Funfetti Cake!
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A three-layer funfetti cake with all the colourful sprinkles, and a vanilla buttercream frosting!
Funfetti!
It’s been a while since my blog had a little bit of colour on it, and a Funfetti Cake is 100% the best way to get that going. I love a funfetti cake, but in the UK they are much harder to come by. That’s not because people don’t want them, but because most of the sprinkles in the UK are awful!
For those of you who don’t know, a funfetti cake is essentially a basic or vanilla sponge, but with LOADS of sprinkles inside to give a confetti type of effect – but it’s all edible. Funfetti cakes are very popular in America, and they always look amazing!
Sprinkles
The problem we have over here in the UK, is that a lot of sprinkles just don’t have the same colourings or additives to make the sprinkles bright enough to bake with – a lot of the colours used in the sprinkles in America are in fact banned over here, because there are just TOO many additives!
Therefore, it makes it very difficult to get the effect you want. You can buy cake mixes in the uk, such as the Pillsbury funfetti cake mix online, which is probably the easiest way to get where you want – but its a box cake mix, and I know a lot of you aren’t a massive fan of those.
The sprinkles I use…
So, the sprinkles that I use for these recipes? These glorious funfetti sprinkles! These are the only ones I have tried so far… that work! You can try any supermarket ones, and they will either just disappear completely into the sponge, or just turn green.
I realise that buying some sprinkles online just for a cake seems a bit OTT, but if you want a good funfetti cake, and you’re in the UK like me and don’t have access to be best sprinkles ever, then it is SO worth it!
The next catch, is having enough sprinkles. To get lots and lots of colour and fun in the funfetti cake you do need to use lots of sprinkles I am afraid. The sponge itself is just a classic sponge, so it’s hard to get wrong!
Supermarket sprinkles
You can of course try supermarket sprinkles, or even branded ones that you can buy in shops, but be warned that they may not work. The really tiny sprinkle balls, and the sugar strands you can buy at supermarkets tend to be the worst as they’re already so small – so they just vanish!
Quantities
The amount you put into the cake will depend on how big you want the cake to be – as I made a three layer cake as usual, I found the two pots (120g) of sprinkles perfect for the sponges – if you were going to make a smaller version of the cake, you can easily use less sprinkles though!
As I didn’t want to take the mickey with the sprinkles, I didn’t use sprinkles in the frosting – I knew I would need a lot, and you don’t even see most of the frosting as it’s on the inside of the cake, so I just sprinkled some on top!
There are notes in the recipe on how to make a smaller two layer cake, but I hope you enjoy the recipe either way! x
Funfetti Cake!
Ingredients
Sponges
- 400 g unsalted butter (room temp)
- 400 g caster sugar
- 400 g self raising flour
- 8 medium eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 120 g funfetti sprinkles
Decoration
- 300 g unsalted butter (room temp)
- 600 g icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- funfetti sprinkles
Instructions
For the Cakes!
- Preheat your oven to 180ºc/160ºfan and line three 8"/20cm cake tins with parchment paper!
- Beat the unsalted butter and caster sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Add in the self raising flour, eggs and vanilla extract to the mix, and beat again until smooth.
- Pour in the Funfetti Sprinkles, and fold through with a spatula!
- Split the mixture evenly between the three tins - bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until baked through! Check with a skewer (it should be clean!)
- Leave your sponges to cool in the tin for 10-15 minutes, and then on a wire rack to cool fully!
For the Decoration!
- Beat your room temperature unsalted butter for a couple of minutes to loosen it and make it lighter!
- Add in the icing sugar a bit at a time and mix in fully!
- Add in the vanilla extract, and beat again. If your mixture is really stiff (and I mean, you will not be able to pipe with it - add in 1-2tbsp of boiling water to make it easier to pipe)
- Using your favourite piping tip, pipe buttercream onto your sponges, and add each layer of cake as you go!
- Once you have piped all of the buttercream on, sprinkle the cake with some more Funfetti Sprinkles and enjoy!
Notes
- I used these funfetti sprinkles!
- I would not recommend using cheap and basic sprinkles from the supermarket (if you are in the UK at least) as they don't work!
- If you are lucky enough to live elsewhere in the world with much better sprinkles - try others!
- This cake will last for 3-4 days in a cake box!
- To make a smaller version use:
- 250g butter/sugar/flour and 5 medium eggs
- 1/2tsp vanilla, and 60g sprinkles
- Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or so!
- Use 200g butter/400g sugar for the frosting!
ENJOY!
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J x
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Hi Jane,
I am going to make this cake for my daughters first birthday. Would the sponges be ok to freeze for a couple of days before decorating? (I’m trying to get myself organised).
Thank you. X
Yes they can be!! xx
Hi Jane do you think dr oetker sugar strands would work in this cake? Thank you, Lizzie
It depends.. the pale sugar strand things probably not!
Hi Jane,
Could I make cupcakes using this recipe?
Thanks xx
I would also like to know this as I expected yor like to make cupcake ones
Hi
Could I simply leave the funfetti out, or would I need to adjust the other ingredients?
Have make the caramel drip cake and totally loved it!! Thank you.
Yes you can x
Hi, i want to make this sponge but in 9inch tins how would i adapt the ingredients and also can you use springbottom tins xx
For a 9″ tin I usually use 1/3 more of the recipe – and yes loose bottomed, springform, or solid base tins work well for sponges.
Made this for a friends 40th Birthday for a surprise (He was told he was getting a Colin the Caterpillar cake, not that there’s anything wrong with that) as requested by his wife. I decorated differently, covered in buttercream so it was also a surprise when cut into and did a chocolate drip on top. They were mega chuffed and the feedback I received was highly positive. Thank you Jane.
Hi jane i want to make this cake for someones birthday . I want to make a spider man theme cake and want to colour the sponge blue and red and than want to cover under foundant so its ok if i add colour to sponge?and can i skip sprinkles in it?
Yes and yes! I would recommend good quality colours though, not ones from the supermarket x
I am in the process of making this cake for my boy’s 6th birthday. How much buttercream would I need to cover the sides of the cake as well as using some inside. I was hoping to do a multi coloured effect to reflect the sprinkles!!
I would double it at least! x
Hi Jane,
I’m trying to make a frozen inspired funfetti cake, do you know if the blue only confetti from iced jems is bake stable? I have used your recipe loads of times and it turns out amazingly well but I have only ever used the mixed colour funfetti you recommend.
I’m afraid I haven’t tried it myself but if its the same style it should be – you can message her on her pages and she will be able to let you know x
Hi Jane,
Can’t wait to try this!
If I want to make it as a traybake, what adjustments do I need to make?
Also at what temperature and how long for?
Thanks
The measurements and timings for my Gin & Tonic traybake are best – and add the sprinkles to that! (Leave out the G&T obviously!) x
Hi Jane,
I would really love to make this for my sisters birthday in early November and have just gone to order the same sprinkles you used but they’re sold out! Do you know of any alternatives that work? I would really love you use your recipe as I’ve used a fair few and have never gone wrong with them so I have full faith in this one too!
Thank you!!
Anushka x
I’m really sorry I don’t!! It may be worth a google, but I only use the ones I’ve linked! xx
Hi Jane!
I only have large eggs! How many would I need to use? Less or the same?
Thanks 🙂
You want 400g worth, but they need to be weighed in shells – so it could be 6 or 7 large! x
Hi Jane
I have made the cakes but was wondering if I added strawberrys on top would it topple down?
Do you mean for decoration? No they’d be absolutely fine!! x
Hi, I don’t have self rising Flour, how can I use so flour instead?
For using plain flour with no raising agent you need to add baking powder – usually it’s two level teaspoons per 150g of flour, whisked in before using!
Hi Jane!.
I’m a huge huge fan and your recipes have never failed me. I would so love to make a funfetti cake for my soon to be 6 year Old’s birthday in 2 weeks. But he has dairy allergies . Do you think this would work with substituting regular butter with something like Stork baking block ( it has no milk in it) or the flora plant butter block? Hope to hear from you soon! Thank you and a very happy new year!
Hiya, yes either would be fine for the sponge – use flora plant block for the buttercream! Hope this helps! x
Hi Jane i am intending to follow your recipe to bake for my daughters 6th bday but i have been struggling to find kosher/halal funfetti sprinkles as the ones you have advised are unfortunately unsuitable for our diet. Please could you advise an alternative kosher/halal sprinkle if possible. Thank you
I’m afraid I only use the ones recommended on the post so I can’t help, sorry!! x
Hi Jane!
I’m going to use this for my daughters 5th birthday next weekend, but as a Unicorn cake (not sure if you’ve seen them) and I was wondering if I could cover it in fondant icing, then pipe pastel colours of buttercream on top. Would this taste okay? Mixing the two types of icing?
Thanks!!!! 🙂
Hey! Yeah I think it would work well! Unicorn cakes are amazing!