Spring Funfetti Cake Pastel (Printable)

A joyful vanilla cake with colorful sprinkles topped by pastel buttercream, perfect for festive gatherings.

# 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 pink food coloring gel
18 - Pastel blue food coloring gel
19 - Pastel yellow food coloring gel
20 - Pastel purple food coloring gel

# Step-by-Step Guide:

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.
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.
05 - In a separate bowl, whisk milk and sour cream until combined.
06 - Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix just until combined.
07 - Gently fold in rainbow sprinkles with a 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 comes out clean.
10 - Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.
11 - Beat butter until smooth and creamy, approximately 2 minutes.
12 - Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing on low speed until incorporated.
13 - Add milk, vanilla, and salt. Beat on high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
14 - Divide buttercream into 4 bowls. Tint each bowl with a different pastel color using food coloring gel.
15 - Dollop or pipe colored buttercream onto cooled cake layers as desired. Swirl colors together to create a marbled pastel effect.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like celebration even on an ordinary Tuesday, with the nostalgic joy of sprinkles paired with sophisticated vanilla depth.
  • The pastel buttercream lets you play like you're decorating with watercolors, turning a simple cake into edible art.
  • People always assume it's more complicated than it actually is, which makes you look like a dessert wizard.
02 -
  • If you use nonpareils instead of jimmies, they will absolutely bleed color into your batter and turn everything gray-brown—I learned this the hard way and had to make a second cake.
  • Room temperature ingredients are not a suggestion; cold ingredients won't combine properly and you'll end up with a dense, disappointing crumb that nobody wants.
  • Sifting the powdered sugar before you use it prevents gritty frosting that looks beautiful but feels grainy on your tongue.
03 -
  • Let your butter and eggs come to room temperature on their own time—rushing it with warm water sometimes makes the butter too soft and separates the frosting.
  • If your frosting starts to look curdled or broken after adding the milk, keep beating it on high speed for another minute or two; it will usually come back together beautifully.
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