This funfetti sheet cake is perfect for celebrating anything and ideal for feeding a crowd. Using my favorite vanilla sheet cake recipe as a base guarantees a super moist and fluffy texture and amazing vanilla flavor. The only difference here is we fold in rainbow sprinkles before baking so that the baked sheet cake is dotted with beautifully suspended rainbow sprinkles. Frosted with silky vanilla frosting and topped with plenty more rainbow sprinkles, this funfetti sheet cake is ready to party!
Why You’ll Love this Funfetti Sheet Cake
There are so many reasons why I love this funfetti sheet cake (and you will too):
- Extra Moist and Fluffy. This recipe uses my vanilla sheet cake recipe as a base, which has an extra fluffy texture due to the cake flour and is super soft due to a little extra sugar. It also includes sour cream and just the right amount of whole milk to make it perfectly moist.
- Amazing Vanilla Flavor. I use a whole Tablespoon of vanilla in this recipe to create the ideal vanilla flavor! In the past, I’ve subbed a teaspoon of the vanilla with almond extract and really enjoy that flavor variation too.
- Easy to Make. You can make this funfetti sheet cake with a hand mixer or stand mixer, and I’ve included detailed instructions on how to make it (timing included!). You’ll find the recipe to be simple and very similar to many of my other highly rated cake recipes.
- Fun to Decorate. Sheet cakes are more straightforward than layer cakes when it comes to decorating, which makes the process quick and fun. You can keep the design of your funfetti sheet cake simple like I did, or choose a more elaborate design if you want to challenge yourself.
- Easy to Transport. You can bake this sheet cake in a pretty baking dish, decorate it after it cools, then transport it in that same baking dish if you want! So simple.
- Perfectly Celebratory. Funfetti is the most celebratory cake flavor of all! The sprinkles are suspended like confetti throughout this cake, making it ideal for a birthday or any event that calls for a celebratory dessert.
Funfetti Sheet Cake Ingredients & Substitutions
After testing a few of my favorite funfetti cake recipes for this sheet cake, the clear winner was using my vanilla sheet cake recipe as the base before folding in rainbow sprinkles. It is so moist and fluffy, bakes up nice and flat on top, and has an amazing vanilla flavor. Here are some of the key ingredients, along with substitutions you can make if needed:
- Cake Flour. To achieve the super soft texture in this cake, cake flour is a must. It produces a much fluffier cake than all-purpose (or plain) flour because of its lower protein content (the more protein in your flour the stiffer the dough and less ability to maintain moisture). You can find cake flour at most grocery stores, but if all you’ve got is all-purpose flour in your pantry, here are instructions for how to make your own cake flour. Keep in mind that if you do use the homemade version, the gram measurement will weigh more (331g instead of 265g) since all-purpose flour is heavier than cake flour.
- Baking Soda + Baking Powder. The leavening agents used to create the perfect rise.
- Unsalted Butter. The main fat in this recipe, which adds lots of moisture, great structure, and rich flavor. If you only have salted butter on hand, you can substitute that but be sure to omit the salt in the recipe if you do.
- Granulated Sugar. This not only sweetens the cake, it creates a tender crumb as well. You can substitute this with caster sugar if you wish and it will be even more soft.
- Large Eggs. This recipe uses three large eggs, which add a great amount of moisture while providing structure and giving the cake rise.
- Sour Cream. Sour cream takes the moisture level of this cake to the next level and creates a richer flavor in the cake overall. If you don’t have it locally you can substitute it for plain yogurt or crème fraîche.
- Vanilla Extract. I use an entire tablespoon of vanilla extract in this cake, which takes the flavor beyond! I recommend using a quality vanilla extract here (not imitation). You can substitute the extract for vanilla bean paste, or substitute one teaspoon of the vanilla with almond extract for a more complex flavor.
- Whole Milk. Since it has the highest fat percentage of any milk (aside from buttermilk), the whole milk creates a rich crumb while binding the ingredients together. You can technically substitute this for another kind of milk, but whole milk is going to yield the best results.
- Rainbow Sprinkles. The fun part! It’s really important to use the right kind of sprinkles here, because some rainbow sprinkles can end up bleeding color into the cake. For the perfect funfetti cake, use elongated rainbow sprinkles that have carnauba wax and confectioner’s glaze in the ingredients list. Here are a few brands I love and use all the time:
How to Make a Funfetti Sheet Cake
Here’s how to make and decorate this funfetti sheet cake from start to finish:
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF, then grease and line your baking pan.
Step 2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Step 3. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Step 4. Mix in the eggs one at a time, then add the sour cream and vanilla before whipping everything on high speed for one minute.
Step 5. Add the dry ingredients all at once, mix on low speed until they begin to incorporate, then add in the whole milk in a steady stream while continuing to mix on low speed. Mix until the ingredients are well incorporated, about 15-30 seconds.
Step 6. Coat the rainbow sprinkles with a little flour (cake flour or all purpose flour), then gently fold them into your cake batter.
Step 7. Pour the batter into your prepared baking dish and bake for 30-35 minutes.
Step 8. Let the cake cool to room temperature, then make the buttercream frosting. I tinted my favorite vanilla buttercream recipe with a few drops of pink food color gel.
Step 9. Decorate the cake. I kept the design here simple by frosting the cake with a layer of vanilla buttercream, then swiping an icing spatula from side to side to create texture before adding rainbow sprinkles in random clusters. I finished by adding a star border using Wilton Tip 6B, then garnishing the border with more rainbow sprinkles.
More Sheet Cake Recipes You’ll Love
If you’re looking for more sheet cake recipes, you can actually make any of my layer cake recipes as a sheet cake! But here are some of my favorites that are written as sheet cakes already:
- Vanilla Sheet Cake
- Chocolate Sheet Cake
- Berry Chantilly Sheet Cake
- Strawberry Sheet Cake
- Gingerbread Latte Sheet Cake
I hope you love this funfetti sheet cake recipe as much as I do and if you make it, let me know how it went in the comments below (and rate it too)! You can also show me a pic by tagging @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram. I love to see what you create with my recipes!
Funfetti Sheet Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Funfetti Sheet Cake
- 2 1/2 Cups (265g) sifted cake flour* DIY recipe in notes
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 Cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 3/4 Cup (340g) granulated white sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 Cup (120g) sour cream, room temperature
- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 Cup (240ml) whole milk, room temperature
- 1/3 Cup (60g) rainbow sprinkles*, coated in 1 tsp flour
Vanilla Buttercream
- 1 1/2 Cups (339g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 5 Cups (600g) powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature
- pinch of salt, or to taste
- 1-2 drops pink food color gel (optional)
Garnish (Optional)
- 1/4 Cup rainbow sprinkles
Instructions
Make the Funfetti Sheet Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (163ºC). Prepare a 9×13 metal baking pan* by spraying the sides with baking spray and lining the bottom with parchment paper.
- Sift the cake flour first, then measure it out by spooning and leveling it in your measuring cup. Add the sifted cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl if using a hand mixer), then beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle once in between. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing for about 10-15 seconds after each addition. Add the vanilla and sour cream and mix for one minute on high speed.
- Turn the mixer off and add the dry ingredients all at once. Mix on low speed until just combined, then add the milk in a steady stream and mix until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and give it a few stirs by hand to make sure there are no lumps.
- Coat the rainbow sprinkles in 1 teaspoon of flour, then gently fold them into the cake batter. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cake springs back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the baking dish until room temperature.
Make the Vanilla Buttercream
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a handheld mixer and large bowl), cream the butter on medium-high until it’s creamy and light (almost white) in color. About 7 minutes.
- Add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time and mix on low speed, scraping down the bowl and paddle and making sure each addition is fully incorporated before adding the next one.
- Add the vanilla, milk, salt, and pink food color gel (if using) and mix on low speed for another minute, or until fully incorporated.
Assembly
- Once the funfetti sheet cake has cooled completely, frost with the vanilla buttercream. To create the look pictured, use half of the vanilla buttercream to frost the cake surface and swipe through the frosting side to side with an angled spatula to create texture. Garnish the surface with rainbow sprinkles, then add the remaining vanilla buttercream into a piping bag fitted with Wilton Tip 6B. Pipe a star border around the edges of the cake and garnish with more rainbow sprinkles.
Notes
- The funfetti sheet cake can be made ahead and stored at room temperature, covered tightly in plastic wrap, for up to two days. Alternatively, you can cover with plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to two months before thawing to room temperature.
- The vanilla buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day. Alternatively, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and rewhip with your stand mixer to bring back to frosting consistency.
- The frosted sheet cake can be stored at room temperature, covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, for up to five days.
Would I double this for a 12×18 cake pan?
Hi Julia! Yes, double the batter amount for a 12×18 pan.
I don’t know what I did wrong but my cake did not look like yours. At the 30 min mark it was still pretty jiggly and it crystallized a bit. It was like the sugar in it was at the top. Not sure where it went wrong. The texture ended up being a bit on the dry side but I do think it was an error on my part. Besides the over cooked cake, it was still good. Going to try again but for some reason cake flour never cooks well with me lol
Hi Laura! I’m not sure what could have caused the crystallization, did you make any ingredient substitutes? And what kind of sprinkles did you use? Some sprinkles can end up dissolving in the baking process, especially if they don’t contain carnauba wax and confectioner’s glaze, and that can end up causing texture issues. If the cake is still jiggly at the 30 min mark it makes me think your oven might be running colder than displayed. I recommend getting an oven thermometer to check the internal temp, you might find that this cake bakes better at 350F if it truly is running colder. Hope that helps for next time!
Excellent cake! I made it for my daughter’s birthday and it was a hit!
Yay, Gabriela! I’m so happy it was a hit 🙂
I’m planning to make this cake for my daughter’s birthday, but isn’t it kind of weird to cut pieces directly from a sheet pan with parchment paper underneath? I’ve never before lined a sheet pan with parchment paper—I’ve done this only with round pans from which the cake is entirely removed before it’s frosted and served. Do you think it would be okay to just grease the pan and skip the parchment paper?
Hi Janice! I’ve never had an issue with the parchment paper sticking to the bottom of the cake but if you’d rather skip the parchment I think spraying with a good baking spray will be totally fine. Enjoy!
I am planning on using a 15×11 size pan. would that work? how much would i need to adjust the baking time or anything else?
Hi Aspen! I would make 1.5x to 2x the recipe to fill a pan that size half way. You might need to also add more baking time. I would start checking for doneness around the 35 minute mark and add time from there. Enjoy!
will I need to DIY cake flour if im using arrowhead mills organic unbleached cake flour specifically for cakes???
Hi Nettie! No, if you have store bought cake flour there is no need to make the DIY cake flour.