This sprinkle cake is a moist and tender yellow cake loaded with rainbow sprinkles! The one layer homemade cake is easy to make and instead of frosting has a buttery crumb topping.
Disclosure | This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
With decades of cake baking in my history, I love a simple one layer cake. And while I love a generous layer of frosting on a cake, I bake for a lot of people who like cake without frosting {which is just crazy, right?!}. I gave this sprinkle cake an upgrade with a crumb topping and no frosting in sight.
As with all my recipes, I tested this cake multiple times to perfect the texture and flavor. I learned that you need a cake pan with at least 2.5 inch sides, which led me to like using a springform pan best. I also found baking this cake at a lower temperature for a little longer was the key to the perfect texture. The cake is soft and moist, filled with rainbow sprinkles and topped with a crumb topping.
Much like sprinkle cookies, sprinkle donuts, birthday cake blondies and funfetti ice cream, it’s full of birthday nostalgia, but also perfect for holidays! Change up the sprinkle colors and this homemade cake will be the star of the show for Halloween, Christmas, 4th of July or Valentine’s Day.
Jump to:
🍰 sprinkle cake key ingredients
I tested a range of ingredients to create the best homemade version of this birthday classic. Here are a few that make this cake extra special.
Please scroll to the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the full list of ingredients and baking directions.
Sprinkles ~ you can’t have a sprinkle cake without sprinkles! I recommend testing your sprinkles before adding them to the cake batter as they can go bad and you don’t want to put icky sprinkles in your cake!
Dry milk powder ~ I learned this trick from Jenna at Butternut Bakery. The dry milk powder helps to enhance the flavor and texture of this homemade cake recipe.
Sour cream ~ use full-fat sour cream at room temperature for the best results. If some water separates from the sour cream, just stir it back into the sour cream before adding it to the recipe.
Eggs and butter ~ should be at room temperature to give the cake the best rise and soft texture. I like my butter a little softer when baking cakes, so I take it out 2-3 hours prior to baking.
💭 what sprinkles are best for cake?
Jimmies sprinkles {long and thin} or confetti quins {round and flat} are best for baking inside cakes. They tend to hold their shape and color the best once the cake is baked.
I would stay away from nonpareils. They can bleed their color into the batter, making the cake an undesirable color.
Please also note that sprinkles can go bad! They should be stored in an airtight container in a cool and dry place. Sprinkles last between 18 months and 3 years after opened. Give the sprinkles the smell test and if they have an off or odd smell, throw them out and use a fresh container.
🥣 how to make this one layer cake
Start by preheating the oven to 350°F and position the rack to the center of the oven.
Prepare one 9-inch round baking pan with a minimum of 2.5 inch sides {I used a springform pan}; butter the pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, butter again and dust lightly with flour. Set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the unsalted butter, kosher salt and granulated sugar.
Scrape the bowl and add the sour cream and beat on medium. The cake batter gets very fluffy at this point.
Scrape up and down the bowl and beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping up and down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla with the third egg. The mixture may look a little curdled at this point, but don't let it worry you.
Scrape up and down the bowl and add the cornstarch, baking powder and dry milk powder and mix on low until incorporated.
Then the flour and mix on low until just a few streaks of flour remain, scrape the bowl again and mix the batter on medium for 30 seconds. The batter is quite thick. Now add the sprinkles and gently fold them into the batter with a spatula.
how to add the crumb topping
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 30 minutes.
While the cake is baking prepare the crumb topping.
When the 30 minutes is up, pull out the oven rack and quickly add the crumb topping to the top of the cake batter. Drop the temperature to 325°F and then continue baking until the edges begin to brown and pull away from the pan and a cake tester comes out with just a few moist crumbs, about 20 - 25 minutes more.
Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely in the pan set on a wire cooling rack. If you'd like to remove the cake from the pan once it is cool, run a knife between the cake and the edge of the pan to loosen it after 15 minutes.
💬 frequently asked questions
What flavor is sprinkle cake?
This cake has a buttery vanilla flavor, which is enhanced by the crumb topping.
Can I freeze this cake?
Yes, the cake can be frozen with the crumb topping for up to 2 months. You can wrap the whole thing tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap. Or cut the cake into individual slices; then wrap each slice tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap. I like to then place in a zip-top freezer bag or airtight container before freezing.
Allow to defrost at room temperature before serving. This rainbow sprinkle cake tastes best at room temperature.
👩🏻🍳 tips for the best confetti cake
Test your sprinkles to make sure they are still fresh before adding them to the cake batter.
Naturally colored sprinkles can lose some of their color during baking. If using them, know the sprinkles may be less vibrant once the cake is baked.
The cake will be slightly lower in the center due to adding the crumb topping.
Don't over bake the cake. Remember your oven is different than mine and baking times may vary a little. The from scratch sprinkle cake is done when a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
Remember to snap a picture and tag me @twosugarbugs on Instagram if you make this Sprinkle Cake. It warms my heart to see you bring these recipes to life! Thank you for being here and happy baking!
If you make this recipe {or any recipe!} from two sugar bugs please come back and leave a review and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating. I read every comment, and I LOVE hearing from you!
📖 recipe
Easy One Layer Sprinkle Cake
This sprinkle cake is a moist and tender yellow cake loaded with rainbow sprinkles! The one layer homemade cake is easy to make and instead of frosting has a buttery crumb topping.
I highly recommend using weight {metric} measurements when available for more accuracy and the best results.
Ingredients
sprinkle cake
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature (170g)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar (300g)
- ¾ cup full-fat sour cream, room temperature (180g)
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch* (24g)
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon dry non-fat milk powder**
- 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour* (167g)
- ½ cup sprinkles*** (88g)
sprinkle crumb topping
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (28g)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar (38g)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour (31g)
- 2 tablespoons sprinkles
Instructions
- For the cake: preheat the oven to 350°F and position the rack to the center of the oven. Prepare one 9-inch round baking pan with a minimum of 2.5 inch sides (I used a springform pan); butter the pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, butter again and dust lightly with flour. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the unsalted butter (¾ cup/170g), kosher salt (1 teaspoon) and granulated sugar (1 ½ cups/300g) for 3 minutes on medium speed (6 on a KitchenAid mixer). Scrape the bowl and add the sour cream (¾ cup/180g) and beat another 2 minutes on medium.
- Scrape up and down the bowl and beat in the eggs (3 large) on medium-low (4 on a KitchenAid), one at a time, scraping up and down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla (1 ½ teaspoons) with the third egg. The mixture may look a little curdled at this point, but don't let it worry you.
- Scrape up and down the bowl and add the cornstarch (3 tablespoons/24g), baking powder (2 ½ teaspoons) and dry milk powder (1 tablespoon) and mix on low for about 30 seconds, or until incorporated. Then the flour (1 ⅓ cups/167g) and mix on low until just a few streaks of flour remain, scrape the bowl again and mix the batter on medium for 30 seconds. The batter is quite thick.
- Now add the sprinkles (½ cup/88g) and gently fold them into the batter with a spatula.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake for 30 minutes. While the cake is baking prepare the crumb topping.
- For the crumb topping: melt the unsalted butter (2 tablespoons/28g), then add the granulated sugar (3 tablespoons/38g), all-purpose flour (¼ cup/31g) and sprinkles (2 tablespoons/ g) and mix until a clumpy mixture forms.
- When the 30 minutes is up, pull out the oven rack and quickly add the crumb topping to the top of the cake batter (I leave the cake on the oven rack and work carefully in the hot oven). Drop the temperature to 325°F and then continue baking until the edges begin to brown and pull away from the pan and a cake tester comes out with just a few moist crumbs, about 20 - 25 minutes more.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely in the pan set on a wire cooling rack. If you'd like to remove the cake from the pan once it is cool, run a knife between the cake and the edge of the pan to loosen it after 15 minutes.
- Garnish with a dusting of confectioners' sugar before serving, if desired.
Notes
If a little water has separated after coming to room temperature, just mix it back into the sour cream before adding it to the cake.
* You can substitute the all-purpose flour and cornstarch with 1 ½ cups/177g cake flour.
** The dry non-fat milk powder adds a little flavor and structure to the finished cake. I highly recommend using it, but if you do not have it, it can be left out with no other adjustments.
*** Jimmies type sprinkles are recommended. They may vary a little in weight from brand to brand - anywhere between 70-90g per ½ cup. This small difference will not affect the final sprinkle cake.
This sprinkle cake can be kept wrapped or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. Or tightly wrapped or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
You can freeze the cake for up to 2 months. You can either wrap the whole thing tightly in a double layer in plastic wrap. Or cut the cake into individual slices; then wrap each slice tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap.
This sprinkle confetti cake tastes best at room temperature.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 393Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 91mgSodium: 232mgCarbohydrates: 50gFiber: 0gSugar: 34gProtein: 4g
The nutrition information is based on third-party calculations, is an estimate only and may not be entirely accurate. Actual nutritional values will vary based on brands used and portion sizes.
Please take a moment to leave a comment, review or ask a question.