Confetti Birthday Cake

I am a deeply nostalgic person. However, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned that my adult palate doesn’t always enjoy the things that my younger palate enjoyed, like the boxed cake mix that was once my holy grail when I first started baking. Don’t get me wrong — I’m not knocking using boxed mix (there’s definitely a time and a place for it and I’m still desperate to try Dolly Parton’s line of mixes), but it just isn’t my jam anymore. 

That’s where this cake comes in. This homemade take on Funfetti cake has all the nostalgia of the boxed version — it’s flecked with rainbow sprinkles and laced with vanilla and almond extract for that certain je ne sais quoi — but my homemade version yields a cake that’s far more impressive. It surpasses anything that comes from a mix.

I’m not going to lie, though — it was tough to get the texture just right. A lot of passes were too dense and almost gummy, and the sides were either crispy or way too firm. But after a lot of testing (11 times, to be exact!) and talking to my pastry chef friends, I came up with a tried-and-true method for a tender, moist, perfectly plush crumb that’s layered high with fluffy buttercream. Finished with a flourish of sprinkles, this cake easily transforms any occasion into a celebration. 

This cake has a lot of the usual suspects, but a special handful of ingredients takes this cake to the next level.

• Egg whites: Help create the cake’s plush, soft, light-colored crumb. 
• Sour cream: Provides extra fat to keep the cake moist and tender, while balancing out the egg whites (which can toughen baked goods — think: the slight marshmallow-y chew of an angel food cake).
• Neutral oil: In combination with butter, contributes to the cake’s loftiness as well as ensures that the cake stays moist over the course of a few days. 
• Cornstarch: Limits some of the gluten development, contributing to the cake’s soft interior as well as absorbs some of the free water in the other ingredients, minimizing potential toughness. 
• Almond extract: A small amount (although optional and can be omitted completely) helps to further bring out the vanilla as well as provide a flavor that is often noted as reminiscent of boxed mixes. 
• Rainbow sprinkles: While I highly encourage decorating with any sprinkles you see fit, stick to rainbow sprinkles in the style of “jimmies” (the kind you get on ice cream) for the cake batter, as they yield the best contained bursts of color throughout the cake and don’t bleed into the batter. 

Layered cakes can be intimidating, but breaking it down into different parts can make it more approachable. While this cake isn’t as quick to put together as a boxed mix, several thoughtful techniques help to create a plush, moist, impressive cake worthy of that extra bit of prep time. 

1. Make the cake. Whip room-temperature egg whites with some sugar (this helps stabilize the meringue, meaning it can sit off to the side while you prepare the rest of the batter). Beat the softened butter, oil, and rest of the sugar until lightened. Then, alternate adding the flour and milk mixture to the butter mixture. Fold in the meringue, then the rainbow sprinkles. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean. 
2. Make the buttercream while the cakes cool. Beat softened butter, vanilla and almond extract, and salt together until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and mix to incorporate, followed by whole milk, and beat everything together until fluffy, smooth, and super-spreadable.
3. Assemble the cake. Trim the tops of the cakes as needed to create even layers. Stack the cake, spreading some of the buttercream between each layer of cake. Crumb coat the cake with a thin layer of buttercream and chill until just set. (Don’t let the crumb-coated cake chill too long, as a too-cold surface can make the buttercream firm up slightly as it’s spread onto the cake.) Frost the cake with the rest of the buttercream and finish with a flourish of rainbow sprinkles.

I love making layered cakes, but I don’t always have the time to make it all the way through at once. Luckily, this cake can easily be broken down into a more manageable schedule. Here’s how.

• The entire cake can be assembled or made in full (from baking the cake all the way through assembling) the day before serving. Store it uncut and covered in a cake carrier or stand with a cloche at (cool) room temperature or in the refrigerator. If the cake has been refrigerated, allow it to come back to room temperature before serving. 
• The cake layers can be baked the day before assembling. Allow the cake layers to cool completely, then tightly wrap in plastic wrap, and store at room temperature until ready to assemble. (Wrapping the cakes in plastic wrap before assembling can also soften the cake edges if they took on too much caramelization.) 
• Avoid making the buttercream in advance. During development, I found it was much easier to make the buttercream once you’re ready to assemble and decorate rather than make it ahead of time and bring it back to the ideal temperature and texture. 

The cut cake can be stored with a piece of plastic wrap pressed against the cut sides and covered for up to 1 day at room temperature or 1 week in the refrigerator. Let the cake come to room temperature before serving.

• Caramelization on the cake is OK. Caramelization on the sides or top edge is common in white and yellow cakes. If you find the cake got a little too caramelized (this can happen for a number of reasons, like spikes in oven temperature) don’t be afraid to trim off the edge when leveling the cakes. Bonus: The scraps make for a great snack!
• Try for a sweeter frosting. If you like a sweeter frosting, feel free to adjust the buttercream with more powdered sugar. 
• Aim for the perfect swoop-y frosting texture. Use the buttercream right as it’s finished mixing and don’t let the crumb-coated cake chill too long, as a too-cold surface can make the buttercream firm up slightly.