Festive Funfetti Vanilla Cake (Print)
Moist vanilla cake loaded with rainbow sprinkles and finished with fluffy vanilla buttercream frosting.
# Ingredient List:
→ Cake
01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
06 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
08 - 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
09 - 3/4 cup rainbow sprinkles (jimmies)
→ Buttercream Frosting
10 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
11 - 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
12 - 2-3 tablespoons milk or cream
13 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
14 - Pinch of salt
15 - Extra sprinkles for decoration
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt until well blended.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract until incorporated.
05 - Alternately add flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
06 - Gently fold in the rainbow sprinkles with a spatula until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
07 - Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans. Smooth the tops with an offset spatula.
08 - Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
09 - Cool layers in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely before frosting.
10 - Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt. Beat until light, fluffy, and spreadable.
11 - Once cake layers are completely cool, frost the top of one layer, place the second layer on top, and cover the entire cake with remaining frosting. Decorate with extra sprinkles.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The sprinkles stay suspended in the batter instead of sinking to the bottom
- Buttercream that tastes like an old-fashioned bakery made it disappear first
02 -
- Use jimmies not nonpareils or your cake will turn muddy gray
- Completely cool layers or the frosting will melt right off
03 -
- Freeze unfrosted layers up to a month, wrapped tightly in plastic
- Add a teaspoon of almond extract for that unmistakable bakery flavor