Confetti Birthday Cake

4.6 from 121 reviews

Author: Sally Prep Time: 45 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 4 hours (includes chilling & cooling)

Yield: serves 12-14
Buttery vanilla layer cake filled to the brim with rainbow sprinkles and finished off with sweet vanilla
frosting. Pictured cake is 9 inches; for thicker cakes, use 8-inch pans. Review the recipe notes and
bring all ingredients to room temperature before you begin.

Ingredients

Cake

3 and 3/4 cups (443g) cake flour (spooned & leveled)

1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/4 cups (282g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (80ml) vegetable oil
4 large eggs, at room temperature*
2 large egg whites, at room temperature*
3 teaspoons (15ml) pure vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) buttermilk, at room temperature*
3/4 cup (135g) rainbow sprinkles*

Vanilla Buttercream

1 and 1/2 cups (340g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

5 and 1/2 cups (650g) confectioners’ sugar
1/3 cup (80ml) heavy cream, at room temperature
3 teaspoons (15ml) pure vanilla extract (or use clear imitation vanilla extract for stark
white frosting)
1/8 teaspoon salt
optional: additional sprinkles for garnish

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Instructions
1 Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease three 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment
paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes
seamlessly release from the pans. (If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes
video & post.)
2 Make the cake: Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a
large bowl. Set aside.
3 Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar
together on high speed for 5 full minutes until completely creamed together and fluffy.
Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add
the oil and beat for 1 minute until combined. Add the eggs, egg whites, and vanilla extract
and beat on medium-high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom
of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
4 Add dry ingredients and buttermilk in three additions, mixing after each addition just until
incorporated. Do not over-mix this batter. The batter will be velvety and thick. Gently fold in
the sprinkles. Pour and spread the batter evenly into each cake pan.
5 Bake for around 25–26 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. (8-inch cakes may
take about 27–28 minutes.) Tent the cakes with foil after about 15 minutes to prevent the
sides and top from over-browning. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of
the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done.
6 Allow cakes to cool in the pans set on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the
edges and then remove cakes from pans. Place cakes directly on wire racks to cool
completely. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.
7 Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk
or paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add
confectioners’ sugar, cream, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds and
then switch to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. Add more confectioners’ sugar if frosting
seems too thin; more cream if frosting is too thick; or an extra pinch of salt if frosting is too
sweet.
8 Assemble cake + apply crumb coat: First, using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off
the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. Discard (or crumble over ice cream!). Place
one cake layer on your cake stand, cake turntable, or serving plate. Using a large icing
spatula or small offset spatula, evenly cover the top with about 1 cup (about 250g) of
frosting. Repeat with second cake layer, 1 more cup of frosting, and then the top cake layer.
Spread a thin layer of frosting on the top and around the sides as a crumb coat. Run a bench
scraper around the cake to smooth out crumb coat. Chill uncovered in the refrigerator for at
least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours to set the crumb coat.
9 Spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides. Garnish with extra sprinkles, if
desired.
10 Serve cake immediately, or if you need to store it for a few hours, place it in a cake carrier at
room temperature for up to 4 hours. For longer storage, refrigerate covered cake for up to 1
 day. Cake is best served at room temperature, though, so if it’s been refrigerated, let it sit out
at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
11 Cover leftover cake tightly and store it in the refrigerator for 5 days. Again, I like using a cake
carrier for storing and transporting.
Notes
1 Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The cake layers can be baked, cooled, and covered
tightly at room temperature overnight. Likewise, the frosting can be prepared and then
covered and refrigerated overnight. When ready to decorate, let the frosting sit at room
temperature to slightly soften for 15 minutes, then give it one more mix with the mixer on
medium speed for about 1 minute before frosting cake. (Add a splash of cream to thin out
frosting if needed.) See step 10 if you want to store the frosted/decorated cake before
serving it. Frosted cake or unfrosted cake layers can be frozen for up to 2–3 months. Thaw
overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before decorating/serving. See
how to freeze cakes for detailed instructions.
2 Special Tools (affiliate links): 8-inch or 9-inch Round Cake Pans | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk |
Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Rubber Spatula | Cooling Rack | Cake Turntable | Large
Icing Spatula or Small Offset Spatula | Bench Scraper | Cake Carrier (for storage)
3 2022 Update: Recipe above was slightly updated in 2022. Old version used to call for 3
sticks (about 345g) of butter and no oil. The slight reduction of butter and added oil makes
a moister cake, but feel free to use the old version. Also, the extra egg whites are now added
when you add the whole eggs. You used to have to whip them separately until soft peaks
form and then fold them in before adding the sprinkles. This step isn’t really necessary
because we’re using a little oil and cake flour now. (See next Note.)
4 Eggs: 4 whole eggs provide structure, moisture, and richness. 2 extra egg whites keep the
cake light. I don’t recommend using 5 whole eggs as a replacement; stick to the 4 eggs + 2
egg whites combination.
5 Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a DIY sour milk substitute. Add 1
Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough
whole milk to the same measuring cup until it reaches 1 and 1/2 cups. (In a pinch, lower-fat
or nondairy milks work for this soured milk, but the cake won’t taste as moist or rich.) Stir it
around and let sit for 5 minutes. The homemade “buttermilk” will be somewhat curdled and
ready to use in the recipe.
6 Sprinkles: Avoid using sprinkles that will dye your batter. Steer clear of nonpareils, which are
the little balls. The pictured cake uses Betty Crocker “Parlor Perfect” rainbow sprinkles,
which I find in my regular grocery store. I also like to use these rainbow jimmies or confetti
quins. Note that naturally colored sprinkles may lose their color in cake batter.
7 Chocolate Frosting: Use the frosting from this piñata cake recipe. It makes enough for this
size cake.
8 Amount of Cake Batter & Other Size Cakes: This recipe yields nearly 8 cups of batter, which
is helpful if you need it for different Cake Pan Sizes & Conversions. For a 1-layer cake,
12×17-inch sheet cake, or 6-inch layer cake, see the list of recipe links in the post, above
the recipe card. For a 2-layer cake, divide batter between 2 9-inch cake pans instead of 3.
(This is too much batter for 2 8-inch pans.) Increase bake time to about 30 minutes and use
a toothpick to test for doneness. For a Bundt cake, use a 10–12-cup generously greased
 Bundt pan and bake for about 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes
out clean. There is too much batter for a 9×13-inch quarter sheet cake. I have 2 recipes on
my website that would work for a 9×13-inch sprinkle cake. You could use this light and fluffy
white cake recipe and fold 1/2 cup (about 90g) sprinkles into the batter before pouring into
the pan. See those recipe Notes for a 9×13-inch cake. Or you can use this buttery sprinkle
sheet cake recipe. See those recipe Notes for a 9×13-inch cake.
9 Cupcakes: Use this batter for 3 dozen sprinkle cupcakes. Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full to
avoid over-flowing. Or use my confetti sprinkle cupcakes or funfetti cupcakes recipes.

Find it online: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/funfetti-layer-cake/