Birthday Funfetti Cake

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Celebrate your birthday with this homemade funfetti cake! It consists of three layers of white, fluffy cake studded with rainbow sprinkles all enrobed in a silky swiss meringue buttercream with even more sprinkles.

Prep Time 1 30

Cook Time 45

Total Time 2 15

Servings12 slices

Coursecake

CuisineAmerican

AuthorSloane

Equipment

Ingredients

For the funfetti cake layers:

270 g (2 ¼ cups) all-purpose flour
250 g (1 ¼ cups) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
113 g (8 tablespoon) unsalted butter, room temp
100 g (½ cup) neutral oil
340 g (1 ½ cups) whole milk, room temp
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 egg whites
85 g (½ cup) rainbow jimmy sprinkles

For the swiss meringue buttercream:

210 g (about 6) egg whites
450 g (2 ¼ cups) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
510 g (2 ¼ blocks) unsalted butter, room temp, but on the cooler side
22 g (2 tablespoon) rainbow jimmy sprinkles

Instructions

For the funfetti cake layers:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (180 degrees F).
Grease and line three 6 inch cake pans with parchment paper.
Soak cake strips in ice cold water.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Cut up the butter into small cubes and add to the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until it resembles wet sand.
Add the oil, milk, and vanilla, and mix until just combined.
In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites to medium peaks. Gently fold it into the batter with a rubber spatula until just combined.
Lastly, add the sprinkles and mix until evenly distributed.
Divide the cake batter between the prepared pans. Wrap the outsides of the pans with the cake strips.
Bake the cake layers for 40-45 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.
Turn the cakes out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, wrap in plastic wrap and leave at room temperature or in the freezer until ready to decorate.

For the swiss meringue buttercream:

Wipe the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk attachment down with white vinegar.
Add the egg whites and sugar to the bowl and whisk until fully combined.
Place over a small saucepan of simmering water, and whisk frequently until it reaches 160 degrees F or until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture no longer feels grainy.
Move the bowl over to the stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium-high speed until medium peaks form.
Add the vanilla and continue whisking until stiff peaks form.
Turn the mixer down to low speed, and wait until the meringue cools down to at least 85 degrees F.
Cut the butter into cubes and add to the meringue a few pieces at a time, allowing them to fully incorporate before adding more.
Once all of the butter is added, it may look curdled, but keep beating for a few more minutes and it will come together.
Once the buttercream has mostly come together, change the whisk attachment to the paddle and keep mixing on low speed until homogenous and smooth.

For assembly:

Place the first cake layer on the cake stand. Add three 3 tablespoon scoops of buttercream and spread into an even layer. Place the second cake layer on top and repeat.
Spread an even layer of buttercream on the sides (crumb coat), then chill in the fridge for at least 10 minutes.
To the remaining buttercream, mix in 2 tablespoon of jimmy sprinkles until evenly distributed.
Remove the cake from the fridge and apply a thicker layer of buttercream to the sides.
Lastly, pipe buttercream along the edges of the cake as desired.

Notes

Use cake strips to create flat cake layers. Soak these wilton cake strips in ice water before starting the cake batter. Just before baking, wrap the cake strips around the pan. The cold temperature on the outside of the cake will prevent the edges from baking faster than the center, resulting in an evenly baked flat cake.
Wait until meringue cools down before adding butter. It is SO important to wait until the meringue drops down to at least 85 degrees F or you will risk the butter melting and the whole thing turning into a big soupy mess.
Use a cookie scoop to assemble the cake. Use a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop to add an equal amount of frosting to each layer.

Nutrition Facts

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