Spring Funfetti Cake Pastel (Printer-friendly)

Light vanilla cake with rainbow sprinkles and smooth pastel buttercream, perfect for joyful spring occasions.

# 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 - Pastel food coloring gels in pink, blue, yellow, and purple

# Directions:

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. Set aside.
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 until combined.
05 - In a separate bowl, whisk milk and sour cream together until homogeneous.
06 - Add flour mixture to butter mixture in three alternating additions with the milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix just until combined.
07 - Gently fold rainbow sprinkles into batter using a rubber 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 emerges clean.
10 - Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then invert 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 fully 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. Swirl colors together for a marbled pastel effect.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's foolproof enough for a weeknight bake but fancy enough to impress at any spring gathering.
  • The pastel buttercream feels like decorating with watercolors, giving you permission to play and make it uniquely yours.
  • People always ask for the recipe because it tastes homemade but looks like it came from a bakery.
02 -
  • Bring all your ingredients to room temperature before you start—cold eggs and butter won't incorporate smoothly, and you'll end up with a dense, grainy cake instead of a fluffy one.
  • Don't use nonpareils or pearl sprinkles; they sink through the batter and disappear, whereas jimmies stay suspended and visible throughout each slice.
03 -
  • Jimmies stay suspended in the batter better than other sprinkle types, and they also look more homemade and charming on each slice.
  • If you're piping the buttercream, chill it for 15 minutes first so it holds its shape better and pipes cleanly.
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