There’s something about a slice of funfetti cake that instantly feels like a celebration. With its cheerful sprinkles baked right into the soft white cake, every bite is a party of flavors and colors. Today’s small batch Pillsbury Funfetti Cake recipe is the perfect way to bring joy to your table without baking a huge cake.
This recipe makes a tender, moist cake topped with fluffy buttercream frosting and, of course, more sprinkles. Designed to fit a 6-inch round pan (or even a 9×5 loaf pan), it’s just the right size to serve two to four people. Whether it’s a birthday, anniversary, or simply a treat-yourself day, this cake is guaranteed to brighten the occasion.
The best part? You don’t need to be a professional baker to make it. With a few simple ingredients and an easy-to-follow process, you’ll have a bakery-style cake ready to slice and share in less than an hour.
What Does Pillsbury Funfetti Cake Taste Like?
The first bite of this Pillsbury Funfetti Cake is pure nostalgia. The crumb is soft and fluffy, perfectly sweetened, and dotted with colorful sprinkles that melt just slightly as they bake, leaving tiny bursts of fun throughout the cake.
The buttercream frosting takes things up a notch with its smooth, creamy texture. A hint of almond extract adds depth while keeping the flavor light and festive. Paired with the sweetness of powdered sugar, it creates a rich contrast to the tender cake.
Altogether, it’s a cake that tastes as joyful as it looks-sweet, moist, and buttery with pops of crunch from the sprinkles. Each slice feels like its own little party, making it a treat you’ll want to bake again and again.
Ingredients Required for Pillsbury Funfetti Cake Recipe
Here’s the list of Ingredients you’ll need to make this Pillsbury Funfetti Cake
For the Cake
- ¼ cup softened butter (salted or unsalted)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg white (or 1 whole egg if you don’t mind a yellow cake)
- ¼ cup sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt)
- 2 tbsp milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract (optional but recommended)
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp sprinkles (good quality, non-melting)
For the Buttercream Frosting
- ¼ cup softened butter
- 1 ½–2 cups powdered sugar
- 1–2 tbsp milk or heavy cream
- ½ tsp vanilla or almond extract
- Extra sprinkles for decorating
Kitchen Utensil You’ll Need
- Mixing bowls
- Hand mixer or whisk
- Measuring cups & spoons
- 6-inch round cake pan (or 9×5 loaf pan)
- Parchment paper
- Offset spatula (for frosting)
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25–30 minutes
Cooling & decorating time: 30 minutes
Total time: ~1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 2–4
Copycat Pillsbury Funfetti Cake Recipe
Simply follow the steps given below to make your Pillsbury Funfetti Cake at home
1. Prepare the pan: Line a 6-inch round cake pan (or 9×5 loaf pan) with parchment paper. Spray with non-stick spray and set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugar: In a bowl, beat ¼ cup butter with ½ cup sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add wet ingredients: Mix in the egg white, sour cream, milk, vanilla, and almond extract until well combined.
4. Add dry ingredients: Stir in salt, baking powder, and flour just until incorporated. Do not overmix.
5. Fold in sprinkles: Gently mix in the sprinkles, being careful not to break them.
6. Bake: Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
7. Make buttercream: Beat ¼ cup butter with powdered sugar. Add milk (a tablespoon at a time) until frosting is smooth and spreadable. Flavor with vanilla or almond extract.
8. Frost and decorate: Place the cooled cake on a stand, spread frosting evenly over the top and sides, and decorate generously with sprinkles.
Some Tasty Ways To Customize and Serve This Pillsbury Funfetti Cake
1. With a scoop of vanilla ice cream
We’ve tried this so many times, and it’s honestly a match made in heaven. The cold creaminess of vanilla ice cream against the soft, fluffy funfetti cake makes every bite melt in your mouth.
2. A drizzle of chocolate sauce
Sometimes we add a little chocolate drizzle over the frosted cake slices. It gives that extra rich flavor and makes the sprinkles pop even more.
3. Topped with fresh strawberries
We love adding sliced strawberries on top of the cake. The tart freshness balances the sweetness of the buttercream beautifully.
4. With a glass of cold milk
This is the classic way we enjoy it-especially when serving it to kids. The cake is sweet and fluffy, and milk makes it feel comforting and wholesome.
5. Paired with coffee or cappuccino
When we serve this funfetti cake at brunch, we always put a fresh pot of coffee on the table. The slight bitterness of coffee pairs so well with the sweet, buttery frosting.
6. With a scoop of rainbow sherbet
One of our favorite “party tricks” is serving this cake with rainbow sherbet. The colors look stunning together, and the fruity flavor is such a refreshing contrast.
7. Decorated with extra whipped cream
If you’re like us and love going all out, try topping each slice with a dollop of whipped cream before serving. It makes it look bakery-worthy with very little effort.
8. Paired with sparkling lemonade
On hot summer days, we like serving funfetti cake with a chilled glass of sparkling lemonade. The citrus fizz cuts through the sweetness and makes it extra refreshing.
9. Layered with extra frosting
Sometimes we slice the small cake into two thin layers and add an extra layer of buttercream in the middle. It feels indulgent and turns a simple cake into a celebration centerpiece.
10. Served warm with melted frosting
Okay, this one is a little untraditional-but if you slightly warm up a slice in the microwave, the frosting softens and creates this gooey, melt-in-your-mouth experience that we can’t resist.
Some Tips on This Pillsbury Funfetti Cake Recipe
1. Use soft butter, not melted.
If the butter is too hard, it won’t mix well. If it’s melted, the cake will be greasy. Soft butter is just right.
2. Don’t skip the parchment paper.
It helps the cake come out of the pan without sticking. No more broken cakes!
3. Mix the butter and sugar until fluffy.
This makes the cake light and soft. Don’t rush this step.
4. Use just the egg white for a white cake.
Want a pretty white cake with sprinkles that pop? Use only the egg white. If you don’t mind yellow cake, use the whole egg.
5. Don’t overmix the batter.
Too much mixing makes the cake tough. Stop when you don’t see flour anymore.
6. Use good sprinkles.
Cheap sprinkles can melt away. Pick the ones that hold their color while baking.
7. Check the cake early.
Small cakes can dry fast. Start checking at 25 minutes with a toothpick.
8. Cool the cake before frosting.
If the cake is warm, the frosting will melt and slide off. Be patient-it’s worth it!
9. Fluff up the frosting.
Whip it again before spreading. This makes it creamy and easy to spread.
10. Have fun with sprinkles.
Push sprinkles on the sides, toss some on top, or go wild! It’s your cake, make it fun.
How to Store and Reheat Pillsbury Funfetti Cake Properly?
Store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If refrigerated, let it come to room temperature before serving so the frosting softens again.
Pillsbury Funfetti Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- 1. Prepare the pan: Line a 6-inch round cake pan (or 9×5 loaf pan) with parchment paper. Spray with non-stick spray and set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugar: In a bowl, beat ¼ cup butter with ½ cup sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add wet ingredients: Mix in the egg white, sour cream, milk, vanilla, and almond extract until well combined.
4. Add dry ingredients: Stir in salt, baking powder, and flour just until incorporated. Do not overmix.
5. Fold in sprinkles: Gently mix in the sprinkles, being careful not to break them.
6. Bake: Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
7. Make buttercream: Beat ¼ cup butter with powdered sugar. Add milk (a tablespoon at a time) until frosting is smooth and spreadable. Flavor with vanilla or almond extract.
8. Frost and decorate: Place the cooled cake on a stand, spread frosting evenly over the top and sides, and decorate generously with sprinkles.
Video
Notes
Common Queries on This Pillsbury Funfetti Cake Recipe
Here, we’ve got you covered with some common questions about the Pillsbury Funfetti Cake that people often ask.
1. How to make Pillsbury Funfetti cake better?
From our experience, adding a touch of almond extract really elevates the flavor of a Pillsbury Funfetti cake. Swapping sour cream or Greek yogurt for part of the liquid also makes the cake extra moist. And of course, don’t skimp on quality sprinkles-they make the texture and look so much more fun.
2. Is Pillsbury Funfetti cake mix good?
Yes, it’s honestly one of our favorite store-bought mixes because it’s consistently soft, moist, and colorful. When you’re short on time, it bakes up beautifully without much effort. We do like to enhance it with a homemade buttercream instead of canned frosting-it makes a huge difference in taste.
3. What are the ingredients in Pillsbury Funfetti cake mix?
The boxed mix usually contains enriched flour, sugar, leavening agents, and colorful candy bits (sprinkles). It’s designed to be foolproof, which makes it a great option for beginners. If you want a more from-scratch taste, you can add a splash of vanilla or almond extract and substitute milk instead of water when preparing it.
4. How to improve a Pillsbury cake mix?
One easy trick is replacing the water with milk and using melted butter instead of oil. These swaps add richness and depth to the flavor. We also recommend folding in extra sprinkles or even mini chocolate chips for a fun twist. Homemade frosting on top truly takes it to bakery-quality.
5. Can I make Pillsbury Funfetti cake without eggs?
Yes! We’ve tried using unsweetened applesauce (¼ cup per egg) or plain Greek yogurt (¼ cup per egg) as substitutes. Both work well, though the texture is a little denser. For a lighter crumb, aquafaba (the liquid from canned chickpeas) whipped slightly also works surprisingly well.
6. Can I use a loaf pan instead of a round pan?
Definitely. When we don’t have a 6-inch round pan handy, we bake the small batch cake in a 9×5 loaf pan lined with parchment paper. The baking time is about the same-just check for doneness with a toothpick in the center.
7. How do I know when the Funfetti cake is done baking?
We always look for three signs: the edges start pulling away from the pan, the top is lightly golden, and it springs back when touched. A clean toothpick inserted in the middle is the best confirmation. Be careful not to overbake-small batch cakes dry out quickly.
8. Can I make this recipe ahead of time?
Yes, and we often do! Bake the cake a day in advance, wrap it tightly in plastic once cooled, and store it at room temperature. Frosting can also be made ahead and refrigerated-just re-whip it before spreading. Assemble right before serving for the freshest taste.
9. How long does Pillsbury Funfetti cake stay fresh?
In our kitchen, it tastes best within 2–3 days. If stored at room temperature in an airtight container, it stays soft for about 2 days. If you refrigerate it, you’ll get up to 4 days of freshness, but let it come back to room temp before enjoying for the best texture.
10. What frosting goes best with Pillsbury Funfetti cake?
Our top choice is a fluffy homemade buttercream flavored with a mix of vanilla and almond extract. It’s sweet, creamy, and balances the cake perfectly. Cream cheese frosting also pairs well if you like a slight tang. No matter what, don’t forget extra sprinkles on top-it’s the signature finish!
This Pillsbury Funfetti Cake recipe is small in size but big on celebration. With its moist crumb, creamy buttercream, and colorful sprinkles, it’s a dessert that brings joy to any occasion. Whether you’re baking for a birthday or simply want a sweet treat, this cake is a guaranteed hit.
Go ahead and give it a try-then share your experience in the comments below! And don’t forget to save this recipe for the next time you need a small but special cake to brighten your day.
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