Serves a Crowd

Funfetti Cake

by:
September  4, 2014
4.3
10 Ratings
  • Serves 10 to 14
Author Notes

Flour: I often make my own cake flour, using the measurements here: http://www.pastryaffair.com/blog/2012/1/10/tuesday-tip-how-to-make-cake-flour.html. Also, if you like a denser cake, you can substitute out 1 cup of cake flour and replace with 1 cup of all-purpose flour.

Vanilla: McCormick's clear imitation vanilla will give you that nostalgic flavor, reminiscent of a boxed cake.

Sprinkles: Use bright ones! I have found that naturally-dyed sprinkles can lose their color when baked.
molly yeh

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Cake
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 4 large egg whites
  • 2 tablespoons clear imitation vanilla (I use McCormick's --see headnote)
  • 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 1/2 cups cake flour (see headnote)
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sprinkles (see headnote)
  • Frosting
  • 2 cups (or 4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3 cups powdered sugar, or to taste
  • 2 teaspoons clear imitation vanilla
  • 1 pinch salt
Directions
  1. Cake
  2. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease two 8-inch cake pans. Cut out circles of parchment paper and line the bottom of the pans. Lightly spray the parchment.
  3. With an electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg whites, one at a time, mixing well after each one. Mix in the vanilla and oil.
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With your mixer running on low, add this to the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk. Once you have a smooth batter, fold in the 2/3 cup of sprinkles.
  5. Divide the batter evenly between the pans. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of sprinkles over the top and bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Begin checking for doneness at around 25 minutes.
  6. Let the cakes cool for a few minutes in the pans and then flip them onto a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
  7. To make the colorful bunting, knead food coloring (liquid or gel) into marzipan, cut out triangles, and stick them onto the cake.
  1. Frosting
  2. Beat together the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the vanilla and salt and mix to combine. Taste and add more sugar, if desired.
  3. Frost your cake and enjoy!

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Elizabeth Traverso
    Elizabeth Traverso
  • Lauren Miller
    Lauren Miller
  • gabby
    gabby
  • saramarsh
    saramarsh
  • Emily
    Emily
molly yeh recently moved from brooklyn to a farm outside of grand forks, north dakota, where her husband is a fifth generation farmer. she writes the blog my name is yeh.

84 Reviews

Elizabeth T. November 5, 2020
I made this cake with store bought cake flour and followed the recipe the way it was written and the cake had good flavor but was dry. I am an accomplished baker and did not over cook the cake. My daughter and her friends loved it but my husband and son and I thought it was dry. I used wilton sprinkles and they worked perfectly.
 
Elizabeth T. October 31, 2020
I want to make this for my daughter's birthday this week, can I use Cake Flour or is it better to make it?
 
Lauren M. August 7, 2018
This is childhood summed up in one perfectly sweet bite! The cake is spot on for funfetti "flavor" with the use of the imitation vanilla extract. The buttercream is good too, but I'm personally not a huge fan of American buttercream. A go-to party cake for sure and it's so easy to make.
 
Crystal R. May 31, 2018
I’m baking challenged. Made this recipe and it was perfect. Also, check out her website for an updated version of the recipe.
 
SPark0101 April 8, 2018
Does anyone have a recipe that uses the 4 egg yolks generated from this cake recipe?
 
Kasey C. April 9, 2018
Not a recipe, really, but sometimes I add an egg yolk to cooked pudding. Mostly, depending how many, I add them to scrambled eggs - makes them a bit richer. I have been known to do a "cheater's poach" of a couple of egg yolks so they are cooked but soft enough to dip toast into. Sometimes I indulge myself... ;-)
 
Caroline C. July 21, 2019
https://www.thekitchn.com/12-ways-to-use-up-leftover-egg-yolks-tips-from-the-kitchn-207594

I had just googled the same question. Here is a handy link from RECIPES FROM THE KITCHN
 
SPark0101 April 18, 2020
thank you!
 
LinoleumQueen February 3, 2024
I sketch Eggs Benedict and use them for the Hollandaise Sauce!
 
gabby November 15, 2017
I doubled the recipe to make enough for a class of fourth graders. Didn't need to double -- 41 cupcakes and and 8-inch round. I changed the vanilla from 2T to 2t and then added after mixing because 2t wasn't enough.
 
Kasey C. November 15, 2017
I have to agree about the additional vanilla. It's a rule of thumb with me to double the amount of vanilla called for in most recipes, whether it's the traditional extract or the more upscale paste. I've been doing that for years and never run into a situation where it was "too much vanilla." (Though perhaps I should specify that I'm talking primarily baked goods.)
 
Robyn G. April 22, 2017
are any alterations necessary to make this into cupcakes? thank you!
 
saramarsh March 9, 2017
Would there be an adjustment to making these cupcakes or one 8" cake (there's only two of us) and the rest into cupcakes? Can someone give an assist here? Thank you in advance!
 
gabby November 15, 2017
Easier to make the full amount and freeze a round. If you want to make cupcakes, make it the same, cook about half to two-thirds the time.
 
Sara November 7, 2016
I made this cake for my 3 year old daughter's birthday party. It was a big hit! Not only did it look great, but it tasted even better! I ignored the comments about the frosting being too sweet as the ratios seemed fine to me, and I'm really glad I did! It was delicious and was easy to frost. The marzipan bunting sat very nicely on it. I didn't have white vanilla extract, so just used regular, and the sparkles still stood out nicely.
 
Sara November 7, 2016
I mean sprinkles! I did not use sparkles ;)
 
Emily September 29, 2016
You mention all purpose flour on your original blog but the recipe here doesn't call for it. What gives?
 
Erica T. October 6, 2016
If you click more under "Author's Notes" in the beginning, she explains that you can substitute some of the cake flour with AP flour if you want a denser cake.
 
Shelby R. September 26, 2016
absolutely fantastic cake! Everyone loved it. So rich and filling
 
Cookie M. August 23, 2016
How would I adjust the recipe for cupcakes?
 
Grace July 26, 2016
Yum! I love super moist cake, and I find that buttermilk/sour cream make moister cakes than whole milk. Could I use one of those instead of whole milk?
 
Kasey C. July 27, 2016
I've not tried that myself, Grace, but you've certainly given me an idea. The next time I make a cake I will use this recipe but sub buttermilk for the whole milk and see how it compares. (I'm willing to try the sour cream, too, but I think it could alter the texture more and I'd rather try the buttermilk first.)
 
Nessa J. May 18, 2016
I must be the only one ever who had their funfetti cake fall flat. Have not dug in yet as its for a birthday tomorrow. I'm compensating the volume with extra frosting and hoping it tastes good. Anyone else had theirs fall flat? I know my baking powder is good, I just used it a couple of days ago, and I had a light and fluffy batter.
 
Kasey C. May 18, 2016
A couple of questions, Nessa - what's the texture of the cake like? Dry, coarse, fine, dense--? Are you sure you added the amount of baking powder called for? Is it possible your oven calibration has gone off? Those are the first things that came to mind...
 
Jessica February 22, 2017
I've made this recipe twice and had the same issue. Ingredients were all fresh, and oven properly calibrated.
 
Jess April 6, 2016
This recipe ruled. Baked it for a dinner potluck and it got demolished in 5 minutes. I tried it, and was obsessed with the density, fine crumb, and flavor. You're the queen.
 
Holly F. October 24, 2015
What is the gorgeous brown sprinkled topping on this GORGEOUS funfetti cake?? Please do tell!
 
Holly F. October 24, 2015
Wilton's gold sanding sugar from Michaels for anybody wondering:) j found the answer with a bit more digging.
 
cschaefer October 7, 2015
How would I adjust the measurements for two 9" cake pans? The 8" is just slightly smaller than what I need.
 
kenzie August 31, 2015
I have made this cake four times for friends/family birthdays. It has been a huge hit. I have substituted coconut oil for vegetable oil every time and it has been amazing. Does anyone know how far ahead you can make the cake? Is two days too long? Could I freeze it? Thanks!
 
Abby September 4, 2015
I am going to freeze mine... I've made before and loved it- so I will let you know how the frozen version turns out!
 
Sara October 23, 2015
I always freeze cakes before baking to make them easier to frost. You could definitely make this a week in advance without issue and frost before serving.
 
Katie August 18, 2015
I've made this a few times now and it's been great. Only comment is to check the ingredients on your sprinkles. I like the sprinkles to melt in the cake for bright colored spots. If the sprinkles have too much wax, they don't melt. I didn't like the texture with crunchy sprinkles. I switched to bright colored nonpareils instead and it was so much better. Also I skipped the frosting recipe entirely and used my grandmothers chocolate icing recipe instead. I just prefer chocolate frosting to vanilla. :-)
 
Elizabeth T. October 31, 2020
What sprinkles do you recommend?
 
vivian July 22, 2015
I've made this cake twice in day now and both times turned out rather undone. the first time at 30 minutes mark the center still jiggle like a pudding and I left it in the oven for a total of 50 minute and the base was still soggy... the second time looked more promising but at 35 minutes mark the toothpick still came out with lumps. I used 2 standard 8" rings baked at 180 degree celsius and I've tried using granulated sugar the first time and then caster sugar the second. Am I missing something? :(
 
Kasey C. July 22, 2015
Vivian - there may be several factors at work. Are you in the UK? I'm American but live in Britain. Flours can be different here, as the textures and blends often differ. And of course the measuring systems can be different. If you're determined to make this cake, it may take several trial-and-error attempts. Before I tinkered with the ingredients or measurements, the first thing I'd try is using 9" pans instead of 8" pans. That may be sufficient to enable the batter to cook / dry out without having to change anything else. :-)
 
Babuji P. June 8, 2015
I made this for some friends with kids and it turned out very sweet, but delicious & so pretty!
 
Jamie C. May 21, 2015
I made this for a baby shower...I went with a different frosting recipe because this one is just too much butter and not enough powdered sugar, which I thought resulted in a weird taste/texture. The cake was good but the cake flour makes the texture almost like powder and a little dry in my opinion. I made it twice and had the same results. Beautiful looking though.
 
nutcakes August 14, 2016
In this case a soaking syrup make be a good call. Most use simple syrup with a flavoring, but Christina Tosi uses whole milk and vanilla in her funfetti cake.
 
Meghan L. May 19, 2015
https://instagram.com/p/232SnULweu/
 
Kasey C. May 19, 2015
Hey, that really came out neat - great idea for a first birthday cake--!!
 
Meghan L. May 19, 2015
FullSizeRender.jpg
 
essbee April 30, 2015
So, today I discovered there are sprinkles that are not at all heatproof. (FYI: I got them at Bulk Barn in Toronto.) All of them melted and the inside of the cake looks like I marbled pastel water-colours throughout. Back to the beginning ...
 
Kasey C. April 30, 2015
Actually, that doesn't sound bad - can you post a pic or two? Maybe it looks like a rainbow watercolor cake...?
 
essbee April 30, 2015
I'm going to say no.
http://wp.me/a1Hu7T-75
http://wp.me/a1Hu7T-76
 
essbee April 30, 2015
But I sincerely appreciate your optimism.
 
Kasey C. April 30, 2015
Well, I'm still not convinced they don't have an appeal all their own, but granted, they don't look like the original. So - rainbow trifle! (And I sincerely appreciate the photos...)
 
essbee May 6, 2015
CORRECTION
My cake disaster seems to have been caused by a batter-related error. I think I had too much liquid. The Bulk Barn sprinkles work just fine.

http://wp.me/a1Hu7T-77
http://wp.me/a1Hu7T-78
 
Kasey C. May 7, 2015
Good to know! Thanks for the update.
 
Rosebuddd March 2, 2015
Made this for my daughter's birthday and it turned out fantastic. The only issue I had was that the layers took a good 45 minutes to cook so of course I was nervous that I had botched something but in the end, all was good. The cake was moist and tender and my 7yo daughter and all of our guests loved it. We didn't think the frosting was too sweet although I dyed it pink so it certainly looked that way. Thank you for the great recipe.
 
michelle_a February 22, 2015
The cake is truly beautiful - Molly's dedication to figuring out which sprinkles work best is amazing (see her blog for the full test results). I made this yesterday - the cake itself was very much what I was hoping for, a real, homemade version of that boxed favorite. However, and I hate to even be debbie downer since the cake is great & the photos are magical, the frosting was inedible. It was beyond sweet - I considered this as I pulled out the four sticks of butter, but then once it was made, fluffy, and ready to frost - I was even more shocked at the taste. I ended up throwing all of it, wasting all that butter, and made a cream cheese frosting from scratch. If you are not inclined to super super sweet foods, I'd suggest considering an alternate frosting.
 
Kasey C. February 23, 2015
Thx for posting this - I too prefer a less-sweet frosting, and I think I'll take a leaf from your book and go with a cream-cheese. :-)
 
Maddie A. January 25, 2015
Mind me asking where you got the gold sprinkle topping from?
 
Kasey C. January 1, 2015
"2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sprinkles (see headnote)..." Headnote? Where's that?
 
Susan W. January 1, 2015
At the top of the page. It says "Author's notes".
 
Kasey C. January 1, 2015
Thank you! Totally didn't see it! :-)
 
Susie December 7, 2014
Hi! Can you post the link telling how to make your sprinkles?
 
Laura D. December 3, 2014
I made and love this cake! I used Italian buttercream and put Fruity Pebbles on the outside, though. So good! I'd love if you'd check out my post! http://piesandplots.net/funfetti-layer-cake/
 
Holly F. October 24, 2015
LOVE YOUR VERSION!! How do you get your buttercream so beautiful and fluffy looking.
 
Cole December 3, 2014
I made this yesterday for my son's second birthday. It is festive, delicious, and very easy. I'll definitely make again--perhaps with cream cheese frosting. Thanks for an awesome cake recipe, Molly!!!
 
gabby November 8, 2014
Made last night for a birthday party today. Also made a batch of cupcakes. Cooking time was about right. They sink a bit on cooling, and definitely need to rest. One of the cupcakes toppled while I was moving them to a rack and it exploded. Deliciously, but done. People were thrilled. Small children helped frost and decorate. (Ordered vanilla via amazon bc no one local carried clear; used a mix in the frosting and couldn't see a difference.)
 
jgevans76 November 4, 2014
I've tried this cake twice and both were total failures. One wouldn't stay together. The other overflowed in the oven then fell flat cooled. Followed recipe exactly both times. Anyone else have this problem?
 
molly Y. November 4, 2014
hey there! what's the diameter and height of the cake pans you're using? and then by not staying together, do you mean it crumbled??
 
jgevans76 November 4, 2014
I used 2 8-inch pans, as suggested. Not so much crumbled but rather broke into quarters (chunks).
 
molly Y. November 4, 2014
hmm.. that is so odd! i have never had them overflow in the pans... how tall are your pans? perhaps let the cakes cool for a little longer than a few minutes in the pans, and then be extra careful when removing them from the pans. they do tend to be delicate. another option is that you can go the part all-purpose flour route, as this will create a bit of a denser cake.
 
jgevans76 November 4, 2014
I'm not exactly sure how tall they are. 1-1 1/2 inch maybe? Maybe i'm mixing for too long (getting the batter too fluffy)? One also fell quite a bit after cooled.
I was thinking about trying all-purpose flour on my next attempt. Thanks!
 
molly Y. November 4, 2014
ooh, that could be the issue! i believe the standard for cake pans these days is 2 inches tall... so perhaps consider using those, or using the 1-inch pans, make 3 or 4 layers, filling the pans up only about halfway. and then only beat the butter/sugar until fluffy... the rest of the ingredients, mix until just incorporated!
 
jgevans76 November 4, 2014
Good idea! These were my grandmothers pans and I love using them. Should have known that current standards would be bigger ;-)
 
Judy October 28, 2014
I finally made this for a work event- it was great, everyone loved. Jump in and try it.
 
Sheryl October 6, 2014
I'm curious about the crunchy topping? What is it?
 
Tammy September 19, 2014
I can not get the cake batter recipe to come up when looking on link. Can you plz give it to me :)
 
sue September 14, 2014
But you didn't explain how to get the fun bunting on the outside of the cake. Is that frosting?
 
Bobbe September 14, 2014
Fondant
 
Janet G. November 18, 2014
It's marzipan according to this link: http://mynameisyeh.com/mynameisyeh/2014/9/funfetti-cake
 
Laura B. September 14, 2014
I'm from the UK. What is imitation vanilla? Is this different from vanilla extract?
The cake looks fab!! I'm going to make for my husband's birthday coming up soon and take him back to his childhood! :) XX
 
Tanja H. September 19, 2014
Hi Laura,
In South Africa, we have vanilla essence, and vanilla extract. My understanding is that the essence is made artificially, whereas the extract is a pure form created by macerating vanilla beans in alcohol, whereas essence is produced artificially
(My understanding at least)
 
Brittany K. September 21, 2014
Tanja is right - here in the states, imitation vanilla is artificial, and vanilla extract is the real deal. They do have slightly different flavors, but in the name of health I try to stick to the real thing. The biggest reason people choose imitation is that it's usually about half the price of extract.
 
Susan W. September 11, 2014
Cutest cake ever. I can't wait until someone has a birthday. In fact, I may not wait. :0)
 
leah September 11, 2014
This looks amazing. I may try this this weekend.
 
lauren A. September 11, 2014
made my own attempt at funfetti cake recently using the imitation vanilla. turned out fantastic tasting, but not as pretty. will have to try your route next time ;)
 
Nancy M. September 11, 2014
This cake is so cute. But why would I want it to taste like a boxed cake?
 
Lee September 11, 2014
Gorgeous, Molly, as always! I might have to make this for my daughter's birthday...
 
Beth September 10, 2014
yes please and thankyou, you're amazing.
also, reading your trials and errors on mynameisyeh.com also made a big difference in how patient I was with the idea of making my own cake flour and using the artificial sprinkles. the result = funfetti perfection.
 
Ellie B. September 10, 2014
The imitation vanilla tip really caught me off guard. Such a great post and recipe <33