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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Would you recommend a sugar syrup in between layers as want it to be moist day or so after for party?
Hiya! Yes, this should be fine! Hope this helps! x
My 11 year old daughter has chosen this cake for her birthday this year after getting your celebration recipe book for Christmas. I’m hoping to make it in number shaped cake tins which are fairly large. Would you alter the recipe at all to do this or would you keep everything the same? Thanks xxx
Hi Jane
I love your cakes but I was just wondering as I prefer can I do a creme cheese frosting on this cake ?
Absolutely you can, sounds yummy! Enjoy! x
Hi Jane, I’m having trouble getting height on my cake, I’m using an 8” cake tin but just can never get thick layers of cake in any of your recipes I use. I’m hoping to make cakes for decorating but just can’t get nice thick cake layers for height.
Hi, I am wanting to half this recipe and bake in a loaf tin, would this recipe still work?
Hiya! Check out my Rainbow Loaf Cake recipe on her instagram page! Hope this helps! x
Hi,
I was hoping to use your recipe to make cupcakes instead – do you know how many cupcakes the main recipe would make? Thanks a lot.
Hiya! Take a look at my Funfetti Cupcake recipe. Hope this helps! x
Hi Jane I would like to make this in a 4 layer 6 inch how long would I adjust the time to please. Thanks
Great recipe, it turned out really well! I did 4 6” layers with the 8 egg recipe and used Lieber sprinkles from Amazon. Just need to get better at piping now! Thanks Jane.
Hi I’m going to make this cake for my grandson I usually put baking powder in even when I use SR flour I’m just worried the sponge won’t ris?
Hiya! Follow the recipe for the best results – hope this helps! x
Hi, wanting to do this recipe for my sons 1st birthday! But I was going to cover the whole cake in icing, and then do rainbow swirls on the top – like your rainbow explosion cake. Would I be able to keep the buttercream measurements the same, or do more? I would do the cream inside the layers a bit thinner as there is icing on the outside too?
Hi Jane
Can you advise on how to make this recipe vegan?
Can’t wait for your next book
Hiya! The best option is to follow my Vegan Vanilla Sponge recipe – however the sprinkles may sink slightly as I have not tested this! Hope this helps! x
Hi, can this be baked as one or does it need to be slipt (doing the smaller version)
My oven won’t take two cakes as it’s tempermental.
Or can the second cake be left out until the first one is baked? Little worried what’s best to do in the heat.
Thank you
Hiya! It should be fine to leave one out whilst the first one bakes – as long as you bake the other asap afterwards! Hope this helps! x
Hi Jane! My icing came out yellow ( I think because of the butter ) is there any way to make it white?
Hiya! Try beating the butter for longer on it’s own before adding the icing sugar! Alternatively, take a look at my Rainbow Cake recipe for white food colouring! Hope this helps! x
If I use this recipe in a 7inch cake pan would it work?
Just made this cake to practise for my daughters birthday next week, I didn’t have a jumbo nozzle but I used a swirl jumbo one I have, still looks great. Daughter also wanted pink icing so did that also. Cake was so simple to make and looks fantastic. Thank you for your great recipes xxx
Hello, how would I convert this recipe to make 24 cupcakes please?
Going to make them for my daughters party bags 🧁