Incredible Funfetti Cake

5 from 6 votes

Incredible Funfetti Cake

Funfetti Cake is ultra fluffy, moist, and full of rainbow jimmies! It has the perfect buttery vanilla flavor, just like your favorite bakery cake! Frost this cake in the creamiest chocolate frosting and watch it fly off plates at any birthday party or celebration.

Prep Time1 15

Cook Time26

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Dessert

Keyword: Birthday Cake, Cake Recipes, Confetti Cake, Sprinkle Cake

Servings: + slices

Author: Stephanie Simmons

Ingredients

For the Cake

3 and 1/2 cups cake flour, spooned & leveled 385 grams
1 tbsp baking powder 14 grams
3/4 tsp baking soda 4.5 grams
3/4 tsp salt 5 grams
1/2 cup salted butter, softened at room temperature 113 grams
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp vegetable oil 123 mL
2 and 2/3 cups granulated sugar 567 grams
1 tbsp vanilla extract Use 1 tsp extra if skipping the butter emulsion, see below
1 and 1/2 tsp bakery buttery emulsion See note below
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg white, at room temperature See note below
3/4 cup full fat sour cream, at room temperature 180 grams
1 and 1/2 cups milk, at room temperature I used 2%. 240 mL
1 cup jimmy sprinkles, plus extra for decorating

For the Frosting

1 and 1/2 cups salted butter, softened at room temperature 24 tbsp, 3 sticks, or 339 grams
7 and 1/3 cups powdered sugar (start with 6 cups and go from there, until desired sweetness is reached)
2 tbsp heavy cream or milk
1 and 1/2 cups cocoa powder You can use natural or dutch process here. Dutch process will give a darker chocolate flavor.
1 tbsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt to taste
12 oz full fat cream cheese, cold Use full fat blocks

Instructions

Prep: Make sure all cold ingredients have come to room temperature. Preheat your oven to 350° F. Prepare three 9-inch cake pans*. Use a paper towel to rub shortening all over the inside of each pan, coating them evenly and completely. Cut a round of parchment paper to fit inside each (tracing is the easiest way). Place this on top of the greased pan bottom, then grease over the parchment paper as well. Add a handful of flour, and tap the pan around to evenly coat the entire inside with flour, tapping out the excess.
*Tip: 8-inch cake pans work as well! The cakes will bake in 24 to 28 minutes.
Make the Cake Batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter for about 30 seconds, until creamy. Add the vegetable oil and beat together on medium high speed for 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on high speed for 2 full minutes. The mixture will be fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula throughout, to ensure everything is combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating on medium-high speed between each addition, for 45 seconds. The mixture will be very fluffy. Add the sour cream and vanilla and mix on medium speed until just combined.Add half of the dry ingredients while the mixer is running on low speed. Add the milk when just a bit of the flour has disappeared into the batter, then add the remaining dry ingredients. Continue mixing on low, and stop when just a few streaks of flour remain. Turn off the mixer and add the sprinkles. Use a spatula to gently fold in the sprinkles with the last few streaks of flour. If there are some lumps in the batter, that's fine – do not over mix!
Bake: Divide the cake batter evenly between the prepared pans. (You can eyeball this or use a kitchen scale.) Bake the cakes, the first two pans together on a rack positioned in the center of the oven, and then the 3rd pan on its own after the first two are done. This will ensure the most even bake. Bake the cakes for 22-26 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center will pull out moist crumbs. Let cakes cool in the pans on cooling racks for 10 minutes. Then, invert onto cooling racks to cool completely.
Make the Frosting: In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter. Add the powdered sugar in 3 additions (start with 6 to 6.5 cups), mixing until smooth between each, adding 1-2 tbsp of heavy cream or milk as needed. Add the cocoa powder, vanilla and a pinch of salt. Beat in the softened cream cheese last. Taste and add extra powdered sugar until desired sweetness is reached.
Assemble & Frost the Cake: Place the first cake layer on a cake stand (I stick my cake stand on a turntable to make things easy). Use 1 and 1/2 cups of frosting (340 grams) to top the layer, spreading it evenly with an offset spatula. Repeat with the second layer. Add the final layer and give the cake a thin layer of frosting on top and on the sides. Use a cake scraper to smooth out and remove excess frosting. This is your crumb coat, so don't fret if it isn't perfect. Pop the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes or until the frosting is set. Then, use the remaining frosting to frost the cake. Chill the entire cake in the fridge for 30 minutes, or until the frosting is set before covering (with plastic wrap or a cake lid) or serving.
Tip: If your frosting is getting too soft at any point from sitting out, pop it back in the fridge for a bit to firm back up.
Serve + Store: Serve the cake once it's chilled as directed above. Slice into as many slices as desired! Store leftovers, tightly covered, in the fridge for 2-4 days. The cake will naturally start to dry out a bit once it's been cut and put back in the fridge, so just be sure to seal and store it tightly. Press an extra piece of plastic wrap up against the cut part to help keep the cake as fresh as possible.

Notes

Bakery Butter Emulsion: You can skip this ingredient in a pinch, but I highly recommend using it! You can find it in your local baking supply store or some craft stores like Joanns or Michaels, or order it from Amazon (linked in the heading of this tip). Please support your local baking supply store as much as possible, though!!

It adds that buttery bakery cake taste and is delicious in lots of other recipes, like my Funfetti Cookie recipe or in your my Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe!

Eggs: Eggs are easier to separate when cold. Separate your egg white out, then let it come to room temperature in a bowl on the counter, along with the rest of your cold ingredients.

Nutrition