Confetti Birthday Cake
By Katie LeairdPublished on February 17, 2023
Time
1½ hours, plus 1 hour cooling time
Yield
Serves 16 to 20
What Kids Are Saying
"It’s delicious! It was easy for me to follow and ended in a tasty dessert." —Matthew, recipe tester, age 11
Ingredients
CAKE
Vegetable oil spray with flour 2¼ cups (9 ounces/255 grams) cake flour 1¾ cups (12¼ ounces/347 grams) sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon table salt 1 cup (8 ounces) whole milk 6 large egg whites (see “Step-by-Step: How to Crack and Separate Eggs”)2 teaspoons vanilla extract 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened¼ cup rainbow sprinklesFROSTING
1 pound (454 grams/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 32 pieces and softened¼ cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 4 cups (16 ounces/454 grams) confectioners’ (powdered) sugar ¾ cup rainbow sprinkles ¼ teaspoon table saltInstructions
- For the cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray inside bottom and sides of two 9-inch round metal cake pans with vegetable oil spray with flour. Line bottom of each cake pan with 9-inch round piece of parchment paper.
- In bowl of stand mixer (or large bowl if using handheld mixer), whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt. Lock bowl into place and attach paddle to stand mixer, if using.
- In 4-cup liquid measuring cup (or medium bowl), whisk together milk, egg whites, and 2 teaspoons vanilla.
- Start mixer on low speed. Add 12 tablespoons softened butter, 1 piece at a time, and mix until only pea-size pieces of butter remain, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Slowly pour in milk mixture and mix until combined, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until mixture is light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Stop mixer. Remove bowl from stand mixer, if using.
- Use rubber spatula to scrape down sides of bowl and stir in any remaining dry flour. Use rubber spatula to divide batter evenly between parchment-lined cake pans and smooth tops (make sure to spread batter out to edges of each pan to create even layer).
- Place cake pans in oven. Bake until cakes are golden brown and toothpick inserted in center of each cake comes out clean, 22 to 26 minutes.
- Use oven mitts to remove cake pans from oven and place on cooling rack (ask an adult for help). Let cakes cool completely in pans, about 1 hour. (This is a good time to make the frosting!)
- For the frosting: In clean bowl of stand mixer (or large bowl if using handheld mixer), combine 1 pound (454 grams) softened butter, cream, 1 tablespoon vanilla, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Lock bowl into place and attach clean paddle to stand mixer, if using.
- Start mixer on medium speed and beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Stop mixer. Use clean rubber spatula to scrape down sides of bowl.
- Start mixer on low speed. Slowly add confectioners’ sugar, a little bit at a time, and beat until smooth, about 4 minutes.
- Increase speed to medium-high and beat until frosting is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stop mixer. Remove bowl from stand mixer, if using.
- Add ¾ cup sprinkles to frosting and use rubber spatula to mix until well combined.
- Remove cakes from cake pans and discard parchment following photos, "Step-by-Step: How to Remove Cakes from Cake Pans."
- Assemble and frost cake following photos, “Step-by-Step: How to Frost a Layer Cake.” Use your hand to gently pat ¼ cup sprinkles around bottom edge of cake. Cut cake into wedges and serve.
Time
1½ hours, plus 1 hour cooling timeYield
Serves 16 to 20What Kids Are Saying
"It’s delicious! It was easy for me to follow and ended in a tasty dessert." —Matthew, recipe tester, age 11Ingredients
CAKE
Vegetable oil spray with flour
2¼ cups (9 ounces/255 grams) cake flour
1¾ cups (12¼ ounces/347 grams) sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
1 cup (8 ounces) whole milk
6 large egg whites (see “Step-by-Step: How to Crack and Separate Eggs”)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened
¼ cup rainbow sprinkles
FROSTING
1 pound (454 grams/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 32 pieces and softened
¼ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 cups (16 ounces/454 grams) confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
¾ cup rainbow sprinkles
¼ teaspoon table salt
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
CAKE
Vegetable oil spray with flour
2¼ cups (9 ounces/255 grams) cake flour
1¾ cups (12¼ ounces/347 grams) sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
1 cup (8 ounces) whole milk
6 large egg whites (see “Step-by-Step: How to Crack and Separate Eggs”)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened
¼ cup rainbow sprinkles
FROSTING
1 pound (454 grams/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 32 pieces and softened
¼ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 cups (16 ounces/454 grams) confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
¾ cup rainbow sprinkles
¼ teaspoon table salt
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
CAKE
Vegetable oil spray with flour
2¼ cups (9 ounces/255 grams) cake flour
1¾ cups (12¼ ounces/347 grams) sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
1 cup (8 ounces) whole milk
6 large egg whites (see “Step-by-Step: How to Crack and Separate Eggs”)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened
¼ cup rainbow sprinkles
FROSTING
1 pound (454 grams/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 32 pieces and softened
¼ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 cups (16 ounces/454 grams) confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
¾ cup rainbow sprinkles
¼ teaspoon table salt
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
This sprinkle-studded cake is ready for your next birthday celebration! The best part? The recipe was designed with kid chefs in mind—they’ll feel proud after baking, assembling, and decorating this two-layer cake with rainbow sprinkles in the frosting and a ribbon of colorful sprinkles pressed around the edge of the frosted cake. For a delicate, tender cake, we use cake flour in the batter. This special flour has a lower protein content than all-purpose flour and is usually ground finer, too. A lower protein content means the cake will end up with less gluten, for a supertender texture. Have kids compare the cake flour to all-purpose flour, if you have some on hand. Can they spot any differences? Cake flour should appear finer in texture and lighter in color. Kids can also feel both flours and compare their textures (the cake flour should feel softer).
Instructions
- For the cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray inside bottom and sides of two 9-inch round metal cake pans with vegetable oil spray with flour. Line bottom of each cake pan with 9-inch round piece of parchment paper.
- In bowl of stand mixer (or large bowl if using handheld mixer), whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt. Lock bowl into place and attach paddle to stand mixer, if using.
- In 4-cup liquid measuring cup (or medium bowl), whisk together milk, egg whites, and 2 teaspoons vanilla.
- Start mixer on low speed. Add 12 tablespoons softened butter, 1 piece at a time, and mix until only pea-size pieces of butter remain, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Slowly pour in milk mixture and mix until combined, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until mixture is light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Stop mixer. Remove bowl from stand mixer, if using.
- Use rubber spatula to scrape down sides of bowl and stir in any remaining dry flour. Use rubber spatula to divide batter evenly between parchment-lined cake pans and smooth tops (make sure to spread batter out to edges of each pan to create even layer).
- Place cake pans in oven. Bake until cakes are golden brown and toothpick inserted in center of each cake comes out clean, 22 to 26 minutes.
- Use oven mitts to remove cake pans from oven and place on cooling rack (ask an adult for help). Let cakes cool completely in pans, about 1 hour. (This is a good time to make the frosting!)
- For the frosting: In clean bowl of stand mixer (or large bowl if using handheld mixer), combine 1 pound (454 grams) softened butter, cream, 1 tablespoon vanilla, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Lock bowl into place and attach clean paddle to stand mixer, if using.
- Start mixer on medium speed and beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Stop mixer. Use clean rubber spatula to scrape down sides of bowl.
- Start mixer on low speed. Slowly add confectioners’ sugar, a little bit at a time, and beat until smooth, about 4 minutes.
- Increase speed to medium-high and beat until frosting is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stop mixer. Remove bowl from stand mixer, if using.
- Add ¾ cup sprinkles to frosting and use rubber spatula to mix until well combined.
- Remove cakes from cake pans and discard parchment following photos, "Step-by-Step: How to Remove Cakes from Cake Pans."
- Assemble and frost cake following photos, “Step-by-Step: How to Frost a Layer Cake.” Use your hand to gently pat ¼ cup sprinkles around bottom edge of cake. Cut cake into wedges and serve.
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