Julie Clark
Posted:
Funfetti Birthday Cake (Homemade in a 9×13″ Pan)
May contain affiliate links. Terms of Use Policy.
This funfetti birthday cake gives you a classic boxed-birthday cake flavor, but it’s completely homemade. The cake has a tender, moist crumb because of a simple reverse creaming method.
This 9×13″ birthday cake is the one I turn to when I don’t want to deal with cake layers and fancy decorating. It’s simple enough for a beginner and festive enough for a birthday.
We have a handful of funfetti flavored treats on the blog, from funfetti pancakes to funfetti cookie sandwiches.
What ingredients make this Funfetti cake so tender?
Cake flour and the reverse-creaming method are the two biggest contributors to this cake’s tender crumb. Room-temperature ingredients also help the batter come together evenly.
Cake flour. You can use all purpose flour if you’d like, but cake flour gives a lighter texture and crumb. The most important thing is to measure the flour, lightly spoon it into a measuring cup, then level it off with a knife. Don’t pack the flour in or the cake will be dry.
Baking powder. Buy aluminum free baking powder. If you ever have a metallic taste to your baked goods that have baking powder, it is most likely the aluminum in the baking powder causing it. Check your labels!
Butter. You can use salted or unsalted butter. We’ve found it doesn’t make too much difference. But we generally use salted.
Eggs. Room temperature eggs blend in more easily than cold eggs. Large eggs are standard.
2% milk. Whole milk works as well. I wouldn’t recommend using skim milk.
Heavy cream. Use heavy cream when making buttercream frostings. It adds richness and makes the frosting smooth and delicious.
How do you make Funfetti Birthday Cake from scratch?
Start by using the reverse-creaming method, then add the liquid ingredients gradually and fold in the sprinkles at the very end. The key is to avoid overmixing once the liquid is added.
Dry Ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the softened butter to the dry ingredients. Mix on low with a hand mixer until the mixture looks like damp, coarse sand with no dry flour left, about 1 minute. Set aside.
Wet Ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, and milk until well blended.
Combine. With the mixer on low, pour in half of the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Add the remaining wet ingredients and mix just until the batter is smooth (about 1 minute). Scrape down the bowl and be careful not to overmix. Gently fold in the sprinkles by hand.
Pour & Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly.
Bake at 325ºF for 35–38 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Avoid overbaking so the cake stays moist.
Frost. In a stand mixer bowl, with the mixer on medium speed, whip the butter for 2 minutes until it is almost white in color. Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla and 3 tablespoons cream. Beat on low speed for 3-5 minutes, adding in the last tablespoon or two of milk if the buttercream needs to be thinner. Fold in the sprinkles.
Spread on the cooled cake. Sprinkle with additional sprinkles if desired.
Funfetti Birthday Cake
Nothing says celebration like a funfetti cake! This from-scratch Funfetti Birthday Cake bakes in a 9×13 pan for a quick and easy dessert.
Servings 15
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 3 cups cake flour lightly spooned into the cup and leveled
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder aluminum free
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup salted butter softened to room temperature
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole milk room temperature
- ¾ cup colorful sprinkles
For the frosting:
- 1 cup salted butter room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4-6 tablespoons heavy cream
- ⅓ cup colorful sprinkles
Instructions
Make the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Grease a 9×13 glass baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.3 cups cake flour, 1½ cups granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- Add the softened butter to the dry ingredients. Mix on low with a hand mixer until the mixture looks like damp, coarse sand with no dry flour left, about 1 minute. Set aside.1 cup salted butter
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, and milk until well blended.4 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 cup whole milk
- With the mixer on low, pour in half of the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Add the remaining wet ingredients and mix just until the batter is smooth (about 1 minute). Scrape down the bowl and be careful not to overmix. Gently fold in the sprinkles by hand.¾ cup colorful sprinkles
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Bake at 325ºF for 35–38 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Avoid overbaking so the cake stays moist.
Make the frosting:
- In a stand mixer bowl, with the mixer on medium speed, whip the butter for 2 minutes until it is almost white in color.1 cup salted butter
- Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla and 3 tablespoons cream. Beat on low speed for 3-5 minutes, adding in the last tablespoon or two of cream if the buttercream needs to be thinner.4 cups powdered sugar, 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract, 4-6 tablespoons heavy cream
- Fold in the sprinkles, then spread on the cooled cake. Sprinkle with additional sprinkles if desired.⅓ cup colorful sprinkles
Notes
- For the best texture, don’t skip the reverse-creaming step. The butter should be fully worked into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles damp sand before you add the liquid ingredients.
- Soft butter, room temperature eggs, and room temperature milk all blend together more evenly and give you a better texture.
- Have a metal pan? Metal conducts heat faster than glass, so bake in a metal 9×13 pan at 350ºF and start checking for doneness around 30 minutes.
- Sprinkles. Use classic sprinkles (jimmies) rather than nonpareils, which tend to bleed their color into the batter. Fold them in at the very end so they stay bright.
- Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to 5. This cake also freezes well, wrapped tightly, for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 662kcal | Carbohydrates: 85g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 302mg | Potassium: 192mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 66g | Vitamin A: 914IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 1mg
How do you store Funfetti birthday cake?
Store covered funfetti cake at room temperature for up to 3 days. Keep the cake tightly covered so the crumb doesn’t dry out.
You can also freeze the cake tightly wrapped for up to 3 months.
Can you make this cake ahead?
Yes. Bake the cake ahead and frost it later, or make the entire cake a day before serving.
Either way, make sure the cake is covered tightly until serving so it doesn’t dry out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Funfetti cake just white cake with sprinkles?
Funfetti cake is essentially a vanilla birthday cake with rainbow sprinkles baked into the batter. The exact flavor and texture depend on the recipe.
What kind of sprinkles are best for Funfetti cake?
Use rainbow jimmies, which are the long, skinny sprinkles. They hold their color better during baking and are less likely to bleed into the batter than nonpareils.
Why did my sprinkles bleed into the cake?
Sprinkles can bleed when they’re mixed too much or when you use nonpareil sprinkles. For the brightest sprinkle colors, use jimmies and gently fold them into the batter at the very end.
Can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour?
Yes, but cake flour gives this cake its softest crumb. If you use all-purpose flour, measure it carefully by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off rather than scooping directly from the flour container.
Why is my Funfetti cake dry?
The most common causes of a dry cake are too much flour, overmixing or overbaking. Measure the flour carefully, mix only until the batter is smooth after adding the liquid, and take the cake out when a toothpick has a few moist crumbs rather than waiting for it to come out completely dry.
Can I make this cake in a metal pan?
Yes. For a metal 9×13 pan, bake at 350°F and begin checking around 30 minutes. Metal conducts heat differently than glass, so the cake may bake more quickly.
