This Rainbow Striped Funfetti Cake is a showstopper! Soft, sprinkle-filled layers with vibrant rainbow frosting make it perfect for any celebration! 🎂🌈
Rainbow Cake
Nothing says celebration like a Rainbow Striped Funfetti Cake! With soft, sprinkle-filled layers and vibrant rainbow frosting, this Rainbow Birthday Cake is as fun to make as it is to eat. Whether for birthdays, holidays, or special occasions, this funfetti cake recipe is guaranteed to impress!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Soft & Fluffy: Moist cake layers with the perfect crumb.
- Fun & Festive: A rainbow surprise inside and out!
- Customizable: Adjust colors, flavors, or sprinkles for any theme.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: Store well for stress-free prep.
Ingredients & Substitutions
For the homemade funfetti cake
- all-purpose flour – for a gluten-free version of this cake, swap all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend.
- baking powder
- baking soda
- salt
- unsalted butter
- granulated sugar
- large eggs
- vanilla extract
- buttermilk – No buttermilk? Use 1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice.
- sprinkles – It is important to use jimmy-style sprinkles (not nonpareils) to prevent color bleeding.
For the frosting
- powdered sugar
- unsalted butter
- vanilla extract
- gel food coloring – I used red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple.
Tips For the Perfect Homemade Funfetti Cake
- Measure Flour Correctly: Use a scale or the spoon-and-level method to prevent a dense cake.
- Don’t Overmix: Mix just until combined for a light texture.
- Chill Before Frosting: Freeze cake layers for 10–15 minutes to avoid crumbs in your frosting.
- Use a Cake Scraper: Smooth the frosting and define clean stripes for the best look.
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FAQs
Your frosting might be too thick, or the cake may not be chilled enough. Try adding 1 tbsp of heavy cream to the frosting or chilling the cake for 10–15 minutes before frosting.
Yes! The cake layers can be baked and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months. Frost just before serving for the freshest taste.
Use a cake scraper to smooth the frosting and a cake decorating comb to create stripe guides. Chill the cake between frosting layers for best results.
Room Temp: Up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Fridge: Up to 6 days, wrapped well.
Freezer: Up to 2 months, tightly wrapped. Bring to room temp before serving.
Gel food coloring is best because it’s more vibrant and won’t thin out the frosting. Liquid food coloring may require more to achieve the same bold colors.
A Wilton 28 tip (or similar star tip) works great for creating decorative swirls on top of this rainbow birthday cake.
Yes, but adjust the baking time:
Two 9-inch pans: Bake for about 35–40 min.
Four 6-inch pans: Bake for 28–32 min.
Cupcakes: Bake for 18–22 min.
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Rainbow Striped Funfetti Cake
Ingredients
For the cake
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter slightly melted
- 1-3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temp
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk room temp
- ¾ cup sprinkles
For the frosting
- 7 cups powdered sugar
- 2 cups unsalted butter slightly melted
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- gel food coloring red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple
Instructions
For the cake
- Preheat & Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line three 8” cake pans with parchment and spray with non-stick spray.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
- Cream Butter & Sugar: Beat butter and sugar on high for 1–2 minutes.
- Add Eggs & Vanilla: Beat in eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy (about 2 min).
- Combine Wet & Dry: Alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Add Sprinkles: Gently stir in sprinkles.
- Divide & Bake: Evenly distribute batter (about 500g per pan). Bake for 33–35 min until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool Cakes: Let cool in pans for 15 min, then transfer to wire racks. Trim domed tops when fully cooled. Freeze cakes for 15 min before frosting.
Frosting and Assembly
- Make Frosting: Beat sugar, butter, and vanilla on high for 5 min until fluffy.
- Color Frosting: Divide into 7 bowls – 6 for colors and 1 large bowl for white. Color frosting red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Transfer to piping bags.
- Layer & Frost: Place a thin layer of white frosting on a cake board and set one cake layer on top. Pipe rainbow frosting circles from red to purple. Repeat for the second layer. Place the third layer (bottom side up) on top.
- Crumb Coat: Apply a thin layer of white frosting to seal in crumbs. Freeze for 10 min.
- Final Frosting: Apply a smooth final layer of white frosting. Use a cake comb to create stripe grooves.
- Add Stripes: Pipe colored frosting into the grooves from bottom (purple) to top (red). Smooth out with a cake scraper.
- Decorate: Pipe swirls on top using a Wilton 28 tip.
Notes
- For accurate flour measurement, use a food scale or the spoon-and-level method.
- Use “jimmy” sprinkles (long oval) to prevent color bleeding.
- If frosting is too thick, add 1 tbsp heavy cream.
- Chilled cakes are easier to frost—freeze for 10 min if crumbly.
Storage
- Room temp: 3 days (sealed container).
- Fridge: 6 days (wrapped well).
- Freezer: 2 months. Bring to room temp before serving.
Nutrition
Please note that the nutritional information listed on this page is an estimation based on the products I used. Ingredients and nutritional information can vary significantly between brands. Always be sure to read labels. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Likewise, recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them.
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