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Ultimate Funfetti Birthday Cake – Easy Crowd-Pleasing Dessert

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This Ultimate Funfetti Birthday Cake is a quick and easy dessert that comes together in about 90 minutes. With simple ingredients and a tender, moist crumb studded with rainbow sprinkles, it’s the perfect crowd-pleaser for any celebration.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ½ cups (312g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks or 170g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, room temperature
  • ½ cup (80g) rainbow sprinkles (jimmies, not nonpareils)
  • 1 cup (2 sticks or 226g) unsalted butter, softened (for frosting)
  • 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar, sifted (for frosting)
  • ¼ cup (60ml) heavy cream (for frosting)
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (for frosting)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt (for frosting)
  • Additional sprinkles for decoration

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper. Grease parchment too.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down bowl halfway through.
  4. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla extract and beat until combined.
  5. With mixer on low, add dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with buttermilk, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined after each addition.
  6. Remove bowl from mixer and gently fold in rainbow jimmies with a rubber spatula until evenly distributed (about 10-12 folds).
  7. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Smooth tops. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Rotate pans halfway through if needed.
  8. Let cakes cool in pans on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes. Then invert onto rack, peel off parchment, and cool completely.
  9. For frosting: In a large bowl, beat softened butter on medium speed until smooth (about 2 minutes). Gradually add sifted powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating on low. Add heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy.
  10. Place one cake layer on serving plate, flat side down. Spread about 1 cup frosting evenly on top. Place second layer on top, flat side up. Apply a thin crumb coat of frosting all over. Refrigerate 15-20 minutes. Then apply final layer of frosting and decorate with additional sprinkles.

Notes

Use jimmies (long cylindrical sprinkles) not nonpareils to prevent color bleeding. Toss sprinkles in a tablespoon of flour before folding into batter to prevent sinking. Ensure all ingredients are at room temperature for best results. Check cakes at 25 minutes to avoid overbaking. Level domed tops with a serrated knife if needed. Cake tastes even better the next day.

Nutrition

Keywords: funfetti cake, birthday cake, sprinkle cake, easy cake, crowd-pleasing dessert, vanilla cake