Name: Confetti Layer Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: ¾ cup rainbow sprinkles; 6 large egg whites (room temperature); ⅔ cup whole milk (room temperature); 2 tsp vanilla extract; 3 cups (12 oz) cake flour; 1 ½ cups (10 ½ oz) sugar; 4 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp salt; 16 tbsp unsalted butter (cut into 16 inch pieces and softened); 4-6 drops yellow food coloring; 1 lb (4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 32 pieces and softened; ¼ cup heavy cream; 1 tbsp vanilla extract; ½ tsp salt; 4 cups (1 lb) confectioners’ sugar

I stole this recipe for Confetti Layer Cake from a magazine special issue called Great American Cakes. This beautiful cake is actually very easy to make from scratch. Three cakes layers made with a cake flour base are made more festive by having crushed sprinkles added to the batter. Homemade vanilla frosting dyed yellow covers the layers. Sprinkles are pressed into the bottom edges of the frosted cake for a fancy finish.

“I don’t want to die tomorrow knowing that I could have had a piece of cake today.” – Gabriel Iglesias, Comedian (see more quotes in the Quotes tab)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper, grease parchment and flour pans. Pulse ½ cup sprinkles in food processor until coarsely ground, 8 to 10 pulses; set aside.

Whisk 6 large egg whites, ⅔ cup whole milk and 2 tsp vanilla together in a bowl.

Using stand mixer fitted paddle, mix 3 cups (12 oz) cake flour, 1 ½ cups sugar, 4 tsp baking powder, and 1 tsp salt on low speed, about 30 seconds. With mixer running, add 16 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp at a time, until incorporated and mixture resembles moist crumbs.

Add all but ½ cup egg mixture and mix until just combined. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add remaining ½ cup egg mixture in slow stream.

Scrape down bowl and beat batter on medium-high speed until well combined, about 15 seconds. Stir in ground sprinkles.

Divide batter evenly among prepared pans and smooth tops with rubber spatula. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 21 to 25 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking. Let cakes cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans, discarding parchment, and let cool completely on rack, about 2 hours.

Using stand mixer fixed with whisk attachment to make the frosting, whip 1 lb butter, ¼ cup heavy cream, 1 tbsp vanilla and ½ tsp salt on medium-low speed until combined. Slowly add 4 cups (1 lb) confectioners’ sugar and continue to whip until smooth, about 2 minutes.

Add in 4-6 drops yellow food coloring then increase speed to medium-high and whip frosting until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Place 1 cake round on a plate. Spread ¾ cup frosting evenly over top. Top with second cake round, then spread ¾ cup frosting evenly over top. Top with third round, and then add remaining frosting on top.

Spread frosting evenly over top and sides of cake.

Press ¼ cup sprinkles around bottom edges of cake, then slice and enjoy.

A closeup look at the sprinkles mixed in the cooked cake.

Confetti Layer Cake

This beautiful cake is actually very easy to make from scratch. Three cakes layers made with a cake flour base are made more festive by having crushed sprinkles added to the batter. Homemade vanilla frosting dyed yellow covers the layers. Sprinkles are pressed into the bottom edges of the frosted cake for a fancy finish.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Cooling Time 2 hours 10 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 12 people

Ingredients

Cake:

¾ cup rainbow sprinkles
6 large egg whites room temperature
⅔ cup whole milk room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups (12 oz) cake flour
1 ½ cups (10 ½ oz) sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
16 tbsp unsalted butter cut into 16 inch pieces and softened

Large-Batch Vanilla Frosting:

4-6 drops yellow food coloring
1 lb (4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 32 pieces and softened
¼ cup heavy cream
1 tbsp vanilla extract
½ tsp salt
4 cups (1 lb) confectioners’ sugar

Instructions

Cake

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper, grease parchment and flour pans.
Pulse ½ cup sprinkles in food processor until coarsely ground, 8 to 10 pulses; set aside. Whisk egg whites, milk and vanilla together in a bowl. Using stand mixer fitted paddle, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt on low speed, about 30 seconds. With mixer running, add butter, 1 piece at a time, until incorporated and mixture resembles moist crumbs. Add all but ½ cup egg mixture and mix until just combined. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add remaining ½ cup egg mixture in slow stream. Scrape down bowl and beat batter on medium-high speed until well combined, about 15 seconds. Stir in ground sprinkles.
Divide batter evenly among prepared pans and smooth tops with rubber spatula. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 21 to 25 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking. Let cakes cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans, discarding parchment, and let cool completely on rack, about 2 hours.

Frosting

Using stand mixer fixed with whisk attachment, whip butter, cream, vanilla and salt on medium-low speed until combined. Slowly add sugar and continue to whip until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add in yellow food coloring then increase speed to medium-high and whip frosting until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Place 1 cake round on a plate. Spread ¾ cup frosting evenly over top. Top with second cake round, then spread ¾ cup frosting evenly over top. Top with third round, and then spread remaining frosting evenly over top and sides of cake. Press remaining ¼ cup sprinkles around bottom edges of cake.

Recipe Notes

I broke up the sprinkles with a mallet instead of using a food processor.