This recipe is why my corner of suburbia was well fed in cake for a week. I was obsessed with getting that perfect white cake, on my terms, so I could make Funfetti cake. I looooooove funfetti cake. As a kid I thought it was the greatest cake flavor ever because of the sprinkles and I think my dream birthday cake would have been a Funfetti Barbie doll cake at least a few years of my wee existence. I might make one for myself this year.
Anyway, this whole thing started when I spied some patriotic decorations at a local craft store. I was smitten with the way some bunting looked and I needed to turn that look into a cake. I didn’t want to write “just” a decorating post, I had to have a cake recipe to go along with it, and since I discovered I still had some red white and blue sprinkles on hand, the flavor decision was really made for me, right? It’s all very If You Give a Mouse a Cookie in this house apparently…
But a good funfetti cake recipe is really a must anyway, especially since they don’t let you customize colors in the packaged box mixes, but you can do whatever you want here. Need pink or blue funfetti for a baby shower? Done! Sprinkles to match the wedding theme? Easy. A cake with all your favorite colors on a Thursday because you’re an adult and that’s what you want for dinner? Maybe not the healthiest choice, but now you can. 😉
You can use just about any sprinkles for the cake, but I recommend jimmies for both texture and color. Jimmies are the long sprinkles and they hold up best during baking and provide the brightest colors, but they aren’t hard so you have no weird crunchy bits in the cake. Leave the small round sprinkles for decorating. You can find a standard color assortment at a local grocery or craft store, but when I need a specific color, I shop online. I have purchased several times from Layer Cake Shop (lots of fun stuff here!) and Amazon – they carry the India Tree jimmies (natural colors only) at a better price than I find at the grocery store and in individual colors. I’m really looking for excuses to buy more sprinkles now so I can make more funfetti cake…
Anyway, white cake having been made, funfetti cake having been prepared, I had to decorate! And I couldn’t choose between two designs in my mind, so I made both. If you’re short on time, the watercolor technique is the quickest, but both will take less than an hour, start to finish, with chilling time. If you’ve ever wanted to see the Godmother at work, creating on the fly, this is your chance. 😉 I basically just mixed up frosting, pulled out my cake and decided how I was going to make my vision happen as I went along. There was a bit of singing during the filming of one video…
You can decorate without special equipment, but to make your life easier, I’d recommend a cake turntable and a bench scraper (this one is almost identical to mine because it has measurements on it too). Additionally, you’ll want a bit of white rolled fondant or modeling chocolate, a small star cutter, and if you’re making the ruffle cake, a 104 or 105 (Wilton measurements) ruffle tip. The watercolor cake you can make without a piping bag at all. Piece of cake. 😉
I’ve posted the videos below the recipe, and a cute collage below that, so you can save this and make it for your Fourth of July dessert! Enjoy darlings!

Patriotic Funfetti Cake {video}
An easy funfetti cake recipe from scratch! Because it's okay to indulge your inner child.
Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ¾ c avocado or other neutral-flavored oil
- 2 large egg whites
- 2 tsp vanilla extract or other extract of your choice
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2-2/3 c sprinkles in your choice of colors
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 F, butter 2 8" round cake pans and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Whisk together the wet ingredients in a smaller mixing bowl.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in your sprinkles.
- Divide batter evenly between your cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes until the center of the cake springs back when touched.
- Allow cakes to set for 5-10 minutes in the pan before inverting onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Frost and decorate as desired
This post may contain affiliate links, meaning that if you click one and make a purchase, GG will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. All opinions and recommendations though, are my own. 🙂
Ruffle Cake Tutorial Video:
Watercolor Cake Tutorial Video:
This post didn’t get all dolled up for nothing! It’s only a party when there’s cake and you can find this cake at the Momma Told Me Link Party on Evolution of Mom, and Full Plate Thursday on Miz Helen’s Country Kitchen!
20 Patriotic Desserts | Cook. Craft. Love.
Thursday 6th of June 2019
[…] Patriotic Funfetti Cake, Goodie Godmother […]
Paige @ Where Latin Meets Lagniappe
Sunday 22nd of May 2016
MARY! I love it - can I just tell you how much I wish you were my next door neighbor?? This is just beautiful and PERFECT for summer!
Whitney @ That Square Plate
Tuesday 17th of May 2016
You are SO talented. This cake looks amazing... I wanna dig into it ASAP -- I love funfetti (and patriotism)! :)
Mary (The Goodie Godmother)
Friday 20th of May 2016
Thanks!
Miz Helen
Wednesday 17th of June 2015
Thanks for sharing your delicious recipe with us at Full Plate Thursday, hope to see you again real soon! Have a great day, Miz Helen
TheGodmother
Wednesday 17th of June 2015
Thanks, you too! I actually found tonight's dinner idea on last week's link up. ;)
Meaghan | Cook. Craft. Love.
Monday 15th of June 2015
Ohhh my goodness! You are freakin' amazing! I can't wait to watch these videos :)
TheGodmother
Wednesday 17th of June 2015
Haha, thank you! I hope you enjoy