Festive Colorful Vanilla Sprinkle Cake (Printable)

A colorful vanilla layer cake speckled with rainbow sprinkles and covered in fluffy buttercream frosting for celebrations.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Cake

01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
03 - 1/2 tsp salt
04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
06 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
08 - 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
09 - 3/4 cup rainbow sprinkles (jimmies)

→ Buttercream Frosting

10 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
11 - 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
12 - 2-3 tbsp milk or cream
13 - 2 tsp vanilla extract
14 - Pinch of salt
15 - Extra sprinkles for decoration

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
03 - Beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
05 - Alternately add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined.
06 - Gently fold rainbow sprinkles with spatula, being careful not to overmix.
07 - Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Smooth tops and bake for 25-30 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
08 - Cool layers in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
09 - Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt. Beat until light, fluffy, and spreadable.
10 - Frost top of one cooled layer, place second layer on top, and cover entire cake with remaining frosting. Decorate with extra sprinkles.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The rainbow specks swimming through tender vanilla crumb make everyone smile before they even take a bite
  • Buttercream that tastes like birthday parties no matter what month it actually is
  • Surprisingly straightforward for a cake that looks so festive and impressive
02 -
  • Nonpareil sprinkles will bleed into your batter creating muddy gray streaks instead of cheerful confetti, so stick to jimmies for that picture-perfect look
  • Room temperature ingredients incorporate smoothly and create an even, tender crumb throughout the cake layers
  • The cake must be completely cool before frosting or the buttercream will melt and slide right off the sides
03 -
  • Take your time creaming the butter and sugar—those full three minutes create the airy texture that makes this cake exceptional
  • Sift your powdered sugar before making frosting to avoid those tiny lumpy bits that never quite disappear no matter how long you mix

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