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5 from 20 votes

Homemade Funfetti Cake Recipe

This homemade funfetti cake is my favorite cake ever. With sour cream to make it moist and cake flour to make it light and fluffy, this funfetti cake is going to take you back to your childhood. If you grew up on boxed funfetti cake mix like I did, but want a homemade version this funfetti cake recipe is it!
Prep Time55 minutes
Cook Time28 minutes
Total Time1 hour 23 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 14 servings
Calories: 999kcal

Ingredients

Cake Layers

  • 3 cups (345 g) cake flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks, 226 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon clear vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • 5 large (160 g, 2/3 cup) egg whites room temperature
  • ¾ cup (180 g) sour cream room temperature
  • ¾ cup (170 g) milk room temperature
  • ½ cup (up to ¾ cup) rainbow sprinkles

Buttercream Frosting

  • 3 1/4 cups (6 1/4 sticks, 706 g) unsalted butter softened
  • 6 1/4 cups (706 g) powdered sugar
  • 5 Tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons clear vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/16 teaspoon (pinch) salt

Instructions

Make the cakes

  • Prep oven and pans. Position rack in the center oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C). Prepare three 8-inch (20 cm) round pans (or two 9-inch round pans) with non-stick spray, then line with parchment circle, and spray again.
  • Combine dry ingredients. Sift together cake flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add salt and whisk together. Set aside.
  • Cream butter and sugar. In a stand mixer bowl with paddle attachment, (or you can use your hand mixer) cream butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl halfway through mixing. The mixture should be pale yellow and fluffy.
  • Add extracts and eggs. With mixer on low speed, add in the vanilla extract and almond extract. With the mixer running, slowly add in the egg whites mixing to combine. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
  • Alternate the dry ingredients and sourcream/milk. In a small bowl, stir together the milk and sour cream. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and milk/sourcream, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix on medium speed between additions until incorporated. Fold in sprinkles until evenly incorporated.
  • Bake cakes. Divide batter equally into the prepared pans. Bake for 22-28 minutes until cake is firm and springs back when gently touched in the center and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool cakes in the pan completely on a wire cooling rack before turning out of the pan. Once completely cooled, assemble and frost.

Make the frosting

  • Mix butter and sugar. In an mixing bowl with an electric mixer, combine the butter and confectioners sugar. Mix on low speed at first, then increase the speed to medium until combined.
  • Add heavy cream, extracts, and salt. Add in your heavy cream, extracts and salt, and mix on medium to high speed for 7-8 minutes until light and creamy. If not using immediately, store in a container in the refrigerator until ready to use, mix again until light and fluffy.

Assemble cake

  • Frost cake. Place one cake layer onto serving platter or cake stand. Use a spatula and frost the top of the layer (for even amount of frosting I use a large cookie scoop and scoop the frosting on, then spread out with a spatula). Top with another layer and repeat. If making a 3-layer cake. top with final layer and frost top and sides. Smooth with a spatula. If making a 2-layer cake, then frost top and sides. Decorate with more sprinkles, if desired.

Video

Notes

  • Storage: Store the cake covered in foil or plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days.
  • Freezing: You can freeze any leftover cake slices for up to 3 months. I wrap in a few layers of plastic wrap and then place inside a plastic freezer bag. You can thaw unwrapped at room temperature before serving.
  • Frosting: This makes a lot of frosting, and if you are making a 2 layer cake, or not planning on piping swirls on top you may have some leftover frosting. You can always make less, or freeze any leftover buttercream for up to 3 months. 
  • Sheet cake: Grease a 9x13 pan and bake for 35-45 minutes.
  • Cupcakes: This recipe will make 24 cupcakes. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners and fill about ⅔ full. Bake for 18-25 minutes.
  • Sprinkles: You want to use the longer rainbow sprinkles, not non-pareils. The first cake I made I used non-pareils and they begin to bleed into the batter creating a muddy appearance. Still tasted great but wasn't as pretty, but works if that's all you have. If you want to use naturally colored sprinkles you can, I have before, but just know the colors won't "pop" as much. 
  • Cake Flour - I'll explain more below, but cake flour is key to producing a light, tender cake. If you use all-purpose flour the cake won't be as tender. You can make a homemade cake flour, but it won't produce quite the same results as store-bought.
  • Vanilla extract - To give this Funfetti cake recipe a "true boxed Funfetti cake mix" flavor I recommend clear vanilla extract, but you can always substitute with pure vanilla extract instead.
  • Sour cream - I recommend using full-fat sour cream, not light or fat free. This adds richness and moisture, and the only adequate substitution I could recommend is using Greek yogurt.

Nutrition

Calories: 999kcal | Carbohydrates: 109g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 61g | Saturated Fat: 39g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 163mg | Sodium: 180mg | Potassium: 165mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 88g | Vitamin A: 1899IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 1mg