Enjoy a slice of nostalgia with Confetti Cake. This isn’t your classic boxed cake mix. Instead try this easy to make homemade vanilla cake made with basic pantry staples and dotted with rainbow sprinkles. Slather it with a homemade vanilla buttercream frosting for a decadent finish. It’s just like the confetti cake you remember as a kid, but so much better.
Homemade Confetti Birthday Cake
Everyone remembers the “funfetti” cake from their childhood. The classic boxed cake mix has been a staple in households for generations. But what if you could make the same exact cake, along with all the nostalgia, at home.
You won’t have to worry about a dry boring cake, this vanilla cake is so moist and light and a vanilla buttercream frosting adds just the right amount of sweetness.
I’ve tried the Milk Bar birthday cake several times, and while it looks impressive, it has always been dry and disappointing. I promise this one will exceed all of your expectations and will be your go-to birthday cake.
Making a confetti cake isn’t as intimidating as it looks. The recipe starts with a basic white cake batter, which helps the brightness of the sprinkles shine through. The secret to it’s moistness is a combination of buttermilk, eggs, butter and oil. This recipe makes enough to have three generous layers so you can easily make thinner slices than with a two layer cake.
The vanilla buttercream frosting really takes the cake, literally. It’s made with butter, of course, heavy cream, vanilla, powdered sugar, and salt. Then, it’s whipped until fluffy and spread all over the cake for a luscious finish, or use a piping bag to make decorations on the cake.
I wanted the buttercream to be mostly butter so I played around with the sugar until I settled on four cups. This makes it sweet but it still feels buttery. You can absolutely swap the frosting with my favorite fluffy cream cheese frosting, I love the vanilla-on-vanilla combination that you get with either of these frostings.
Try adding a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.
No matter the occasion, whether it’s a birthday party, potluck, or just because you’re craving a moist delicious slice of cake, this confetti cake will make you break up with boxed cake mixes for good.
Better Than Boxed
- Nostalgic: There’s nothing like a homemade confetti cake to help you reignite those childhood memories.
- Not just for birthdays: This cake isn’t just a birthday cake. It’s perfect for any occasion when you want a soft, moist slice of cake.
- Make-ahead friendly: You can prep the cake layers and frosting ahead of time and assemble when you’re ready to serve.
You Need to Grab These 3 Key Ingredients to Make Confetti Cake
These 3 ingredients are the key to making this recipe. But don’t forget about the rest of the ingredients in the recipe card.
- Cake flour: Cake flour is the secret to that soft, tender crumb we love in this cake. It has less protein than all-purpose flour, which gives the cake a lighter texture.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk adds moisture and a subtle tang that balances the sweetness of the cake. It also reacts with the baking soda, helping the cake rise. You can use regular milk in a pinch, but buttermilk gives extra flavor and a better texture. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can learn how to make your own buttermilk.
- Sprinkles (rainbow jimmies): Rainbow sprinkles add color and “confetti” to the cake. Just make sure to use jimmies and not nonpareils. Jimmies hold their shape during baking, while nonpareils might melt away and lose their color.
Whipping Up a Confetti Cake From Scratch
Step One: Mix Dry Ingredients
Step Two: Cream Butter, Sugar, and Oil
Tip: When making a cake, it’s best to use room temperature ingredients like eggs and butter. You can learn how to soften butter quickly if you’re short on time.
Step Three: Finish the Cake Batter
Tip: If you prefer a regular vanilla cake, you can leave out the sprinkles.
Step Four: Bake the Cake
Step Five: Frost the Cake
Add a rim of frosting before adding the rest to each layer. This will help fill in the gaps between the edges of the layers.
Tip: If adding sprinkles to the top, make sure you add them right away before the frosting firms up and lightly press them into the frosting.
Ways to Get Creative
- Cream cheese frosting: Switch out the vanilla buttercream for a tangy cream cheese frosting. It adds a tangy flavor to the cake.
- Chocolate frosting: If you prefer a chocolate frosting, use a chocolate mousse frosting or a chocolate fudge frosting instead of vanilla.
This Cake Stores Really Well
Once the cake is frosted, store it in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or two. The frosting will soften if it is warm, so store in the fridge or freeze it.
Plan Ahead by Making The Cake and Frosting Beforehand
You can make the cake layers ahead of time. After baking, let them cool completely, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze for up to a month.
You can also make the frosting and freeze it up to 3 months ahead of time. Just make sure to let it thaw in the refrigerator and whip it up again to make it fluffy. Frost the cake just before serving.
Don’t Forget!
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Ingredients
- 3 ¾ cups cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups butter room temp
- 2 cups sugar
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 4 eggs room temp
- 2 egg whites room temp
- 3 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk room temp
- ¾ cup sprinkles
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- 1 ½ cups butter 3 sticks
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3 teaspoons vanilla
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
Cake:
- Preheat The oven to 350º. Line three 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper cut to the size of the bottom of the cake pans. Grease and flour the bottom and sides of the pans.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until creamy and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the oil and beat an additional minute. Add eggs one at a time, ending with the egg whites, beating after each addition until incorporated. Add vanilla and beat until well combined.
- Alternate adding the flour mixture with buttermilk in three additions, beating on low just until incorporated, don’t over mix. Fold in the sprinkles and pour the batter evenly into the three cake pans.
- Bake for 24-26 minutes until the tops spring back when touched and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in the pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run an offset spatula or knife around the edges and invert onto a wire rack. Let cool completely before frosting.
Frosting:
- Use a stand mixer or electric mixer, beat the butter until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add cream and vanilla and salt, mix to combine. Add powdered sugar, a cup at a time, mixing until creamy after each addition. Then beat on high until creamy, about 2 minutes. Adjust the thickness by adding more cream or powdered sugar.
Assemble:
- Place the first layer on a cake platter and pipe a ridge of frosting around the edge of the cake layer. Fill in the center and add the 2nd layer. Press down with your hand so that the piped ridge of frosting seeps out a little. Repeat with the second layer. Add the top layer and frost the sides then the top. Place in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes for the frosting to set before cutting.
Notes
- Be careful to gently fold the sprinkles in so that they don’t dissolve into the batter.
- Using a circle of parchment paper in the bottom of each cake pan will make the layers come out easily.
