CELEBRATE by MoJo: Funfetti Layer Cake
If you’re looking for a homemade cake recipe for an upcoming celebration, look no further than this gorgeous and delicious funfetti layer cake*. In less than ninety minutes, you’ll have a cake that all your guests will be talking about, and a final course to a dinner party that is sure not to be forgotten.
For Christian’s 26th birthday this year, he requested a southern comfort themed menu for the dinner party I hosted for him, but when it came to the dessert, he wanted to stay closer to his roots. Throughout the years that I’ve been with Christian, he’s grown older but definitely not up - one of my favorite parts about him. Christian is a child at heart and he always not only enjoys, but requests, the simpler things in life. As I looked through my Baked board on Pinterest, I tried to convince him to opt for a lighter dessert to my benefit to create something that felt more unique. But to my dismay, after no less than 15 minutes trying to convince him otherwise, I realized that he was absolutely set on a funfetti cake, true to his child self.
I still wanted the cake to be beautiful and simple — a grown up children’s cake if you will — and I decided on a naked layer cake with organic vanilla frosting. To keep it more sophisticated, I bought premium sprinkles and chose to lessen the amount of funfetti that I put in the actual cake, to opt for more on top.
I still haven’t mastered layer cake proportions, and have the habit of getting lazy by the third layer, so the cake’s layers went from thick to thin, bottom to top, respectively. With this recipe, you can definitely opt for anywhere from 3-5 layers, but I recommend sticking to 3 layers to ensure moist, creamy cakes. If you do go for a higher layer count, make sure to cut off some time for each layer to not over bake them. With that said, my layers varied in baking time (since I don’t have 3 round cake pans, they went in individually), with the first (thinnest) layer baking for 15 minutes, second layer for 17 minutes, and third layer for 23 minutes.
This recipe was found on Pinterest through Pretty Simple Sweet and was a hit at the dinner party. I made the amount that the recipe called for, and we had nothing left by the end of the night, at a dinner party with 20 people, and a few people opting for seconds. Needless to say, I highly recommend this recipe and will never bake a cake again without buttermilk!!
FUNFETTI LAYER CAKE RECIPE
PREP TIME: 30 Minutes
COOK TIME: 23-45 Minutes (depending on number of cake pans you own)
TOTAL TIME: 1 hour, 15 Minutes
YIELD: 15-20 servings
INGREDIENTS
CAKE:
3 cups (420 g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2 cups (3 sticks/340 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 and 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
5 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 cups (360 ml) buttermilk
1/2 cup sprinkles
VANILLA FROSTING:
1 cup salted butter (2 sticks), softened
4 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3-5 tablespoons organic heavy cream
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Butter three 9-inch cake pans, or if you only own one pan, butter sides fully. Please note: If you are using one pan, you will need to remove cake after each layer cooked, wash with cold water, and repeat the buttering process to ensure best results.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions alternating with the buttermilk in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Do not over mix this batter. The less you mix, the lighter the cake will be. Fold in sprinkles.
Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool for 15 minutes, then gently remove from pan and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.
Frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, ingredients on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
Assembly: If the cakes rose too much, cut their rounded top with a knife to make them flat. Set one cake layer on a plate or cake stand. Evenly spread a thick layer of the frosting over the cake to the edge. Top with the second cake layer and spread a thick layer of the frosting. Finish with the third cake layer. Spread frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Cake should be kept in the fridge, but bring it to room temperature before serving.