Confetti Birthday Cake
Rainbow sprinkles folded into a soft vanilla batter turn an ordinary cake into an instant celebration, and this style — often called 'funfetti' — has become the default birthday cake across the United States since boxed mixes popularized it in the 1980s. Made from scratch, it's just as festive and a lot more flavorful.
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups (340g) all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup (225g) butter, softened
- 1 3/4 cups (350g) sugar
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup rainbow sprinkles (jimmies, not nonpareils)
- For the frosting: 1 cup butter, 4 cups powdered sugar, 3 tbsp milk, 1 tsp vanilla, extra sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease two 9-inch round pans.
- Whisk the flour and baking powder together. Beat the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Beat in the egg whites one at a time, then the vanilla.
- Alternate adding the flour mixture and milk, mixing just until combined, then gently fold in the sprinkles.
- Divide between the pans and bake for 25-28 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.
- Beat the butter until fluffy, beat in the powdered sugar and milk, then frost the cooled cake and decorate with more sprinkles.
Tips
- Use rod-shaped jimmies rather than round nonpareils — they hold their color and don't bleed into the batter.
- Fold the sprinkles in right before baking; if the batter sits too long, the colored coating can bleed and turn the batter muddy.
- Egg whites (rather than whole eggs) keep the crumb white so the sprinkle colors stay vivid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do my sprinkles bleed into the batter?
This usually happens with nonpareils (tiny round sprinkles) or if the batter sits too long before baking — use jimmies and bake promptly.
Can I make this into cupcakes?
Yes, this batter makes about 24 cupcakes; bake for 16-18 minutes.
