Homemade Confetti Cake | Cookies and Cups

This is the best confetti cake recipe made from fluffy homemade white cake loaded with rainbow sprinkles! It’s everything you love about classic boxed Funfetti cake mix, perfect for frosting and decorating.

Easy Confetti Birthday Cake (From Scratch!)

Funfetti cake mix always feels a bit untouchable. Every time I bite into anything funfetti flavored, it’s like a core childhood memory is unlocked. Is it even possible to capture all the nostalgic taste and texture of a boxed mix in a homemade cake? 

After one bite of this confetti cake, I can assure you, the answer is YES! This recipe is even BETTER than a boxed version (I said what I said). This is the fluffiest white cake, bursting with bright rainbow sprinkles and plenty of birthday party energy. It’s the perfect cake for a special occasion, and it’s easy enough to make anytime you’d like.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• One bowl. The batter for this confetti cake comes together in one bowl. It’s easy to make with simple ingredients, and clean up is a breeze.
• Perfect birthday cake flavor. This confetti cake is full of rich vanilla flavor and sprinkles. It tastes just like the birthday cakes from our childhood!
• Moist and fluffy texture. Every bite is melt-in-your-mouth tender and just the right amount of sweet.  

What’s the Difference Between Funfetti and Confetti Cake? 

Fun fact (pun intended): Funfetti and confetti are two names for the exact same cake. The only difference is that the term Funfetti is trademarked by Pillsbury, and confetti isn’t.

What You’ll Need

Below is an overview of the basic ingredients you’ll need to make your fabulous confetti cake! Refer to the recipe card below the post with the full amounts and recipe details.

• Flour and Sugar: For this white cake, I recommend regular flour and white granulated sugar, to keep the color and texture consistent.
• Baking Powder
• Salt
• Shortening: Vegetable shortening gives the cake a lighter, softer texture, but you can absolutely substitute shortening with butter instead.
• Milk and Vanilla: Whole milk or 2% milk for moisture, and vanilla extract to deepen the flavors.
• Egg Whites: You’ll need to separate 3 egg whites from the yolks. Egg whites give structure to the cake while keeping the crumb light and unyellowed.
• Rainbow Sprinkles: You can’t make a confetti cake without colorful “confetti” all throughout! Make sure you’re using the right kind of sprinkles, see below.

What Kind of Sprinkles Are Best to Use?

The best sprinkles for a confetti cake are rainbow jimmies. These are the longer colored sprinkles that hold their shape and color when baked into cakes. Avoid the small round rainbow nonpareils as they tend to bleed into the cake batter.

How to Make Confetti Cake

It couldn’t be easier to make your own confetti cake! Get your oven preheating to 350ºF while you grease and line the bottoms of two 8” round pans. I like to give the pans a light dusting with flour, too, to help with sticking. Now, let’s make some cake:

• Prepare the cake batter. First, beat the dry ingredients together with the shortening, add the vanilla, and mix in the milk. After, beat in the egg whites, and finally, fold in the sprinkles. 
• Bake. Divide the batter between the two prepared cake pans. Bake the cakes at 350ºF for 20-25 minutes. Once out of the oven, leave the cakes in the pans for about 10 minutes before inverting them onto a rack to cool.

Assemble and Frost a Confetti Layer Cake

I frosted my confetti cake inside and out with my perfect buttercream frosting. To assemble and frost your cake layers as pictured, follow these simple steps:

1. Assemble the cake layers. I recommend placing a dollop of frosting in the middle of the plate beforehand, to help keep the cake from slipping. Cover this first cake layer generously with frosting, then place the second cake gently over top.
2. Frost the tops and sides of the cake. Use a spatula or knife to spread frosting all over the top and the sides of the cake.
3. Add sprinkles. If you’d like to add a skirt of sprinkles like you see in the photos, do this right away before the frosting has set. Use your hands to gently press sprinkles along the bottom of the cake.

Ways to Decorate

There’s no wrong way to decorate a confetti cake. I mixed 2 tablespoons of rainbow jimmies into my homemade streusel topping to sprinkle all over the cake. It gives this cake serious Milk Bar birthday cake vibes (if you know, you know). You could absolutely just pile a whole heap of sprinkles on top of your cake, too!

If you’re looking for another frosting, my creamy chocolate frosting and fluffy marshmallow frosting are both great options. This cereal milk frosting is also a fun twist on classic buttercream.

Tips and Variations

I’m certain that your confetti cake will come out perfect! This cake recipe is pretty straightforward, but a few bonus tips never hurt:

• Don’t overmix the cake batter. Overmixing will result in a dense, tough cake, and not the light, airy crumb that we’re going for. Make sure to only mix the ingredients until everything is just combined.
• In place of vanilla extract, you can use clear vanilla that won’t impact the color of the cake. A funfetti cake is also one of the (ahem) rare occasions where you can get away with artificial vanilla, if that’s what you have on hand.
• If you’re looking for a birthday cupcake version, see my recipe for confetti cupcakes!

Ways to Serve Confetti Cake

Of course, this cake makes the ultimate party dessert served with ice cream! Serve slices with a scoop of vanilla, chocolate, or Neapolitan ice cream for old times’ sake. Or, make your own 2-ingredient homemade ice cream. If you’d like, go ahead and squeeze on some chocolate sauce. It’s a party, after all.

For a fruity twist, enjoy your cake slices drizzled with homemade strawberry syrup or topped with lemon curd. Both flavors pair perfectly with birthday cake.

How to Store

Store the frosted or unfrosted confetti cake airtight at room temperature for up to 2-3 days. If your kitchen is particularly hot or humid, consider keeping the cake covered in the fridge, and taking it out ahead of serving.

Can I Freeze Confetti Cake?

I usually recommend freezing cakes before they’re frosted. Once your confetti cake layers have cooled, wrap them tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap and freeze them for up to 3 months. Defrost the cakes at room temperature before frosting.

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