This Mini Funfetti Cake is a classic Birthday Cake with Vanilla Frosting. This Small Batch Vanilla Cake is filled with Funfetti Sprinkles and is then topped with an easy small batch vanilla American Buttercream. This cake is baked in an Eighth sheet pan but can also be made in a loaf pan for the perfect small batch birthday cake!
Mini Funfetti Cake
Hi hi! I am just popping in to share the recipe for this mini funfetti cake! This is another mini sheet cake recipe - I posted this carrot one a wee way back, and I have a few more up my sleeve to post in the future.
This mini funfetti cake is the perfect small batch birthday cake. I scaled back my funfetti snack cake recipe to be a small batch recipe, and then baked in an eighth sheet pan. I then finished it off with a smooth vanilla American buttercream for that super nostalgic flavour. This mini funfetti cake is super cute and a lot of fun to make - I hope that you enjoy!
Components of Small Batch Birthday Cake
This mini funfetti cake is super easy to make and I just love how cute it is. There are only two components - the small batch vanilla cake with sprinkles, and then the small batch vanilla American buttercream topping the cake.
- Small Batch Vanilla Cake - This small batch funfetti cake is super easy to make. It comes together in two bowls and is quick to bake. I baked it in an eighth sheet pan which is my current favourite.
- Vanilla Bean American Buttercream Frosting - I kept things simple here. The vanilla american buttercream is super fluffy and the perfect vanilla flavour. It compliments the small batch funfetti cake in the most perfect way.
You can mix and match the cake with other frostings as you like - it would be super good with a raspberry frosting or this chocolate frosting!
How to bake in an Eighth Sheet Pan
I made this mini funfetti cake in an eighth sheet pan, which is half the size of a quarter sheet pan. They are super fun to bake in - I own a bunch. I love them for small batches of bread rolls, or also for mini sheet cakes such as this recipe. They line perfectly with quarter sheet pan sized parchment (one of my favourite things), and are just so, so cute. I use them all the time for toasting nuts or baking up a single cookie.
If you can't get hold of an eighth sheet pan, this mini funfetti cake will also work perfectly made in a 9"x5" (23x13cm) loaf pan. You will just need to watch the bake time!
Offsetting yellow in buttercream
If you use a good quality butter (like in NZ, all our butter is super yellow), you may end up with a buttercream with a slightly yellow tint to it. While there's absolutely nothing wrong with this, there is a way to fix it! Adding a teeny tiny drop of violet gel food colouring to the frosting offsets the yellow colouring. Sounds weird but it works. Same way blondes use a purple shampoo! It neutralises the yellow. Start with the teeniest bit on the end of a knife or spatula and see how you go.
Small Batch Vanilla American Buttercream
This mini funfetti cake is topped with a small batch american buttercream recipe. I am not usually a huge fan of american buttercream. It has a time and a place for sure though, and that time and place is on top of this cake!
American buttercream is super easy to make - I used a handheld electric mixer, but you could probably also make it by hand if you wanted if you whisked nice and hard. You want to look for a fluffy texture, so make sure you keep whipping until you get that.
My American buttercream recipe has milk in it - you can add as much as you like to soften it if you need. Remember that American buttercream is a crusting buttercream. This means that it will form a crust when exposed to the air, so if you have some in a bowl while you are working etc, pop some plastic wrap over it to prevent the crust from forming.
Best Sprinkles for Funfetti Cake
Not all sprinkles are equal when it comes to funfetti cake. You don't really want to use anything that bleeds colour in the oven as it will make the dough go brown.
Jimmies sprinkles work great in funfetti cake. They are little rainbow rods, and they don't tend to melt in the oven too badly, giving the perfect funfetti cake. I got mine from here, but the ones you can get in the grocery store are usually perfect!
You don't want to use anything naturally coloured or super fragile here - it will melt, and your cake will go a weird colour. Jimmies have stabiliser in them which stops them melting in the oven. DO NOT use non pareils / 100s and 1000s. It will be a shit show. If you're in New Zealand, these look like they might do the trick! I haven't tried them, but they look super similar to what I was using in the US!
Frequently Asked Questions for Mini Funfetti Cake
What pan did you bake this mini funfetti cake in?
I used an Eighth Sheet Pan. A loaf pan will also work! I got mine from Williams Sonoma but they don’t seem to stock them any more.
Can this be made in a mixer?
My stand mixer was too big for this small batch, so I used an electric hand mixer. However if yours can deal with a lower quantity, it should work!
Can this recipe be doubled?
Yes! You can either make it in an 8" square for more of a snack cake, or you can make it in a quarter sized sheet pan for a larger, thinner sheet cake.
Can this recipe be made ahead?
You can make the cake ahead of time and store lightly wrapped at room temperature. The frosting can be made ahead too - re-whip before assembly.
What can I use if I don't have greek yogurt?
Sour cream works great here too!
For more funfetti recipes, check out:
❤️ Made this recipe and love it? ❤️
I would LOVE for you to leave me a review and star rating below to let me know how you liked it! Also, please make sure to tag me on Instagram!
Answers to your baking questions
Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:
- baking in grams
- adjusting oven temperatures
- what kind of salt to use
- and many more!
I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!
Recipe For Mini Funfetti Cake
Print
Mini Funfetti Cake
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Mini Funfetti Cake is a classic Birthday Cake with Vanilla Frosting. This Small Batch Vanilla Cake is filled with Funfetti Sprinkles and is topped with an easy small batch vanilla American Buttercream. This cake is baked in an Eighth sheet pan but can also be made in a loaf pan for the perfect small batch birthday cake!
Ingredients
Mini Funfetti Cake
- 130g all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 65g whole milk, at room temperature
- 40g full fat greek yoghurt
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste
- 75g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 80g granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 70g rainbow jimmies sprinkles
Vanilla American Buttercream
- 85g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 190g powdered sugar, sifted
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 2 Tbsp heavy cream (start with 1 Tbsp and add the second if you think the mixture needs it)
- Sprinkles to finish (optional)
Instructions
MINI FUNFETTI CAKE
- Preheat the oven to 350°f / 180°c. Grease and line an eighth sheet pan or a 9”x5” loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a small bowl, combine the milk, greek yoghurt, and vanilla.
- In a medium bowl using an electric mixer cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Add the egg and mix until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl using a spatula.
- With the mixer on low, alternately add the wet and dry ingredients. Add a third of the dry ingredients, followed by half the wet ingredients, then another third of the dry ingredients, followed by the second half of the wet ingredients. Finally, add the remaining third of the dry ingredients. Mix until just incorporated, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Add the sprinkles and fold in by hand to ensure they are evenly combined.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and smooth down. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to ensure the mixture is settled.
- Bake the Funfetti Snack Cake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown, springs back when lightly pressed, and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool the cake in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then remove from the pan and place on a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
VANILLA BEAN AMERICAN BUTTERCREAM
- In a medium bowl using an electric mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip together the butter, powdered sugar, and salt on high speed until combined. It will clump and then come together.
- Add the vanilla and heavy cream and mix to combine. Mix for a further 1-2 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Plop the Buttercream onto the top of the cooled cake and spread with an offset spatula as desired. Top with sprinkles if using.
- Briefly freeze the cake if needed to set the frosting. Cut into pieces using a very sharp knife.
- Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container.
Comments
caribou says
I made this for my birthday and it was the best!!!
Sunshine says
I'm American and I refuse to make recipes that aren't metric. I own a kitchen scale and it's made my life much easier. When I was in Grammer school back in the 70s we were making a switch to metric. Although we went back to imperial, I remained a rebel and stuck with metric. Great recipe that I'll be making when it cools down in my neck of the woods.
Erin says
Yessss I love to hear it!
stacy says
Love that this is small batch!! I'll be making this over and over!!
Bridget says
Can you clarify what you mean by heavy cream? Am UK-based so is it like double cream or whipping cream? Cheers!
Erin says
Hi! It's whatever the one you would use to make whipped cream!
Erika says
This was the perfect size cake for me to make since it's just me and my husband, and it was so delicious! Definitely will be making again!
Laura says
This is such a great recipe! I live alone and this is the perfect size for me (I mean, it’s probably still an irresponsible amount of cake). It’s got a great consistency and just looks so cute. I did sub the milk for oat milk and swapped the frosting for a raspberry one.
Victoria says
I have been craving funfetti cake for months, and this recipe was excellent! The sponge was super moist. In lieu of the vanilla butter cream, I made a cream cheese frosting to have a tart contrast.
Erin says
Ohhh that sounds so so good! SO happy you loved it x
Tracey Knight says
I LOVE this cake and the whole family does too!
Elyse says
Such a good recipe! The perfect bake for when you have the impulse to bake but don’t want a ton left over.
Erin Clarkson says
Yayyyyy! Tiny cakes for the win
Allison says
This turned out so great! The flavor was really good, and easy to make! Great when you need a little bit of funfetti in your life 🙂
Claudia says
I finally bought an eighth sheet pan (specifically for your recipes, ha!) And I can't wait to try this!!
atoothytale says
Excellent instructions and the flavour is amazing. I modified it and omitted the sprinkles and added raspberries instead. Every single recipe I've made from cloudy kitchen has been spectacular and the explanations are so helpful. Love your hard work 🙂
Erin Clarkson says
Thank you so much! I am so happy you loved!
Stephanie T. says
Is the bake time the same for a 9x5 loaf pan?
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! it's for the sheet pan version. You will have to watch for the loaf pan version (I imagine it will take a few minutes longer) but it will be similar!
Sierra says
Another delicious recipe!
I just wanted to say that I ordered the sprinkles recommended above and they worked a treat - the cake turned out perfectly! If you're in NZ I would definitely suggest you try these.
Erin Clarkson says
ohh yay thank you so much for the update! I haven't tried them myself yet, I need to!
Sara says
I made this for a co-worker's birthday since we have a small team. Perfect nostalgic birthday cake.
Aidenmommy says
Should have just made the 1/4 sheet size because I made this eighth size 2× this week. My kid luvs it and so do I with that 1 egg factor cuz sometimes you just don't have 6 eggs for a cake.
Victoria says
This is the perfect afternoon tea cake. Delicious with a cup of tea and delightful for my boys to devour as a treat after a school or an activity.
Liliana E Martinez says
Omg I made the buttercream from this recipe to use in your oatmeal sandwich cookies and it is so good, I haven't made such a good buttercream in ages! I think it's the salt in the recipe that I was missing, that puts it over the top and makes it so yummy. I did end up needing to use a bit more butter to make it all come together (I probably added another 20-30g at least) and it really only came together when I added the milk and vanilla (Didnt have cream!) Thanks!
Bec says
Great recipe! So tasty and I absolutely stuffed this up somewhere along the way due to a fussy baby needing to be held the whole way. But robust recipe enough so that it still turned out delicious! Thanks for this one. Will be making again.
Sam says
Amazing recipe, quadrupled the recipe to make a double layer sheet cake style for my son’s first birthday party and everyone loved it. I gave my bestie a piece on her way to work and she claims it’s the perfect texture to eat in the car as it holds its form and doesn’t drop too many crumbs which is a great quality in our books haha.
Erin Clarkson says
Hhahahah the perfect feedback, honestly! Love a car snack.
Grace Tairua says
Would love to make a bigger size for my daughter’s birthday the same size as your devils sheet cake. Should I double to do this or triple? Thank you!
Erin Clarkson says
Hi, I have a pan size converter on my site - I would use that! The devil's sheet cake is quite thick though so you may have to increase the batter a little too. Sorry - I haven't tested it!
Laura Turnbull says
Love love love a snacking cake and this was perfection! Great job and thanks for the PROPER way to bake in grams!!
Sara says
I made this as a 6” cake for my birthday. Added a little extra sea salt to the frosting for a salted buttercream. Delicious - the cake is sooo moist!
Maria says
Perfect little cake. Love the size and the texture. Will definitely make this again for my small family.
Kaye says
Subbed cream cheese for Greek yogurt and vanilla extract for vanilla bean paste. Used a 9x13" pan, cut it in half and layered it. (Cheated and used store bought icing) Baked for 20 minutes. So good and surprisingly easy!
Hayley says
I made this cake for one of my team at works birthday who said he doesn't like cake. He's ate 4 pieces and is still talking about it a month later.
Amy says
This cake recipe also makes exactly 24 mini cupcakes, which is super convenient! Frosting quantity (piped on in a little swirl) is also perfect for 24 minis. Big hit with my younger kids when we want cupcakes, but don’t need more than we’ll eat in a few days. Thanks, as always, Erin!
Emma says
Best cake i've ever made, will be making again!
Teresa says
Baking is not my favourite, as I’m a wing it kind of human in the kitchen. However, Cloudy Kitchens deep dives into recipes tickles my brain enough to try ALL THE THINGS. My friends have made me this cake numerous times and I’ve given it a whirl today. Easy to follow recipe, and I especially love the 1X, 2X, 3X instructions. Saves a head kerfuffle.
Erin Clarkson says
Yayyy I love this! Thank you so much
Lucy says
I am a cake snob and honestly I rate this recipe. My first time baking a cake in five years due to cake fussiness. Perhaps a change is coming. More cake recipes pls!
10/10 perfect level of fluffiness and moisture. And perfect size for a couple to share as a treatie.
michelle says
can i use oil instead of salted butter in the cake part? butter has gotten sooooo expensive lately 🙂
Erin Clarkson says
It's not a straight sub sorry!
Lina Vanderveen says
Hi Erin!
Planning on making your vanilla cupcakes for a baby shower, but I would like to use a basic vanilla/white coloured buttercream/frosting for decorating. Would the buttercream in this recipe be good to do some basic piping and decorating cupcakes with? If not, is there a recipe on your site you’d recommend?
Thanks so much!
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! Yes it will but the american buttercream in my french macarons is probably what I would use as it is already scaled up!
Hannah says
My fave go to cake! Pretty quick & easy to make and so so yummy! Always a hit! I usually triple or quadruple it because a small one is never enough!
Nic says
Made this yesterday for my son’s birthday cake. He loves vanilla cake so thought this would be a good option and a bit more fun for a birthday. It was delicious, both the cake and the icing were perfect. I would definitely make again. The size was also perfect as we only had a small family birthday so didn’t need a huge cake, happily feed 8 of us.
Laine says
Legitimately the easiest cake and so delicious. Perfect when you want a little sweet treat! I paired it with the easy brownie fudge frosting and it’s perfect!
*if you don’t use good sprinkles, they will bleed their colors
Alex CC says
Thank you for a recipe that allows this American to enjoy this nostalgic treat in New Zealand. The only issue I take with this is the serving size; it’s clearly only one serving size because I AIN’T SHARING (yes, it’s that good).
In all seriousness, please make this. It’s what you need whether you’re celebrating or commiserating.