch frosting is the way I would do things. It only takes a couple minutes to whip together.

Note that you must let the funfetti birthday cake cool completely before frosting it, otherwise you’ll wind up with a huge mess on your hands. 

Pan Size Tips

 If you decide to use a different sized pan for whatever reason — doubling the recipe, making a layer cake or cupcakes, etc. — be sure to Google the volume of the pan you plan on using and compare it to the pan I used.

You want to make sure you’re putting the right amount of batter into the right sized pan! 

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Homemade Funfetti Cake with Vanilla Buttercream

By Averie Sunshine
A funfetti cake recipe as close to store-bought as you can get, but made from scratch in just 5 minutes! Easy to make, and tastes amazing!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 9
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Ingredients  

Funfetti Cake

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • pinch salt, optional and to taste
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • â…“ cup sour cream, lite is okay (plain Greek yogurt may be substituted)
  • ¼ cup canola or vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ cup sprinkles, or to taste

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • pinch salt, optional and to taste (helps offset the sweetness)
  • 1 ½ to 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, I use 2 cups
  • â…“ cup sprinkles, or to taste

Instructions 

Make the Cake:

  • Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, optional salt; set aside.
  • In a separate small bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, sour cream, oil, and vanilla.
  • Add the wet mixture to the dry, mixing lightly with a spoon or folding with a spatula until just combined. Small lumps will be present, don’t overmix or try to stir them smooth.
  • Gently stir in the sprinkles, taking care not to overmix or they could bleed.
  • Turn batter out into prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes (start checking at 25 minutes), or until center is set and not jiggly, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.
  • Place pan on a wire rack and allow cake to cool. While cake cools, make the frosting.

Make the Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

  • To a large bowl, add the butter, vanilla, optional salt, and slowly add the confectioners’ sugar while beating with a handheld electric mixer until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  • Turn frosting out onto cooled cake, smoothing it lightly with a spatula or offset knife.
  • Evenly sprinkle the sprinkles before slicing and serving.

Notes

  • Cake will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days (I’m comfortable storing frosted cakes at room temp, if you’re not store in the fridge) or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
  • Cake base adapted from Vanilla Cake with Vanilla Bean Browned Butter Glaze.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 523kcal, Carbohydrates: 77g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g, Cholesterol: 53mg, Sodium: 177mg, Sugar: 62g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

More Desserts Using Sprinkles:

ALL OF MY CAKE RECIPES! 

Easy Homemade Funfetti Bundt Cake — No cake mix in this 100% homemade funfetti cake that’s loaded with sprinkles and tastes amazing! Fast, easy, and the best scratch funfetti cake recipe!

Easy Homemade Funfetti Bundt Cake - NO cake mix in this 100% HOMEMADE funfetti cake that's loaded with sprinkles and tastes amazing!! Fast, EASY, and the BEST scratch funfetti cake recipe!!

Funfetti Cookies — These funfetti cookies are essentially sugar cookies from scratch that have been loaded with sprinkles. They have that nostalgic boxed cake flavor but are 100% homemade! 

Oreo Chocolate Chip Funfetti Cookies — The cookies are loaded with Oreos, sprinkles, chocolate chips, and are adapted from my favorite recipe for chocolate chip cookies. They’re soft, moist, buttery, and thick enough to sink your teeth into!

Funfetti Cake Mix Cookies — Jumbo, super soft, slightly chewy cake mix cookies that are loaded with rainbow and confetti sprinkles, and topped with vanilla cream cheese frosting!

Birthday Cake Cinnamon Rolls — The softest, fluffiest, most tender cinnamon rolls stuffed with cinnamon-and-sugar and rainbow sprinkles! Topped with tangy cream cheese frosting and more sprinkles!

Copycat Lofthouse Sugar Cookies — Just like real Lofthouse cookies, but with sprinkles baked in! These cookies are soft, buttery, and they just melt in your mouth!

About the Author

Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

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Comments

  1. Haha I love the name of the shower. And all the sprinkles. Almost makes me want another baby. (Um, not.) :) Pinned of course. These look amazing. Love the crumb!

    1. Thanks for pinning and I almost had a minor heart attack when you said that :) lol. I am so one and done and with an almost 8 year old, never again!! will I be going back to all of that :)

  2. You definitely can’t go wrong with a classic funfetti cake! Your pictures are gorgeous, Averie! And that vanilla buttercream is just calling my name!

  3. These are so fun!! Makes me want to go get my massive tub of sprinkles out, they’re so pretty! :)

  4. Averie, this is such a fun cake! All those sprinkles! What a happy to cake to have when it’s so dark and dreary outside here today, I imagine my kids would inhale this just like your daughter did!

  5. What a gorgeous looking slice of cake, it’s no wonder your daughter inhaled it :) I’m sure Jessica will love it as well!!

  6. This is such a Jessica appropriate cake :) all the sprinkles are adorable, and I can’t resist funfetti cake either, anything that has cute pink sprinkles is a weakness for me.

  7. averie!!! these sprinkles. omg. so neon. i love them so much. i want to make this right now. THANK YOU!!! xoxoxo

    1. I am so glad you were surprised!!! Honestly with like 50 girls or whatever participating, I was sure the cat would get out of the bag, but…it didn’t! Bev was amazing :) And I wish you nothing but the best and am sooooo happy for you and Eddie!!! xoxooxo

  8. The funfetti creates this strange feeling that make you smile with no reason :) That cake look mouthwatering!

  9. this is more than fun this is like a dream come true. It looks amazing and so sweet and buttery. My kids would go nuts for it as well as myself

  10. What a fun cake! I love how colorful it is. This would be a great cake to use for a rainbow birthday party, as opposed to dyeing all those layers.

  11. Such a bright, festive cake! The sprinkles are a nice departure from all the usual fall colors right now (and I like the extra on top of the frosting). The list of recipes is impressive–it would be fun to have a taste of everything!

  12. Wow that is quite a list of bloggers…now that would be a fun shower…this cake is beautiful…it’s almost too pretty to eat but I’m pretty sure I could make an exception…love it…My birthday is this month and I may just need to make myself this cake!!!

    1. It may look pretty but I swear to you, this is almost like a cake mix cake! Wham, bam, in the pan, and done :) And happy early birthday!! LMK what you make for your month of festivities (I hope!), either my recipes or others, I love hearing what people make!