THE BEST Funfetti Cake

Updated: Mar 15, 2026 by christina.marsigliese · 91 Comments

When it comes to vanilla cake, there are quite a few options. There's yellow vanilla cake, white vanilla cake, vanilla sponge cake, chiffon cake and angel food cake to name a few. They all have a place and an occasion, but when it comes to the most celebratory vanilla cake, my BEST Funfetti Cake is the one and only with two moist, tender and flavorful vanilla cake layers topped with the creamiest whipped white chocolate frosting. There are two types of colorful rainbow sprinkles baked into the batter which makes it look so fun and festive! This is the ideal birthday cake and I promise it is the best homemade Funfetti Cake you will ever make. If you prefer chocolate, then you can't miss my most popular recipe: The Best Moist Chocolate Cake.

best funfetti cake on a plate with birthday candles

WHAT IS FUNFETTI CAKE AND WHAT MAKES FUNFETTI FLAVOR?

Funfetti cake is a type of vanilla butter cake with rainbow sprinkles mixed into the batter before baking. It is also sometimes called "confetti cake" or "sprinkle cake" as the sprinkles look like confetti in the cake layers. You may know this type of cake from the popular Duncan Hines "rainbow bit" cake mix. It is typically topped with vanilla frosting and decorated with more rainbow sprinkles like jimmies, non pareils or flat confetti sprinkles.

The flavor of "Funfetti" is similar to vanilla, but with pronounced custardy flavor to mimic vanilla cake batter. Almond extract is also commonly used to create a candy-like taste that is reminiscent of box cake mix. This recipe uses a whole egg plus egg whites to create that custardy vanilla flavor profile and also make a very fluffy cake.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Homemade funfetti cake - you will never buy box mix again after you see how easy it is to make it at home with simple ingredients.
Soft and tender vanilla cake - the buttery vanilla cake layers are so soft and tender thanks to thoughtful proportions of fat, sugar and egg whites.
Moist vanilla cake - a combination of butter and oil with the perfect proportion of liquid ingredients makes moist and flavorful vanilla cake.
Confetti rainbow sprinkles - the combination of rainbow jimmies sprinkles and confetti sprinkles gives the most attractive appearance. The confetti sprinkles are larger and cover more surface area for more impact, while the jimmies distribute further through the batter for colorful specks throughout.
Whipped white chocolate ganache frosting - look how silky this frosting is! There is not a bit of butter in it and the sweetness comes all from pure white chocolate. Once you try this silky light frosting, you might never make buttercream again.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE BEST FUNFETTI CAKE

Here are some notes about the ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, see the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

All purpose flour - you do not need specialty cake flour to make wonderful cakes. Just be sure to measure your flour correctly. Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake and leads to tough and dry cake. The most accurate way to measure flour is using a scale. If you don't have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
Granulated sugar - simple fine white granulated sugar keeps the flavor clean so the vanilla shines.
Pure vanilla extract - good quality vanilla is essential to making delicious butter cakes and I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
Pure almond extract - this is optional, but it does make this cake tastes like box mix thanks to its fruity cherry-like flavor undertones.
Unsalted butter - butter brings the flavor! It's important to use butter in this recipe to really bring out the vanilla flavor. If you only have salted butter, then reduce the added salt by ⅛ tsp.
Oil - a bit of oil is my secret to making soft cakes. Oil is liquid at room temperature because it is an unsaturated fat while butter is a saturated fat with more solid fats. That means if we were to use all butter, the cake would have a firmer texture. Oil will help bring down the fat melting profile so that the cake layers stay soft. You can use any neutral oil like sunflower oil or canola oil or vegetable oil.

best funfetti cake on a plate ingredients

best funfetti cake layers fresh out of the oven on cooling rack

Egg - 1 whole egg plus 2 egg whites will provide structure, lift and of course flavor to these cakes. The egg whites keep the cake layers a lighter shade and also make them very plush.
Sour cream - I love baking with sour cream. It adds rich dairy notes, body and tanginess.
Milk - you can use whole milk at 3.25% or 2% milk. I would avoid anything with less fat content than that (i.e. avoid skim milk).
Rainbow sprinkles - I use a blend of rainbow jimmies and confetti sprinkles because I like the contrast of the rods and the larger circular sprinkles for a larger pop of color.
White chocolate - seek out pure white chocolate (not compound chocolate) which has only cocoa butter as the fat. There should not be any other vegetable oils added in the ingredient list. This is the one I use here.
Whipping cream - you will need cold heavy cream with at least 35% milk fat for the frosting.
Vanilla bean - here is the perfect recipe to show off a fancy vanilla bean! The pure ingredients and creamy flavor really enhances the vanilla and carries the flavor. I purchase mine here. You can also use vanilla bean paste.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS: HOW TO MAKE CONFETTI CAKE FROM SCRATCH

STEP 1). Make the cake batter. Combine dry ingredients. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl and whisk to blend evenly.
STEP 2). Cream fats and sugar. Combine soft butter, oil, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer for 2 minutes until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg until well incorporated. Add egg whites and beat until well combined and smooth. Mix in sour cream.
STEP 3). Alternate adding dry and wet ingredients. Sift in half of the flour over the wet mixture and mix it in slowly. Gradually beat in half of the milk. Mix in remaining flour and then rest of the milk. Beat on high for the last 5 seconds to emulsify the batter. Fold in sprinkles.
STEP 4). Bake. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 25-28 minutes until lightly golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer pans to a wire rack and let cool completely.
STEP 5). Make the frosting. Place chopped white chocolate into a large bowl. Pour ½ cup of cream into a saucepan with the scraped vanilla bean seeds (and I also add the scraped pod because there are still lots of seeds in there!) and place over medium heat. Watch it as it comes to a simmer. Once simmering, immediately pour it over the chopped chocolate, cover the bowl and let stand for 2 minutes. Uncover the bowl and whisk until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth and silky. Let it cool for 5 minutes so it is no longer hot, and then whisk in remaining cold cream.

STEP 6). Chill the ganache. Place the bowl in the fridge and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight until completely cold. If you choose to chill overnight, then cover the bowl after 20 minutes, and in this case you may wish to make the frosting base first and then make the cake layers the next day.
STEP 7). Whip the ganache. Add the vanilla extract and beat with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium speed until thick and fluffy. This will take about 2 minutes but it depends on your mixer. Watch the video to see the consistency you should be looking for.
STEP 8). Make the cream filling. Combine cold cream, sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl and whip to firm peaks using an electric hand mixer. Gently mix in some of the Vanilla Whipped Ganache Frosting.
STEP 9). Assemble the cake. Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Fill a piping bag with about 1 cup of frosting and pipe around the circumference of the cake to build a wall that will keep the filling from squeezing out. Use a small offset spatula to spread the cream filling over the top of the cake within the frosting border. Place the other layer on top so it aligns with the sides of the bottom layer. Cover the entire cake with frosting and use a large offset spatula to even out the sides and make swooshes and swirls on the top layer. Decorate with sprinkles.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS FOR HOMEMADE FUNFETTI CAKE

Do not over-bake. The cakes are ready when they spring back when pressed gently and a skewer comes out clean. They will be lightly golden brown on top.
Use very soft (but not melted) butter. Take your butter out of the fridge two hours before you plan to bake. I usually take mine out the night before if it's not a hot day. It should be nice and soft but not melted to whip properly for the best aeration.
Have eggs at room temperature. Take your eggs out of the fridge 2 hours before baking, or place them in a bowl of warm water for 15 minutes.
Sift the dry ingredients. Sifting is so important for cakes in order to break up the flour particles for even absorption and also to evenly distribute the leavening agents which will prevent large holes or "tunnels" in the baked cakes.
Fold the sprinkles in gently. Add the sprinkles and fold them in gently. Avoid mixing too much at this stage or the colors from the sprinkles will bleed into the batter.
Use a mix of rainbow jimmies and confetti sprinkles. The confetti sprinkles are larger and will give bolder pops of color in the cakes.

RECIPE FAQ

What type of oil is best for funfetti cake?

Firstly - use a fresh oil! Do not use anything that's been opened for a long time and when you store oil, it should be in a cool dark place. Light and heat accelerate oxidation reactions that can make the flavor turn rancid. My oil of choice for baking is sunflower oil for its clean and neutral taste, but any other oil such as canola or safflower will do.

How do I know when my cakes are finished baking?

Once the centers are springy and a toothpick comes out clean the cakes are ready. They do not get very brown - just lightly golden.

What is the secret to super moist cake and how do I make my cake more moist?

It's not more fat! Moisture comes from liquid, not fat. So you can add more butter and more oil, but it will really just make the cake more dense and more tender by shortening the texture. Fat will not make a cake moist as only liquids can add moisture. This cake is moist because of the amount of liquid.

How do you add moisture to cake?

A bit of oil makes the texture very soft and in turn gives the perception of "moistness". That's because oil is made up of mostly unsaturated fats that are liquid at room temperature. Butter contains more saturated fats that are solid at room temperature, therefore the texture of a butter cake will be more crumbly and firm.

What type of sprinkles are best for Funfetti Cake?

The best type of sprinkles for the cake batter are rainbow jimmies which are little rods or confetti sprinkles which are larger, flat circular sprinkles. I use a blend of both in this recipe.

Can I use natural sprinkles for Funfetti Cake?

If you prefer natural sprinkles, you can use these however the color will be much less vibrant.

Can I make the cakes in advance?

Yes you can make the cakes (without the filling and the frosting) up to one day in advance. Wrap them well in plastic and store in an airtight container at a cool room temperature. The next day you can assemble the cake.

Can I make the frosting in advance?

Yes, you can prepare the frosting base 1 day in advance and whip it the next day.

Do I need to use vanilla bean for the frosting?

This frosting with its purity and ultra creamy flavor is perfectly suited to show off a vanilla bean. However, you can also increase the vanilla extract in the recipe to 1 ½ teaspoons and omit the vanilla bean.

best funfetti cake on a plate with one slice cut out

slice of best funfetti cake on a plate with bite

STORING AND FREEZING

How do I store Funfetti Cake?

This cake should be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week and is best served at room temperature.

Can I freeze Funfetti Cake?

You can wrap and freeze unfrosted and unfilled cake layers for up to three months. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap and place in a resealable freezer bag for storage.

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