Oh the sprinkles were plentiful this past weekend as we celebrated our daughter-in-law, Colleen’s birthday. Here is the wonky cake I made that I mentioned yesterday when I posted my sprinkle birthday cake watercolor card I made.
It might have been a bit wonky, but it was soooo yummy! This white, vanilla cake filled with colorful, celebratory sprinkles is really worth the extra effort to make from scratch!
And serve it with some fresh churned birthday cake ice cream (like we can get around here from Bruster’s Ice Cream), and you will really be sparkling!
Sprinkle Birthday Cake*
- 3 and 3/4 cups (431g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks; 345g) butter, softened
- 1 3/4 cups (350g) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 large egg whites
- 3 tsp. (15ml) vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups (360ml) buttermilk (or buttermilk substitute: 1 1/2 cups milk mixed with 1 1/2 Tbsp vinegar)
- 3/4 cup (142g) rainbow sprinkles
Vanilla Frosting Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups (2.5 sticks; 287g) butter, softened
- 5 cups (580g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/3 cup (80ml) heavy cream or half and half or milk (all work)
- 3 tsp (15ml) vanilla
- 1/8 tsp salt
- Additional sprinkles or other decorations
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease and lightly flour three 9-inch cake pans.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside. Mix butter on high speed of mixer until smooth and creamy – about 1 minute. Add sugar and beat on high for 5 more minutes. On medium-high speed, add 1 whole egg at a time, beating well after each addition until all 4 whole eggs are mixed in. Beat in vanilla.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, and mixing each addition just until incorporated. Do not overmix. The batter will be smooth, velvety, and slightly thick.
- In a separate mixing bowl, beat the 2 additional egg whites until thick, foamy, and soft peaks form- about 3 minutes. Gently fold into the batter. Finally, gently fold sprinkles in.
- Pour batter evenly into each cake pan. Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack.
- To make frosting, beat the butter on medium speed in mixer until creamy – about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, cream, vanilla, and salt with the mixer on low. Increase to high and beat for 3 minutes. Add more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin, more cream if frosting is too thick, or a pinch more of salt if frosting is too sweet.
- To assemble: Place one cake layer on serving plate. Evenly cover the top with frosting. Top with second and third layers and repeat. Spread remaining frosting on sides. You can tint small portions of the frosting to make decorations or use decorator frosting and decorate with additional sprinkles.
Jodi’s Cake Tip: If at all possible, I always try to bake my cake at least one day ahead of time or even the night before serving so that it can be frozen. I bake the layers, cool, and then place each un-frosted layer in a large Ziploc bag and freeze. For one thing, this makes the cake much easier to frost. But secondly, and most importantly, freezing the cake, even if only for a few hours overnight, makes for a much moister cake. I learned this by accident when I used to always make cakes fresh the day of serving thinking that was best, and then had to do ahead one time years ago because of time constraints. It was the first time everyone ooooohhhed and awwwwhhed over the cake. I’ve frozen ahead ever since.
And here is the birthday girl blowing out the candles. A bit blurry, but a quick snap with my iPhone after we sang. I love doing special things for this special girl!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
*FULL Credit for this recipe goes to Sally’s Baking Addiction Funfetti Cake.
what fun! sparkles, sprinkles and fun family!! Jodi, your cake is Awesomely Beautiful! thanks for the ‘moist cake’ tip 🙂
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Thanks Debi! It was fun 🙂
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it LOOKED like wonderful family fun Jodi! so glad you’re able to do that for your DIL; she looks like a lovely young lady 🙂
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I couldn’t have hand-picked a better wife for my son! She is a rare special gem! Thank you for your kind comment Debi!
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you are so welcome Jodi!!
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I am sure it was delish! 🙂 Looks so pretty also! And frozen cake is more moist? Who would have thought? Thanks for the tip!!
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I know – right? Try it next time and let me know if you agree 🙂
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Wonky or not, it sure looks delish!
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Thanks Lynn! 🙂
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I doubt I will make it, but I certainly would love to eat it!
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LOL! 🙂
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Jodi, this cake is a masterpiece! It is so beautiful and fun! And, it sounds just amazing! YUM! Thank you for the recipe and moist cake and easier frosting cake tip! I always have trouble frosting a cake.
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Oh PJ – you are too sweet – hardly a masterpiece, but it was wonky and fun and most importantly – DELISH! 🙂 I hope you’ll try the freezing tip, and let me know how it goes for you! Happy Monday!
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Happy Monday, Jodi! I hope you have a fabulous week!
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I love all the sprinkles. My little grand daughter would love this cake! Jodi, you bring happy sprinkles with everything you create. Thank you for your joyful posts everyday!
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Thanks Sharon! Not all days are JOYful – but there is some joy in every day – right? And that is what I try to share. I had fun with all the sprinkles on this cake. Colleen and I are both suckers for buying sprinkles when shopping – a strange obsession we share! LOL!
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What a festive cake! Hope your daughter-in-law had a fabulous birthday to go with it! And thanks for the tip on freezing a cake before frosting it. I always get crumbs mixed up in my frosting…
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Nice to hear from you Ann! Hope your break was nice! I used to always get crumbs in my icing too. You’ll have to let me know how this works for you next time you make a cake. 🙂
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What a lovely fun cake Jodi ! Hope Colleen had a lovely day 🙂
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Thanks Lynne!
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You are a wonderful mom-in-law, a cake from scratch! Maybe next year on my birthday, you can make this for me? 🙂
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Well – I have a wonderful daughter-in-law!
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Homemade cakes are the best Jodi, I love your wonky sprinkles cake!
Jenna
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Thanks Jenna! YOU know how to celebrate birthdays!! 🙂
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I love this Jodi! yummm
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It was yummy Lynn 🙂
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It looks totally delicious, wish I could have a piece right now!
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YUM! I think I just fainted… 😊
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Oh No – Sugar Coma through WP! Wake up Charlie! Wake Up!!!!!
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What?… Oh… just woke up! Lol
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Phew!
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That is a MUCH prettier cake than I could ever hope to bake or decorate! I love the tip about freezing the cake. I’ll tell my daughter, as she is the cake baker around here. 🙂
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Oh KR – I’m sure you could do this – not hard at all! 🙂 Glad you liked the tip, and I hope your daughter does!
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That is so delicious looking! and you really caught the spirit of it in your painting. Thanks for the recipe. N.
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LOL! It’s very Sprinkly! 🙂 Thanks Nina!
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YUMZA! 💜 You are a SWEET MUMZA! 😍 I know Colleen’s your DIL but it sounds like you have a special relationship! 💕💖✨ Thanks for the tip about freezing a cake too! 😃
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I’m going to start having to call you Jillza! 🙂 She is a very special young lady! Our son Jake is very fortunate and so are we to have her in our lives! 🙂
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Fantastic! I love your blog–all subjects–I’d love to meet Charlie!!
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Awh! What a lovely comment. Thank you Gail!
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This looks yummy and it’s so festive looking, too! Colleen’s a lucky lady!
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Oh carol! I am the lucky one to have her in my life! In our family ☺️
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Just decadent and so much fun Jodi!!! xx
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😝. Thanks Cheryl!
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xx your heart is so transparent Jodi-its a wonderful thing!oo
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What a sweet thing to say. ☺️
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So true Jodi-even in Mars they don’t make ’em like you anymore!!! xxoo
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You are too too too kind! ❤️
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xo
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What a fun sprinkles cake, Jodi! Looks delicious! Hope mine for the granddaughter comes out okay this weekend! 💛 Elizabeth
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I’m sure it will elizabeth because it will be baked with love by her grandma!!!
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Wonderful Jodi! Looks so yummy! 😋😋and Thanks for the Tip! 🙂
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You are very welcome. Hope you give it a try. 😉
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Yeah sure will definitely give it a try!
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Adorable Cake Jodi! And I love those special tricks that we find by ‘accident’ that make things even better – freezing the cake sounds like a winning idea! 🙂
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Thanks LINDA!!
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That’s a great looking cake and your tip about freezing it before decorating and serving is something I’ve never heard before. That’s a great tip. I sometimes put it in the refrigerator for the same reason but now I’ll try the freezer…:) Thanks.
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I’m surprised so many didn’t know. I think I’ve heard bakeries do the same. Let me know if you try and if you are pleased with the results. 🙂
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I will
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Wow! Such wonderful colors…A very special cake! Love it!! (K)
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It was fun 😊
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