Spring Funfetti Cake Joy (Printable)

Light vanilla cake flecked with colorful sprinkles, finished with smooth pastel buttercream.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cake

01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
06 - 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
07 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
09 - 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
10 - 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
11 - 2/3 cup rainbow sprinkles

→ Pastel Buttercream

12 - 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
13 - 5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
14 - 1/4 cup whole milk
15 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
16 - Pinch of salt
17 - Food coloring gels in pastel pink, blue, yellow, and purple

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
05 - In a separate bowl, whisk together milk and sour cream.
06 - Add flour mixture to butter mixture in three parts, alternating with milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined.
07 - Gently fold rainbow sprinkles into batter using a spatula.
08 - Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and smooth the tops.
09 - Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
10 - Allow cakes to cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
11 - Beat butter until smooth and creamy, approximately 2 minutes.
12 - Gradually add sifted powdered sugar, mixing on low speed until incorporated.
13 - Add milk, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat on high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
14 - Divide buttercream into 4 bowls and tint each with a different pastel food coloring gel.
15 - Dollop or pipe colored buttercream onto cooled cake layers as desired. Swirl colors together to create a marbled pastel effect.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The sour cream keeps the cake incredibly moist and tender without tasting sour at all—it's a small addition that changes everything.
  • Pastel buttercream feels fancy and looks Instagram-worthy, but you're literally just adding a tiny bit of food coloring to standard buttercream.
  • This works beautifully for spring parties, baby showers, or just a Tuesday when you need something that feels celebratory.
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients are not optional here—cold eggs and cold milk will break the emulsion and create a grainy, separated batter that bakes up dense.
  • Sift your powdered sugar even if it seems unnecessary; one unsifted batch taught me that lumps never fully dissolve and your buttercream will feel gritty on the tongue.
  • Quality sprinkles matter because cheap ones bleed color into the batter and turn it murky before it even hits the oven; spend the extra dollar or two on jimmies.
03 -
  • If a sprinkle accidentally falls on the counter, don't be tempted to use it anyway—one stray sprinkle from the floor ruins the whole bite.
  • Use an offset spatula rather than a regular knife for frosting; it gives you control and keeps your hands out of the cake.
  • If your buttercream seems a bit soft after decorating, pop the finished cake in the fridge for 15 minutes to set the frosting before serving.
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