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!
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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!
FAQ for Mini Funfetti Cake
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.
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!
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.
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.
Sour cream works great here too!
For more funfetti recipes, check out:
Made this recipe and love it?
If you made this recipe then I would LOVE for you to leave me a review below to let me know how you liked it! Also, please make sure to tag me on Instagram if you make it!
A note on salt and oven temperature
It is important to note the type of salt that is called for in a recipe. I use Diamond Crystal salt throughout my recipes - if you use a different sort of kosher salt or regular table salt you will need to adjust accordingly as some salt is 'saltier' than others. Morton's salt is twice as salty, so you will need half the quantity. Same goes for a regular table salt. I am working to get gram measurements throughout my recipes for salt but still getting there.
All oven temperatures are conventional unless otherwise stated. If you are baking on fan / convection, you will need to adjust the temperature. An oven thermometer is a great investment to ensure that your oven is the correct temperature.
Using the double / triple function in the recipe card
You will notice that there is a '1X' '2X' '3X' button in my recipe card. This can be used for doubling or tripling a recipe. However, please note that this only doubles the ingredient quantities in the ingredients list and NOT in the method. If there are quantities or pan sizes in the method of the recipe (for example weigh out 150g brown butter), you will need to scale this number manually. It will also not change the baking time in the recipe so you will need to adjust this yourself too. It is always a good idea to read through a recipe fully before doubling it just to check this. If you would like to scale this recipe or convert for another pan size, use my calculator!
Tools and equipment
For a list of my go-to tools and equipment, I have a post you can refer to here.
Why is this recipe in grams?
I post my recipes in grams as it is the most accurate way to bake. Cups are not only inaccurate but they vary in volume worldwide. There is no way for me to provide one cup measure that works for everyone. However, posting in weight fixes this issue. If you would like the recipe in cups you are welcome to convert it yourself via google, but please do not ask me to do it for you as I am not comfortable providing a recipe using a method that I have not tested. Baking with a scale is easy, accurate, and also makes cleanup super simple. Here is the scale that I use if you would like a recommendation! Here's to accurate baking!
Recipe For Mini Funfetti Cake
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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.
Keywords: Funfetti, Funfetti Cake, mini sheet cake, mini funfetti cake, vanilla buttercream, vanilla american buttercream
I made this for my birthday and it was the best!!!
★★★★★
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.
★★★★★
Yessss I love to hear it!
Love that this is small batch!! I'll be making this over and over!!
★★★★★
Can you clarify what you mean by heavy cream? Am UK-based so is it like double cream or whipping cream? Cheers!
Hi! It's whatever the one you would use to make whipped cream!
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.
★★★★★
Ohhh that sounds so so good! SO happy you loved it x