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Easy Confetti Birthday Cake with Vanilla Buttercream

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A light and fun confetti birthday cake made from scratch with buttermilk and cake flour for a tender crumb, topped with creamy vanilla buttercream. Perfect for celebrations and guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2 ½ cups (300g) cake flour
  • 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, room temperature
  • ¼ cup (60ml) vegetable oil
  • ½ cup (90g) rainbow sprinkles (jimmies)
  • 1 ½ cups (340g) unsalted butter, softened (for buttercream)
  • 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (for buttercream)
  • 3–4 tablespoons (45-60ml) heavy cream
  • a pinch of salt (for buttercream)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line bottoms with parchment paper, and grease the paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes on medium speed.
  4. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla extract.
  5. With mixer on low, add one-third of the flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Pour in half of the buttermilk and the vegetable oil, mixing again. Repeat with another third of flour, remaining buttermilk, and finish with the last of the flour. Do not overmix.
  6. Gently fold in rainbow sprinkles with a rubber spatula until just combined.
  7. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Smooth tops. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  8. Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then run a knife around edges and turn out onto a cooling rack. Remove parchment paper. Cool completely.
  9. For buttercream: Beat softened butter on medium speed for 2 minutes until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating on low. Add vanilla and a pinch of salt. Add heavy cream one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency. Beat on medium-high for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
  10. Place one cake layer on serving plate. Spread about ¾ cup buttercream evenly on top. Place second layer on top. Apply a thin crumb coat of frosting all over the cake. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Apply final layer of frosting, using an offset spatula for smooth swirls. Top with extra sprinkles if desired.

Notes

Use jimmies (long sprinkles) not nonpareils to prevent color bleeding. Room temperature ingredients are crucial for proper emulsification. Do not overmix the batter. For a crumb coat, refrigerate cake for 15 minutes before final frosting. Cake tastes even better the next day.

Nutrition

Keywords: confetti cake, birthday cake, vanilla buttercream, from scratch, easy cake, celebration cake

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