Introduction & Inspiration: The Ultimate Homemade Celebration Cake!
This Funfetti Cake isn’t just any sprinkle cake – it’s a true celebration centerpiece! I am absolutely smitten with this recipe, which features moist, tender vanilla cake layers speckled with colorful sprinkles, filled and frosted with two kinds of delicious buttercream, and finished with a fun ganache drip. It’s a baker’s dream project!
The inspiration behind tackling this more elaborate Funfetti cake comes from wanting to create that ultimate birthday cake experience entirely from scratch. While simple sprinkle cakes are lovely, this version, with its silky Italian Meringue Buttercream exterior and fun Funfetti American Buttercream touches, feels truly special and gourmet. It elevates the playful Funfetti concept.
Making this cake involves several components – the cake layers, two different buttercreams, the ganache, and the careful assembly – but I find the process incredibly rewarding. Each step builds towards a stunning and delicious final product that’s guaranteed to impress.
Perfect for milestone birthdays, big celebrations, or any time you want to bake something truly spectacular and fun, this Ultimate Celebration Funfetti Cake is worth the effort. Let’s break down this exciting baking project!
Nostalgic Appeal (Elevating the Birthday Classic)
Funfetti cake is pure, unadulterated birthday nostalgia for so many of us! That sight of colorful sprinkles suspended in fluffy white cake instantly brings back memories of childhood parties, candles, and pure sugary joy. This recipe taps directly into that happy nostalgia.
But instead of relying on a box mix, we’re creating that beloved flavor profile from scratch, resulting in a cake with superior texture and taste. Furthermore, incorporating both a classic sweet American Buttercream (filled with more sprinkles!) and a sophisticated Italian Meringue Buttercream elevates the entire experience. It feels both joyfully familiar and impressively grown-up.
The playful elements – the sprinkles throughout, the optional pink frosting stripes, the colorful ganache drip – retain that sense of childhood fun. Yet, the techniques involved, like making Italian Meringue Buttercream, add a layer of accomplishment and sophistication.
Making this cake feels like creating the ultimate version of that beloved birthday classic. It’s a way to celebrate with familiar flavors presented in a beautifully crafted, homemade package.
Homemade Focus (A Rewarding Baker’s Project)
I truly believe in the satisfaction of creating complex desserts from scratch, and this Funfetti Cake is a fantastic project for enthusiastic home bakers. It involves multiple components and techniques, offering a wonderful opportunity to hone your skills and produce a truly professional-looking cake.
The homemade focus here extends beyond just the cake batter. You’ll be mastering two distinct types of buttercream: the sturdy, sweet, sprinkle-filled American style, and the notoriously silky, stable, and less-sweet Italian Meringue style. Understanding the difference and executing both is incredibly rewarding.
Making the ganache drip and assembling the cake with techniques like a striped crumb coat and smooth final frosting requires patience and attention to detail. It’s definitely a labor of love, but the process is part of the fun!
This recipe celebrates the art and craft of baking. It demonstrates how combining several well-executed homemade components can result in a dessert that is far superior to any store-bought alternative and a true testament to your baking prowess.
Flavor Goal: Vanilla Funfetti with Dual Buttercreams & Ganache
The flavor goal is a multi-layered experience centered around classic vanilla birthday cake, enhanced by the fun of sprinkles. We want a moist, tender vanilla cake crumb speckled with color, complemented by both a sweet, sprinkle-laden American buttercream and a silky, less-sweet Italian meringue buttercream. The sweet white chocolate ganache drip adds a final touch of indulgence.
The cake base uses butter, egg whites, sour cream, and milk for a rich yet relatively light and tender crumb – perfect for Funfetti. The vanilla flavor should be clear and bright.
The dual frostings offer contrast: the American buttercream provides that classic sweet, slightly gritty (in a good way!) Funfetti flavor, possibly used for filling or the crumb coat. The Italian Meringue Buttercream offers a super smooth, stable, less sugary exterior perfect for sharp edges and decorating, letting the vanilla and butter flavors shine.
The white chocolate/candy melt ganache provides a sweet drip element that complements the vanilla and Funfetti theme. Overall, it should taste like the best, most sophisticated Funfetti birthday cake imaginable!
Ingredient Insights: Building the Celebration Layers
Let’s break down the key components for this multi-faceted cake:
For the Cake:
- All-Purpose Flour & Cornstarch: Standard flour provides structure; cornstarch lightens it slightly, mimicking cake flour for tenderness. (Self-correction: Recipe uses only AP flour, baking powder, soda – disregard cornstarch idea). Okay, AP flour is the structure.
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder: Chemical leaveners for rise and texture.
- Salt: Balances sweetness, enhances flavor.
- Unsalted Butter (Room Temp) & Sugar: Creamed together for aeration and tenderness.
- Egg Whites (Room Temp): Using only whites contributes to a lighter color and slightly more delicate crumb compared to using whole eggs. Room temp is key for volume.
- Vanilla Extract: Essential cake flavor.
- Sour Cream & Milk (Room Temp): Provide moisture, tenderness, and acidity (from sour cream) which reacts with baking soda. Room temp helps emulsification.
- Sprinkles (Jimmies Recommended): The Funfetti! Jimmies bleed less color into the batter than nonpareils. Folded in last.
For the Italian Meringue Buttercream (IMBC):
- Egg Whites (Room Temp) & Cream of Tartar/Salt: Whipped to form the meringue base. Cream of tartar and salt stabilize the whites.
- Sugar & Water: Cooked to the soft-ball stage (235-240°F) to create a hot syrup that cooks and stabilizes the egg whites. A candy thermometer is essential.
- Unsalted Butter (Room Temp): Beaten into the cooled meringue to create the silky, stable buttercream. Temperature is critical here – too cold or too warm and it can break.
- Vanilla Extract: Flavors the frosting.
For the American Buttercream (ABC – Funfetti):
- Unsalted Butter (Room Temp): The rich base.
- Confectioners’ Sugar (Sifted): Provides sweetness and structure. Sifting prevents lumps.
- Milk: Adjusts consistency.
- Vanilla & Salt: Flavor balance.
- Sprinkles: Folded in for the Funfetti look and texture.
- Pink Food Coloring (Optional): For creating striped/colored effects. Gel color is best.
For the Ganache:
- White Chocolate Chips & Candy Melts: Candy melts often provide stability and easier melting/setting for drips than white chocolate alone. Use good quality.
- Heavy Cream: Heated and mixed with the chips/melts to create the ganache. The fat content helps it set smoothly.
Essential Equipment: A Baker’s Toolkit
This is a project cake, requiring more specific tools:
- Three 6-inch Round Cake Pans: Crucial for the tall, layered look. High sides are important.
- Cake Strips (Optional): Help cakes bake more evenly with flatter tops.
- Parchment Paper: For lining pans.
- Stand Mixer (Highly Recommended): Essential for making stable IMBC and helpful for the cake batter and ABC.
- Candy Thermometer: Non-negotiable for accurately cooking the sugar syrup for the IMBC.
- Medium Saucepan: For the sugar syrup.
- Pastry Brush: For washing down saucepan sides (for syrup).
- Mixing Bowls, Whisks, Spatulas.
- Piping Bags (Multiple): For the ABC filling/crumb coat and the final IMBC dollops.
- Piping Tips: A large star tip (like #869) for dollops, potentially others for crumb coat stripes.
- Offset Spatula & Bench Scraper: For smoothing frosting.
- Cake Turntable (Highly Recommended): Makes frosting much easier.
- Microwave-Safe Bowl: For ganache.
List of Ingredients with Measurements (Ready for a Project!)
Here’s your checklist for this ultimate celebration cake:
For the Cake:
- 1 ⅔ cups (213g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp (2g) baking soda
- 1 tsp (4g) baking powder
- 1 pinch kosher salt (~¼ tsp)
- ¾ cup (176g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 large egg whites, room temperature
- 3 tsps vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120ml) sour cream, room temperature
- ½ cup (120ml) milk, room temperature
- ⅓ – ½ cup (55g) sprinkles (jimmies recommended)
- Butter and flour for preparing pans
For the Italian Buttercream (IMBC):
- 5 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 ⅓ cups (304g) sugar, divided (1 cup for syrup, ⅓ cup for whites)
- ⅓ cup (80ml) water
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 2 dashes cream of tartar
- 2 cups (456g) unsalted butter, room temperature, cubed
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
For the American Buttercream (ABC – Funfetti):
- 1 lb (445g / 2 cups / 4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 lb (907g / approx. 8 cups) confectioners sugar, sifted
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp milk (or more, as needed)
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 drop pink food coloring (optional)
- ⅓ cup (55g) sprinkles
For the Ganache:
- ½ cup (100g) candy melts (pink or white recommended)
- 2 tbsp white chocolate chips
- 3 tbsp heavy cream
- Pink food coloring (optional, if using white melts/chips)
Ensure all butter, eggs, sour cream, and milk are at room temperature as specified!
Step-by-Step Instructions: Building the Funfetti Masterpiece
Let’s tackle this exciting cake project component by component:
1. Make the Cake Layers:
Preheat oven to 340°F (171°C). Butter and flour three 6-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper. Wrap pans with cake strips (if using).
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the room temperature egg whites, vanilla extract, sour cream, and milk. (Self-correction: Recipe mixes oil with wet, but no oil listed – assuming it meant beat egg whites separately? Re-reading: No oil listed. Okay, whisking whites with vanilla/sour/milk is unusual but following recipe.)
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the room temperature butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the wet ingredients (egg white/milk/sour cream/vanilla mix) to the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until just combined. (Self-correction: This seems wrong based on standard methods & the creaming step. Standard method would be cream butter/sugar, add eggs/whites+vanilla, then alternate dry and milk/sour cream. Let’s adjust to standard method for clarity)
Revised Cake Steps (Standard Method):
- (Prep) Preheat 340°F, prep 3×6″ pans. Sift dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, soda, salt). Whisk wet (sour cream, milk, vanilla).
- (Cream) In stand mixer, beat room temp butter and sugar until light/fluffy (3-5 mins).
- (Add Eggs/Whites) Beat in room temp egg whites one at a time. Beat in vanilla.
- (Alternate) On low speed, add ⅓ dry ingredients, mix briefly. Add ½ wet ingredients, mix briefly. Repeat (⅓ dry, remaining wet, remaining dry), mixing just until combined after each.
- (Sprinkles) Gently fold in sprinkles.
- (Bake) Divide batter into pans. Bake 30-35 mins until toothpick is clean. Cool 10 mins in pans, then invert onto racks to cool completely.
2. Make the Italian Meringue Buttercream (IMBC):
In a stand mixer bowl (clean!), beat room temp egg whites, cream of tartar, salt, and ⅓ cup sugar with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form.
In a medium saucepan, combine the remaining 1 cup sugar and ⅓ cup water. Place over low heat, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves and syrup is clear.
Increase heat to medium-high. Attach a candy thermometer. Boil syrup without stirring until it reaches 235-240°F (113-115°C – soft-ball stage).
Immediately remove syrup from heat. With the mixer running on medium-low speed, very slowly drizzle the hot syrup down the side of the bowl into the whipping egg whites. Avoid hitting the whisk.
Once all syrup is added, increase speed to high and beat until the meringue is stiff, glossy, and the bottom of the bowl feels cool to the touch (about 7-10 minutes).
Switch to the paddle attachment. With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the room temperature butter, one cube at a time, beating until incorporated. The mixture may look curdled – keep beating! It will come together.
Once all butter is added, beat on medium-high until silky smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract. Set aside (can be stored airtight).
3. Make the Funfetti American Buttercream (ABC):
Beat the room temperature butter in a stand mixer (or large bowl) until light and fluffy.
Gradually add the sifted confectioners’ sugar and salt, mixing on low speed until combined.
Add the milk and vanilla extract. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for several minutes until very light and fluffy.
Divide the frosting into two batches. Add pink food coloring to one batch and mix until desired color. Fold sprinkles into both batches.
4. Prepare Piping Bags for Crumb Coat:
Transfer frosting into 4 piping bags (2 pink, 2 white). Place one pink bag and one white bag together inside a larger piping bag fitted with a large round or plain tip (or just snip the end off the larger bag). This setup allows piping alternating colors for the crumb coat. (Self-correction: Directions say snip tip off combined bag, implying no metal tip needed for this stage).
5. Make the Ganache:
Chop candy melts (if large). Place candy melts and white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl.
Add heavy cream. Microwave on medium power (50%) in 20-30 second intervals, stirring well after each, until melted and smooth. Do not overheat.
Add a drop of pink food coloring, if desired, and whisk until smooth. Let cool slightly until thickened but still pourable. Transfer to a piping bag or squeeze bottle.
6. Assemble the Cake:
Level the cooled cake layers if needed. Place one layer on a cake stand or board.
Pipe alternating pink and white ABC using the combined piping bag setup around the edge of the first layer to create a dam. Fill the center with dollops of pink/white ABC (or use the individual bags). Spread slightly. (Self-correction: Directions say pipe pink/white buttercream between layers – implying use ABC for filling too). Okay, using ABC for filling.
Place the second cake layer on top. Repeat piping/filling with ABC. Place the third cake layer on top.
Apply a “crumb coat” using the alternating pink/white ABC piping bag setup around the sides of the cake. Smooth lightly with an offset spatula or bench scraper – it doesn’t need to be perfect. Chill the cake for about 10 minutes to firm up the crumb coat.
7. Final Frosting (IMBC):
Cover the entire cake (top and sides) with the prepared Italian Meringue Buttercream. Use an offset spatula and bench scraper to get a smooth finish.
Chill the cake again for another 10 minutes to firm the frosting.
8. Add Sprinkle Skirt:
Gently press confetti sprinkles onto the bottom 1-2 inches of the frosted cake to create a “skirt.”
9. Ganache Drip:
Carefully apply the slightly cooled pink ganache around the top edge of the chilled cake, letting it drip down the sides. Smooth the ganache on the very top surface if desired. Let the ganache cool and set slightly.
10. Final Piping:
Transfer remaining IMBC to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip (like #869). Pipe decorative dollops or swirls around the top edge of the cake, on top of the set ganache.
11. Chill and Serve:
Chill the finished cake for at least 30 minutes to allow everything to set before slicing and serving. Let sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving for best texture.
Troubleshooting: Mastering the Advanced Techniques
This cake involves techniques prone to issues:
Problem: Italian Meringue Buttercream (IMBC) is Soupy/Curdled/Broken
Cause: Temperature mismatch! Syrup too hot/cold, meringue too warm/cold when butter added, butter too warm/cold. Solution: This is common! If soupy, chill bowl briefly (10-15 mins) then rewhip. If curdled (butter chunks), keep beating on medium-high – it will likely come back together. If it stays broken, gently warm the outside of the bowl slightly (hair dryer or warm cloth) while beating to help emulsify. Ensure butter is perfect room temp (cool but pliable, ~68°F).
Problem: Sugar Syrup Crystallized
Cause: Stirring after boiling starts; sugar crystals on pan sides. Solution: Do NOT stir after boiling. Wash down pan sides with wet pastry brush before boiling. Use clean equipment. Add corn syrup (though not in recipe) to inhibit crystals if prone to issues.
Problem: Ganache Drip Too Thick/Thin
Cause: Incorrect chocolate/cream ratio; temperature too hot/cold. Solution: Adjust consistency by gently warming (if too thick) or cooling (if too thin). Add tiny amounts more cream (warm) or melted chocolate (cool) if drastically off. Test drip on side of a cool glass first.
Problem: Smoothing Frosting is Difficult Solution: Use a cake turntable. Chill the crumb coat well. Use a bench scraper and offset spatula. Warm scraper slightly in hot water (dry well) for final smooth. Practice!
Tips and Variations: Your Funfetti Canvas
Make this celebration cake your own:
- IMBC Success: Cleanliness is paramount for meringue! Ensure bowl/whisk are grease-free. Use a candy thermometer. Add butter slowly to cooled meringue. Keep beating if it breaks!
- Cake Flavor: Add 1 tsp almond extract to the cake batter for a stronger birthday cake flavor. Use vanilla bean paste.
- Frosting Swap: If IMBC is too intimidating, use all Funfetti ABC, or a simple cream cheese frosting.
- Ganache: Use different colored candy melts or white chocolate tinted with gel colors. Make a dark chocolate ganache instead.
- Simpler Decor: Skip the striped crumb coat, just do a plain one. Skip the ganache drip and just cover with sprinkles. Skip the piped border.
- Cake Size: Bake in two 8-inch pans (bake longer) or a 9×13 pan (bake shorter) – adjust frosting amounts.
Serving and Pairing Suggestions: The Ultimate Party Cake
This cake is born to be the center of attention:
Serving Suggestions:
- Serve at room temperature for the best frosting texture (let sit out 30 mins if refrigerated long).
- Slice with a tall, sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped clean between slices for neat layers.
- Perfect for birthdays, graduations, baby showers, or any festive occasion.
Pairing Suggestions:
- Beverages: Milk is classic! Also great with coffee, tea, or celebratory sparkling cider/wine.
- Keep it Simple: The cake itself is the star; it doesn’t need accompaniments.
Nutritional Information (Approximate, as of March 31, 2025)
The original prompt did not provide Nutrition Facts. Based on the very rich ingredients (lots of butter, sugar, eggs, cream, chocolate), this is an extremely decadent cake. Here’s a very rough estimate per slice (assuming 12 slices):
- Calories: Likely in the 700-900+ range.
- Fat: Very high, likely 40-60g+ (lots of saturated fat).
- Carbohydrates: High, likely 80-100g+.
- Sugars: Very high.
- Protein: Moderate, likely 6-9g.
Please consider this a very indulgent special occasion dessert!
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Funfetti Cake
Description
This Funfetti Cake isn’t just any sprinkle cake – it’s a true celebration centerpiece! I am absolutely smitten with this recipe, which features moist, tender vanilla cake layers speckled with colorful sprinkles, filled and frosted with two kinds of delicious buttercream, and finished with a fun ganache drip. It’s a baker’s dream project
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 ⅔ cups (213g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp (2g) baking soda
- 1 tsp (4g) baking powder
- 1 pinch kosher salt (~¼ tsp)
- ¾ cup (176g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 large egg whites, room temperature
- 3 tsps vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120ml) sour cream, room temperature
- ½ cup (120ml) milk, room temperature
- ⅓ – ½ cup (55g) sprinkles (jimmies recommended)
- Butter and flour for preparing pans
For the Italian Buttercream (IMBC):
- 5 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 ⅓ cups (304g) sugar, divided (1 cup for syrup, ⅓ cup for whites)
- ⅓ cup (80ml) water
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 2 dashes cream of tartar
- 2 cups (456g) unsalted butter, room temperature, cubed
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
For the American Buttercream (ABC – Funfetti):
- 1 lb (445g / 2 cups / 4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 lb (907g / approx. 8 cups) confectioners sugar, sifted
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp milk (or more, as needed)
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 drop pink food coloring (optional)
- ⅓ cup (55g) sprinkles
For the Ganache:
- ½ cup (100g) candy melts (pink or white recommended)
- 2 tbsp white chocolate chips
- 3 tbsp heavy cream
- Pink food coloring (optional, if using white melts/chips)
Instructions
Let’s tackle this exciting cake project component by component:
1. Make the Cake Layers:
Preheat oven to 340°F (171°C). Butter and flour three 6-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper. Wrap pans with cake strips (if using).
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the room temperature egg whites, vanilla extract, sour cream, and milk. (Self-correction: Recipe mixes oil with wet, but no oil listed – assuming it meant beat egg whites separately? Re-reading: No oil listed. Okay, whisking whites with vanilla/sour/milk is unusual but following recipe.)
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the room temperature butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the wet ingredients (egg white/milk/sour cream/vanilla mix) to the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until just combined. (Self-correction: This seems wrong based on standard methods & the creaming step. Standard method would be cream butter/sugar, add eggs/whites+vanilla, then alternate dry and milk/sour cream. Let’s adjust to standard method for clarity)
Revised Cake Steps (Standard Method):
- (Prep) Preheat 340°F, prep 3×6″ pans. Sift dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, soda, salt). Whisk wet (sour cream, milk, vanilla).
- (Cream) In stand mixer, beat room temp butter and sugar until light/fluffy (3-5 mins).
- (Add Eggs/Whites) Beat in room temp egg whites one at a time. Beat in vanilla.
- (Alternate) On low speed, add ⅓ dry ingredients, mix briefly. Add ½ wet ingredients, mix briefly. Repeat (⅓ dry, remaining wet, remaining dry), mixing just until combined after each.
- (Sprinkles) Gently fold in sprinkles.
- (Bake) Divide batter into pans. Bake 30-35 mins until toothpick is clean. Cool 10 mins in pans, then invert onto racks to cool completely.
2. Make the Italian Meringue Buttercream (IMBC):
In a stand mixer bowl (clean!), beat room temp egg whites, cream of tartar, salt, and ⅓ cup sugar with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form.
In a medium saucepan, combine the remaining 1 cup sugar and ⅓ cup water. Place over low heat, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves and syrup is clear.
Increase heat to medium-high. Attach a candy thermometer. Boil syrup without stirring until it reaches 235-240°F (113-115°C – soft-ball stage).
Immediately remove syrup from heat. With the mixer running on medium-low speed, very slowly drizzle the hot syrup down the side of the bowl into the whipping egg whites. Avoid hitting the whisk.
Once all syrup is added, increase speed to high and beat until the meringue is stiff, glossy, and the bottom of the bowl feels cool to the touch (about 7-10 minutes).
Switch to the paddle attachment. With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the room temperature butter, one cube at a time, beating until incorporated. The mixture may look curdled – keep beating! It will come together.
Once all butter is added, beat on medium-high until silky smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract. Set aside (can be stored airtight).
3. Make the Funfetti American Buttercream (ABC):
Beat the room temperature butter in a stand mixer (or large bowl) until light and fluffy.
Gradually add the sifted confectioners’ sugar and salt, mixing on low speed until combined.
Add the milk and vanilla extract. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for several minutes until very light and fluffy.
Divide the frosting into two batches. Add pink food coloring to one batch and mix until desired color. Fold sprinkles into both batches.
4. Prepare Piping Bags for Crumb Coat:
Transfer frosting into 4 piping bags (2 pink, 2 white). Place one pink bag and one white bag together inside a larger piping bag fitted with a large round or plain tip (or just snip the end off the larger bag). This setup allows piping alternating colors for the crumb coat. (Self-correction: Directions say snip tip off combined bag, implying no metal tip needed for this stage).
5. Make the Ganache:
Chop candy melts (if large). Place candy melts and white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl.
Add heavy cream. Microwave on medium power (50%) in 20-30 second intervals, stirring well after each, until melted and smooth. Do not overheat.
Add a drop of pink food coloring, if desired, and whisk until smooth. Let cool slightly until thickened but still pourable. Transfer to a piping bag or squeeze bottle.
6. Assemble the Cake:
Level the cooled cake layers if needed. Place one layer on a cake stand or board.
Pipe alternating pink and white ABC using the combined piping bag setup around the edge of the first layer to create a dam. Fill the center with dollops of pink/white ABC (or use the individual bags). Spread slightly. (Self-correction: Directions say pipe pink/white buttercream between layers – implying use ABC for filling too). Okay, using ABC for filling.
Place the second cake layer on top. Repeat piping/filling with ABC. Place the third cake layer on top.
Apply a “crumb coat” using the alternating pink/white ABC piping bag setup around the sides of the cake. Smooth lightly with an offset spatula or bench scraper – it doesn’t need to be perfect. Chill the cake for about 10 minutes to firm up the crumb coat.
7. Final Frosting (IMBC):
Cover the entire cake (top and sides) with the prepared Italian Meringue Buttercream. Use an offset spatula and bench scraper to get a smooth finish.
Chill the cake again for another 10 minutes to firm the frosting.
8. Add Sprinkle Skirt:
Gently press confetti sprinkles onto the bottom 1-2 inches of the frosted cake to create a “skirt.”
9. Ganache Drip:
Carefully apply the slightly cooled pink ganache around the top edge of the chilled cake, letting it drip down the sides. Smooth the ganache on the very top surface if desired. Let the ganache cool and set slightly.
10. Final Piping:
Transfer remaining IMBC to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip (like #869). Pipe decorative dollops or swirls around the top edge of the cake, on top of the set ganache.
11. Chill and Serve:
Chill the finished cake for at least 30 minutes to allow everything to set before slicing and serving. Let sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving for best texture
Recipe Summary and Q&A: Your Ultimate Funfetti Guide
Let’s recap this ultimate Celebration Funfetti Cake project!
Summary: This recipe guides you through creating a multi-layered Funfetti cake from scratch, featuring sprinkle-filled vanilla cake layers. It utilizes two types of frosting – a sweet Funfetti American Buttercream (potentially for filling/crumb coat) and a silky Italian Meringue Buttercream (ideal for smooth exterior/piping). The cake is finished with a colorful ganache drip and piped details.
Q&A:
Q: Why use two different types of buttercream?
A: They serve different purposes. American Buttercream is easy, sweet, and great for incorporating sprinkles for the Funfetti theme (used here likely for filling/crumb coat). Italian Meringue Buttercream is incredibly smooth, stable, less sweet, pipes beautifully, and holds sharp edges, making it ideal for a professional-looking final coat and decorations.
Q: Is a candy thermometer absolutely necessary for the Italian Meringue Buttercream?
A: Yes, it really is essential for consistently getting the sugar syrup to the correct soft-ball stage (235-240°F). Undercooking or overcooking the syrup will prevent the meringue from forming properly and will compromise the stability and safety (as it cooks the egg whites) of the buttercream.
Q: Can I make components ahead of time?
A: Yes. Cake layers can be baked, cooled, wrapped well, and stored at room temp for 2 days or frozen for a month. Both buttercreams can be made ahead and stored airtight (IMBC at room temp short term or fridge/freezer longer term – needs re-whipping; ABC in fridge – needs to come to room temp and re-whipped). Ganache can be made ahead and gently rewarmed. Assemble the cake 1-2 days before serving.
Q: This seems like a lot of work! Is it worth it? A: It’s definitely a project cake! But if you enjoy baking and want to create a truly stunning, delicious, homemade celebration cake that incorporates several techniques, the process can be incredibly rewarding, and the results are usually spectacular compared to simpler recipes