Funfetti Birthday Cake Recipe

It’s 3 pm on the day of your child’s birthday and you don’t have a cake. Nothing ordered or baked, and you still need to finish up a work project, pull off a birthday party and make dinner. HELP! What to do? ABK’s Funfetti Birthday Cake Recipe to the rescue. This simple recipe is a tasty doctored-up version of a box cake mix, and a homemade buttercream you can make in minutes!

Funfetti Birthday Cake Recipe to the rescue!

When my kids were young, we didn’t have the money to spend a lot on birthday cakes. Occasionally, I’d purchase a round cake from the local grocery or bakery, but most of the time, I’d  make a cake from scratch or throw together a boxed cake mix and add a few ingredients to dress it up. My oldest daughter Corrine  was recently faced with the scenario mentioned above and told me she made a cake using one of ABK’s  dressed up cake mix recipes and the kids LOVED IT.  She pointed out I don’t have a cake recipe on ABK for kid birthday celebrations and it was a future must-post item. After months of trying different combos of ingredients I finally have the perfect Funfetti Birthday Cake Recipe ready to share!

The price is right

This cake costs about $4-$7 (including the frosting) to make. I picked up a Beauty and the Beast themed topper for about $7 at my local grocery store in the bakery. They had several Disney-themed cake toppers available for under $10, which isn’t necessary, but an easy way to decorate a child’s birthday cake! You can also order a cake topper (if you think ahead) for a few dollars as well. ABK’s easy Funfetti Birthday Cake Recipe is meant to be simple. No piping on decorations, no fancy frills, just a straight forward dressed-up cake mix for your next birthday celebration! Seriously, it’s the most simple kid’s birthday cake made in just a few minutes…what’s not to love about this cake?

ABK’s Funfetti Birthday Cake Recipe is way less expensive than a store bought cake and tastes about 100 times better. Funfetti Birthday Cake is so easy to whip up. In a matter of minutes (less than 5) you can have this cake mixed up and poured into pans. The ingredients are probably  in your pantry and fridge as we speak.

make your kid happy cake

Don’t get me wrong, I love a beautifully decorated cake.  This cake is in a whole different league. Or maybe I should say a league of it’s own.  This cake is not going to impress the in-law’s or be the most beautiful cake you’ve ever Pinned.  ABK’s Funfetti Birthday Cake Recipe is a quick and easy make your kid happy cake!  Throw on a few sprinkles, candles and something on top to decorate (or not) and call it good! Remember…simplify. This is a child’s birthday celebration! I promise they will love anything you make.

Homemake frosting for the win!

Homemade buttercream frosting and a few added ingredients take this cake from boring to brilliant! If you do nothing but frost a box mix cake with homemade frosting, you will improve the cake by 10 times. So many people purchase frosting in a can when in fact, homemade frosting is so simple to make and makes a world of difference in your dessert!  I frosted this cake with a buttercream colored with a bit of yellow food coloring. The possibilities are endless when coloring and decorating this cake.  Give this recipe a try next time you need a simple and great tasting cake. Funfetti Birthday Cake is so moist and delicious even a critic will love it!

Funfetti Birthday Cake Recipe

5 from 10 votes

Print Pin

Author: Si Foster

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 25 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr

Servings: 12 serving

Ingredients 

• 1  15-16 oz Funfetti or other sprinkle box cake mix 
• 1  3.4 oz box Instant Vanilla Pudding mix, dry, not mixed up
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
• 3/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon vanilla

for frosting:

• 1   cup softened unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons 
• 4-5 cups powdered sugar
• 2 pinches of salt, about ⅛ teaspoon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2-3 tablespoons milk, cream or half and half

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and set rack in middle of oven. Grease, line with parchment and lightly flour two-9 inch cake pans, set aside. 
• Place eggs, oil, water, sour cream and vanilla in a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix for about 1 minute on medium speed. 
• Add cake mix and dry pudding mix to the wet ingredients. Mix on medium speed for about 30 seconds, scraping down sides once.  Make sure all wet and dry ingredients are mixed well. Do not over mix. 
• Pour batter into each cake pan, distributing evenly.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 
• Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes, then loosen sides of cake from pan with butter knife and let cool on a rack. I set the top of the cake so it is resting on the rack to help eliminate the domed top. 
• Set cake in refrigerator or freezer to cool. 

While cake is cooling, prepare frosting:

• Place butter in a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.
• Turn on medium speed and start mixing butter until the tablespoons of butter are broken down and smooth. 
• Turn mixer off, add 2 cups of powdered sugar to bowl. Mix on low until sugar is no longer visible. Turn mixer off again, scrape down sides. 
• Add remaining powdered sugar, salt, vanilla (and food coloring if using)  to bowl. Mix on low until sugar is incorporated and no longer visible.
• Add milk or cream while mixing on low.
• When all ingredients are in bowl, turn mixer to high and mix for about 2 minutes. Stop and scrape down sides a couple of times and then resume beating frosting. 
• Add more milk if needed to spreading consistency.
• When cake is completely cooled, place on stand or plate. Frost bottom layer with about 1 cup of frosting, then add top layer of cake (I usually turn this layer upside down) so the top of the cake is facing the base layer, or dome side down. I rarely cut my cake to make it even! 
• Frost the sides then top of the cake. Immediately top with any sprinkles or cake topper and refrigerate to set or serve immediately. 

Notes

• This recipe can be made to accommodate any flavor of box cake mix. You may also use chocolate pudding when making a chocolate cake or lemon pudding when making lemon cake. 
• I use 9 inch cake pans for this recipe, you may also use three 8 inch rounds and split the batter evenly. the bake time will be less, usually around 15-18 minutes for three 8 inch rounds. 
• If you’d like to pipe on the frosting, I suggest increasing the amount of frosting by another 1/2 to double the amount in this recipe so you will have plenty for piping.