Recipe Review

Molly Yeh’s Sprinkle Cake Is the Only Birthday Cake I’ll Make

Jesse Szewczyk
Jesse SzewczykContributor
Jesse Szewczyk is a food editor based in New York. He is the former Studio Food Editor of The Kitchn.
published Oct 6, 2021
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Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk; Headshot: Getty Images

This recipe is part of Kitchn 100 — the hundred recipes you need right now. Check out all of the amazing dishes, from Kitchn and beyond, here.

If there’s one person I trust with sprinkles, it’s Molly Yeh. The beloved author, blogger, and TV host has a unique ability to add sprinkles to just about any recipe, instantly creating something adorable and extra-colorful. So when it came time to pick out recipes to include in our Funfetti cake showdown, Molly Yeh’s sprinkle cake recipe was a no-brainer.

Molly’s recipe is simple — it doesn’t call for using cake flour or whipping egg whites (or any other fancy ingredients or techniques). It seemed super easy and looked absolutely delicious, so I was eager to give it a try.

Get the recipe: Molly Yeh’s Sprinkle Cake

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk

How to Make Molly Yeh’s Sprinkle Cake

Start by greasing three cake pans and lining them with parchment paper. Then, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg whites, oil, and clear (imitation) vanilla extract and a touch of almond extract. With the mixer running, add your dry ingredients, alternating with milk in two or three additions, until a smooth batter forms. Divide the batter between the cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

While the cakes are cooling, make the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat softened butter, powdered sugar, salt, clear vanilla and almond extracts, and a splash of milk. Beat until smooth and fluffy, then frost and assemble the cake as desired.

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk

My Honest Review of Molly Yeh’s Sprinkle Cake

This recipe was everything I wanted and more. It was fluffy, moist, perfectly white with flecks of colorful sprinkles throughout, and, most importantly, delicious. The addition of clear vanilla extract along with almond extract gave the cake that nostalgic Funfetti flavor I grew up with. It didn’t taste like vanilla cake — it tasted like Funfetti cake. Molly has truly nailed the flavor profile with her homemade version. It’s tender, light, and not too sweet.

The thing I also loved about this recipe was how easy it was. Compared to some of the other Funfetti recipes we tested, this one came together in a fraction of the time and didn’t require multiple bowls. It was one of the lowest-effort cakes that had the highest payoff, and that’s something to celebrate. I will definitely be making this cake again, and fully recommend it to anyone looking for a birthday cake recipe.

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk

If You’re Making Molly Yeh’s Sprinkle Cake, a Few Tips

  • Splurge on the clear vanilla extract. Molly’s recipe was the only one that called for clear vanilla extract, and it made a huge difference. It gave the cake a nostalgic, boxed cake mix flavor in the best way possible.
  • Take the time to generously grease and line your cake pans with parchment paper. Because this cake is so moist, you run the risk of the cakes sticking to the pan and ripping when you try to remove them. Before you start baking, prep your pans to make sure there are no surprises when you try to take the cakes out.
  • Let your cakes cool for at least an hour before attempting to frost them. If your cakes are just the slightest bit warm, your frosting will melt and slide right off. So be patient and give them at least an hour to cool, and your cake will turn out beautiful.

Rating: 10/10

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk; Headshots: Getty Images

Have you ever made Molly Yeh’s sprinkle cake recipe? Let us know in the comments!