Patriotic Funfetti Cake is a from-scratch white cake loaded with red, white, and blue sprinkles topped with homemade vanilla buttercream.
Funfetti Cake
If you are looking for ideas for Memorial Day, consider making this yummy cake for dessert! Full of festive patriotic-colored sprinkles, it’ll be an eye-catching addition to your holiday gathering!
This Patriotic Funfetti Cake is perfect for Memorial Day, the 4th of July, Labor Day, or any time you want a fun red, white, and blue treat! And the best part? You can easily adapt the sprinkle colors to other holidays or birthdays!
This dessert starts with a simple, fluffy from-scratch white cake recipe loaded with colorful sprinkles. It’s then topped off with an easy-to-make vanilla buttercream and additional sprinkles on top.
No matter when or where you serve this, it’s gonna be a hit!
What is funfetti cake
Typically, it is a white cake with sprinkles mixed into the batter.
How to store funfetti cake
This cake can be store, covered, on the countertop for up to 2-3 days. If you need to store it longer, cover and refrigerate it for up to 5-7 days.
Can you freeze funfetti cake
Yes! This cake freezes very well.
WHOLE: It’s best to freeze this cake in the pan it was baked in. It can be frozen frosted or unfrosted. If needed, consider using a disposable aluminum pan. Once the cake is completely cooled, wrap the pan well in plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 2-3 months. To use, allow to thaw in the fridge overnight.
INDIVIDUAL SLICES: Place the slice(s) on a baking sheet and freeze for 1-2 hours or until the frosting is hardened. Wrap each slice in 2 layers of plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 2-3 months. To use, keep the cake wrapped and allow it to thaw completely in the fridge.
Frosting for funfetti cake
Personally, I like to use a simple vanilla buttercream. You can use the same recipe included and use different extracts to switch up the flavor. You can even use food coloring to change the color, if desired.
Recipe for Funfetti Cake
For the cake:
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- fine sea salt – regular table salt works fine, too
- baking soda
- unsalted butter – salted butter can be used but you may need to cut back on the amount of salt listed in the recipe
- granulated sugar
- large egg whites
- whole milk – you can use any kind of milk you normally use, including non-dairy
- vanilla extract
- sour cream, room temp
- patriotic sprinkles
For the frosting:
- unsalted butter – salted butter can be used but you may need to cut back on the amount of salt listed in the recipe
- powdered sugar
- sea salt – regular table salt works fine, too
- whole milk – you can use any kind of milk you normally use, including non-dairy
- vanilla extract
- more sprinkles for garnish, optional
How to make Funfetti Cake
Time needed: 2 hours
How to make Patriotic Funfetti Cake
- Preheat oven and prepare pan.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with baking spray and set it aside.
- Combine dry ingredients.
In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda: set aside.
- Combine wet ingredients.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with the sugar for 3 minutes until light and fluffy, scrape down the sides as needed. Add the egg whites into the mixer in three batches, being sure they are fully incorporated before the next addition, scrape down the sides. Slowly stir in the milk and vanilla until smooth.
- Combine batter and add sprinkles.
Add half of the flour mixture to the wet mixture and mix in until combined. Mix in half of the sour cream until combined. Repeat with the remaining flour and sour cream. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir in the sprinkles. Pour the batter into the baking dish and smooth out the top.
- Bake and cool completely.
Bake for 35-42 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare the frosting.
While the cake is cooling, make the frosting by placing the butter into a large bowl with an electric hand mixer and whip until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until incorporated. Add the salt, milk, and vanilla, stir it in until combined then whip it on medium-high speed until light and fluffy for 3 minutes.
- Frost the cake.
Frost the cake and garnish with additional sprinkles if desired.
- Cut and serve.
Cut and serve.
Recipe Tips
- To avoid the sprinkles bleeding into the cake, I like to use the Jimmie-style sprinkles.
- The cake is very moist and flavorful with a fantastic vanilla flavor. You can also try different extract flavors per your preference.
- The frosting makes a thin layer, which to me is the perfect ratio of frosting to cake. If you prefer more frosting, you can 1.5x or double the recipe.
- Don’t limit this cake to just patriotic holidays! Switch up the sprinkle colors and try this recipe for Christmas, Halloween, birthdays, etc.
Other recipes you may enjoy
Patriotic Funfetti Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cup unsalted butter room temp
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 6 large egg whites room temp
- ¾ cup whole milk room temp
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup sour cream room temp
- ¾ cup patriotic sprinkles
For the frosting:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- pinch of sea salt
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- More sprinkles for garnish optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with baking spray and set it aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda: set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with the sugar for 3 minutes until light and fluffy, scrape down the sides as needed. Add the egg whites into the mixer in three batches; being sure they are fully incorporated before the next addition, scrape down the sides. Slowly stir in the milk and vanilla until smooth.
- Add half of the flour mixture to the wet mixture and mix in until combined. Mix in half of the sour cream until combined. Repeat with the remaining flour and sour cream. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir in the sprinkles. Pour the batter into the baking dish and smooth out the top.
- Bake for 35-42 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cake is cooling, make the frosting by placing the butter into a large bowl with an electric hand mixer and whip until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until incorporated. Add the salt, milk, and vanilla, stir it in until combined, then whip it on medium-high speed until light and fluffy for 3 minutes.
- Frost the cake and garnish with additional sprinkles if desired.
- Cut and serve.
Notes
- To avoid the sprinkles bleeding into the cake, I like to use the Jimmie-style sprinkles.
- The cake is very moist and flavorful with a fantastic vanilla flavor. You can also try different extract flavors per your preference.
- The frosting makes a thin layer, which to me is the perfect ratio of frosting to cake. If you prefer more frosting, you can 1.5x or double the recipe.
- Don’t limit this cake to just patriotic holidays! Switch up the sprinkle colors and try this recipe for Christmas, Halloween, birthdays, etc.
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.
Leave a Reply