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This funfetti sheet cake is everything a funfetti cake should be: moist, tender, buttery & filled with sprinkles. Say goodbye to the box mix and make this easy funfetti cake recipe instead!
If you’re looking for the perfect cake for birthdays, celebrations, or whenever you need a dessert that’s filled with sprinkles and happiness – then this funfetti sheet cake is just the thing. It’s a moist and tender vanilla cake dotted with sprinkles. Then it’s topped with vanilla buttercream and even more sprinkles for decoration.
I know most people might associate funfetti with children’s birthday parties – but no matter how old I get I’ll happily enjoy a slice of this funfetti cake for any occasion. And after tasting a piece, I think you will too.
Funfetti Cake Recipe
When researching funfetti cake recipes – I found a lot that required fancier ingredients. But I wanted to make a funfetti cake recipe that wouldn’t be much more complicated than using a box mix, but way more delicious. And that’s exactly what we’re making today.
How to Make Funfetti Cake
- In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Then in a separate large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy. This step is important for getting a fluffy cake crumb.
- Mix in the vanilla and the eggs one at a time. It’s important that your eggs are room temperature here because it helps everything mix together evenly. To do this quickly, place the eggs in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes before using them.
- Then beat in the sour cream, followed by about ½ of the flour mixture.
- Then mix in the milk followed by the rest of the flour.
- Last but not least – gently fold in the sprinkles. Use a large rubber spatula here to avoid the color bleeding.
- Then bake the cake for about 25-30 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
For this recipe, I definitely recommend using jimmies for your sprinkles – these are the long cylindrical ones. I don’t recommend using nonpareils (the little, tiny round ones) in the cake batter because I find they bleed color a lot more than jimmies. Obviously for decorating your cake – feel free to use whichever you prefer.
Then I frosted my cake with vanilla buttercream. It’s fluffy, it’s creamy, and it’s completely delicious. It’s made with butter, powdered sugar, a little salt, and heavy cream (or milk if that’s all you have on hand). If you like your frosting bright white, you can substitute ¼ cup of the butter with ¼ cup of shortening.
This funfetti sheet cake is tender, moist, filled with sprinkles, and the perfect easy cake recipe. Way better than a box mix – but still so easy to make.
For more sprinkle recipes – make sure to try these favorites:
Funfetti Sheet Cake
Ingredients
Funfetti Cake
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs*
- 1/2 cup sour cream*
- 1/2 cup milk*
- 2/3 cup jimmie sprinkles I do not recommend using nonpareil sprinkles (the little round balls)
Vanilla Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3-4 tablespoons cream or milk
- sprinkles to decorate
Instructions
Funfetti Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Then grease and flour a 9×13 inch baking pan.
- In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate large bowl beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy (about 2 minutes).
- Add in the vanilla extract, then beat in the eggs 1 at a time.
- With the mixer on low speed, beat in the sour cream followed by about ½ of the flour mixture. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Then mix in the milk, followed by the rest of the flour mixture.
- Turn off the mixer and gently stir in the sprinkles using a large rubber spatula.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Vanilla Frosting
- In a large bowl beat the butter until fluffy.
- Beat in 3 cups of powdered sugar, starting with the mixer on low speed then gradually increasing the speed as it begins to incorporate.
- Then add in the salt. Mix in the rest of the powdered sugar about ½ cup at a time, alternating with a tablespoon or 2 of cream until the desired sweetness level is reached.
- Frost the cooled cake and decorate with sprinkles
Hi! Just wondering if I can make and frost this the night before and store in the fridge? Thank you!
Absolutely! You can make it 24-48 hours in advance.
This cake is amazing and is the only recipe I use for vanilla and funfetti cakes! perfectly moist and dense! I was just wondering if you could possibly convert this to metric measurements by chance. Thank you for the amazing recipe!!
Hi Lia, Thanks for the kind words! Unfortunately I don’t have the capability of changing measurements. However a quick google search and you’ll find some great (free) converters.
This cake is SO GOOD!!! I had a different go-to funfetti cake that was good but much more complicated (whipping egg whites to peaks complicated). This one is very similar in taste but easier to make. It is fluffy and moist and not overly sweet. It’s just perfect. I’m gonna get rid of that other funfetti recipe!!
Nice! Awesome feedback Andrea! Thank you so much for stopping by.
Do all the ingredients need to be room temperature sour cream, butter and eggs?
I’ve made this recipe once before and loved it! It was super moist and perfectly sweet. I’m making it again tonight but wondering if it would be ok to use egg whites only? It’s all I have at the moment.
Sure, just follow amounts on the package for the right ratios.
Will a 12 x 8 1/2 inch pan work with recipe?
It depends on the height, it would probably work but if it’s not tall enough could overflow.
I just did this and it worked for me! No problems with overflow but did bake a lot faster, of course.
How tall does this cake rise? Wondering if to make two batches and stack them or just cut this one in half for a layered sheet cake ?
You can see in the photo it’s about 2-3 inches tall. To make it a layered sheet cake you could divide the batter into two large pans and adjust the baking time.
Hi Fiona!
Love the recipe! I’m wondering if I can make this into 2-8” round pans instead of the 9×13”?
Thank you!
Yes that would work!
Do you have a recommendation for a substitute of the sour cream? Currently living in a place that does not sell this ??♀️?
Plain yogurt will work as a substitute.
What type of cream needs to be used for the icing? Runny or thick?
Heavy whipping cream. The liquid is only to thin out the icing; without it the icing would be quite thick.
IM FROM AUSTRALIA
Im wondering what you class as shortning we have copha is that the same thanks in advance