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SWEET BAKES

Lyndsay Sung’s Funfetti Cake With Vanilla Buttercream & Birthday Cake Crumbles

The partiest party time cake! "Funfetti" is a bit of a hiliarious mash-up word, taking the unique phenomenon of confetti as its base—I’ll always love the idea of tiny rainbow paper bits sprinkling down from the sky in celebratory jubilation!
This cake has soft, rainbow funfetti cake layers frosted with creamy nostalgic vanilla buttercream, and topped further with funfetti birthday cake crumbles inspired by Milk Bar. Serve it with scoops of vanilla ice cream for your next birthday party, and the kids (or your inner child, hehe) will be over the moon. Make sure you use the vibrant sprinkles (not all-natural colored) for baking into this cake; all-natural sprinkles may melt into the cake and not have the funfetti vibes we’re going for—but they’re perfect to sprinkle on the finished cake!

Photo by Lyndsay Sung

INGREDIENTS

Makes one 7-inch 3-layer cake
 
For the Vanilla Funfetti Cake
 
1¼ cups (310 milliliters) soy milk
 
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
 
½ cup (125 milliliters) aquafaba
 
½ cup (112 grams) unsalted plant-based butter, room temp
 
½ cup (125 milliliters) vegetable oil
 
1½ cups (300 grams) granulated white sugar
 
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
 
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
 
3 cups (390 grams) cake flour
 
1 tablespoon baking powder
 
1 teaspoon baking soda
 
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
 
1½ cups (150 grams) rainbow sprinkles

 
For the Birthday Cake Crumbles
 
½ cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar
 
1 tablespoon golden brown sugar
 
¾ cup (96 grams) cake flour
 
½ teaspoon baking powder
 
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
 
1 tablespoon rainbow sprinkles
 
¼ cup vegetable oil
 
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
 
For the Vanilla Buttercream
 
2 cups (454 grams) unsalted plant-based butter, room temp
 
3 cups (380 grams) icing sugar, sifted
 
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
 
Pinch of salt + more to taste
 
For the Swiss Meringue Buttercream
 
1 cup (250 milliliters) aquafaba 
 
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
 
1 cup (130 grams) icing sugar
 
1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar
 
2 cups (454 grams) unsalted plant-based butter
 
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
 
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste

METHOD

MAKE THE CAKE
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare three 7x2-inch round cake pans by spritzing them with vegetable oil and lining with parchment paper circles cut to size.

In a small bowl, mix the soy milk with apple cider vinegar. Set aside for a few minutes to allow it to thicken and curdle.

In a small bowl, whisk the aquafaba until foamy and light, about one minute. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, vegetable oil, and sugar until creamy and blended well. Add the foamy aquafaba, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean paste, mixing until combined.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

With the mixer on low speed, alternate between adding the flour mixture and the soy milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, until just combined. Do not overmix. Use a spatula to fold in any stray lumps of flour.

Using a spatula, gently fold in rainbow sprinkles into the batter, about three to four turns.

Divide the cake evenly amongst the three prepared cake pans. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until the cake edges are lightly browned, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only moist crumbs.

Let cakes cool completely before frosting.

MAKE THE BIRTHDAY CAKE CRUMBLES
Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine the white sugar, brown sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, and sprinkles, mixing until combined. Add the vegetable oil and vanilla extract, mixing until small clumps of crumble form. Spread evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned and baked through. Let cool completely before using. Break up any larger pieces if necessary.

MAKE THE VANILLA BUTTERCREAM
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, pulse together the butter, icing sugar, vanilla extract, and salt to gently combine without causing a dust storm. Once combined, increase to high speed and beat until the frosting is fluffy and creamy, another 1 to 2 minutes.

MAKE THE SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM
Make sure your mixing bowl is clean and grease free!

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk together the aquafaba and cream of tartar on low speed until slightly frothy. Turn the mixer up to high speed and keep mixing until soft peaks begin to form. Add the sugars, a tablespoon at a time, until the meringue has thickened and has reached medium stiff peaks (turn off the mixer and lift the head—if the meringue holds thick to the whisk, it’s ready to use).

With the mixer on low speed, add the butter, 1-inch pieces at a time. Once it’s all added, turn the mixer up to medium high speed and whip until the mixture forms into a thick, creamy buttercream. Add the vanilla extract and vanilla bean paste and pinch of salt and incorporate for another thirty seconds.

DECORATE THE CAKE
Fill and frost the funfetti cake layers with the buttercream of your choice. Add piped buttercream borders or piped decor. Sprinkle liberally with the birthday cake cookie crumbles and more funfetti rainbow sprinkles!

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