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This fluffy and moist homemade Funfetti Cake is easy to make in a 9×13 inch pan! This white confetti cake is full of sprinkles and topped with funfetti vanilla frosting.
Our funfetti cake recipe is a from scratch white cake that’s been loaded with jimmie sprinkles! It’s the perfect party or birthday cake.
You can add as few or as many sprinkles as you’d like to homemade funfetti cake. I say if you’re making a funfetti cake recipe, go big and add at least 3/4 cup of sprinkles to the batter. Don’t forget to top the frosting with sprinkles!
Homemade Funfetti Cake Ingredients
- unsalted butter: adds flavor and tender texture
- granulated sugar: adds sweetness and flavor
- egg whites: binds the cake together by providing structure – using only egg whites keeps the cake more white in color
- vanilla extract: adds that classic vanilla flavor to the cake
- sour cream: adds moisture & fat, activates the baking soda
- milk: adds moisture
- all purpose flour: flour is necessary to build structure
- baking soda: helps to leaven and lift the batter
- salt: just a pinch to balance the sweetness
- jimmie sprinkles: sprinkles are critical in homemade funfetti cake
How to Make Funfetti Cake From Scratch
- Beat the butter and sugar together, 1-2 minutes, until thick and creamy.
- Add in the egg whites, sour cream, milk and vanilla. Beat again until combined.
- Gently fold in the dry ingredients and sprinkles, mixing by hand with a spatula.
- Spray a 9×13 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the batter into the pan and spread smooth with a spatula.
- Bake then cool completely before adding the frosting.
Total Time Required
- 10 minutes to prep the batter
- 33-36 minutes to bake the cake
- 1 hour, at least, to cool the cake
- 15 minutes to make and frost the cake
What Sprinkles to Use for Funfetti Cake
Jimmie sprinkles are the best type of sprinkle to use when making 9 x 13 inch funfetti cake. Jimmie sprinkles are the long, skinny “hot dog” shape sprinkle.
I do not recommend using nonpareils, the small round ball sprinkles, because their color tends to bleed during baking.
After much searching, I found that Walmart’s Great Value brand jimmie sprinkles are the best looking sprinkles because the colors are bright and the sprinkle mixture doesn’t contain brown sprinkles. I don’t want brown sprinkles because they don’t look appealing!
Frosting for Confetti Cake
The frosting options are endless. Follow the vanilla frosting provided in the recipe card or try..
Can this recipe be made into cupcakes?
We converted this recipe for you! Our funfetti cupcake recipe makes 12 cupcakes.
Tips
- Properly measure the all purpose flour using the spoon and sweep method.
- Use room temperature butter for easier creaming of the butter and sugar.
- Use jimmie sprinkles
- Combine the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until they are combined. Over mixing could lead to dry, dense cake.
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Funfetti Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, 1 cup
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 ½ cups sour cream
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¾ cup jimmies sprinkles, the long ones, not the ball ones
Frosting
- 3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, 1 & 1/2 cups
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar
- jimmie sprinkles, to top the cake
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350º F. Spray a 9×13 inch pan with cooking spray.
- In a mixing bowl combine the butter and sugar, beat using an electric mixer, 1-2 minutes until fluffy.
- Add in the egg whites, sour cream, milk, and vanilla extract. Beat with the electric mixer.
- In a separate mixing bowl combine the flour, baking soda, salt and sprinkles.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing by hand with a spatula just until the flour is incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 30-37 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before adding the frosting.
Frosting
- In a mixing bowl beat the butter with an electric mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Add in the vanilla extract and 2 cups of powdered sugar, mix again.
- Add in more powdered sugar (up to 2 more cups) as you see fit. Add a dash of milk if the frosting becomes too thick.
- Spread the frosting over the cooled cake. Add sprinkles. Cut and serve. Store in an air tight container on the counter for up to 3 days.
what would you recommend replacing the sour cream for? currently i don’t have any.
Hi Daniela!Please refer to the Wilton cake baking guide: https://www.wilton.com/cake-serving-guide/cms-baking-serving-guide.html
Sour cream can be replaced with plain yogurt ounce for ounce. When I use regular yogurt I just add that. If you use Greek yogurt you might want to add 1T milk to thin it a tad.
If I want to make a half sheet cake, could I double this recipe?
Hi Tracy! I haven’t tried that myself, but I believe that would be a good ratio!
I can I make this in an 8×8 pan and maybe half the recipe?
Hi Wendy! I haven’t tried scaling it down, let me know how it goes if you try it!
Any tips for baking this at high altitude? I’ve read using less sugar and baking soda and maybe a little extra milk can help. I just tried another recipe from another site and it’s in the trash now. I live in Reno now having grown up in NJ and still have SO MUCH trouble with baling cakes here! Help!
Hi Eryn! I don’t have any experience baking at high altitudes – can other high altitude bakers chime in?
What size pan did you use for this recipe?
9×13 inch glass pan!
Can I use a whisk or a spatula for this recipe because I cant find a hand mixer this time around. Also do you know if there is a substitute for the sour cream?
Hi Shirley! Combining the butter and sugar by hand can be difficult because you need to whip them together well, causing a lot of air to be incorporated. For the other steps, a hand mixer isn’t necessary and you could use a spatula. I haven’t tried substituting the sour cream.
Hi Beth!
Will you need to add baking powder if you use two 9inch round pans?
Hi Maureen! Follow the recipe as written, but divide the batter into your 2 pans.
In November 2020 I baked this for my nephews birthday and currently another is in the oven for my sons birthday party!
It’s such an easy recipe to incorporate my 2 year old in. I use round cake pans and double layer it. Super excited for it come out of the oven! Thank you so very much for this recipe.
I made this for my coworker’s birthday and it was a huge hit. I needed a quick, easy recipe for a weeknight and this was perfect. Thank you!!
I am trying to make a smash cake for my son’s first birthday. Do you think I would be able to cut 2 rounds from this sheet cake & stack them? Will it hold up?
Hi Taylor! This cake is baked in a 9×13 inch pan so the 2 round cakes would probably be pretty small, but for a smash cake it will probably be great! Yes you will be able to stack them!