Funfetti Birthday Cake

Hi All!

It’s officially Fall! Are you a fall person, or do you detest the fact that the days are getting shorter and cooler? I myself love autumn. I enjoy seeing the leaves change colors and welcome the decreased temperatures. It also inspires me to get into the kitchen more as I do not have a/c where I live.

Here is a recipe for a layer cake that would be fun for a 2 year old or for any 80 year old. It is a classic vanilla cake dressed up with all the colorful sprinkles inside and out of the cake. In each layer is a delicious homemade swiss meringue buttercream and strawberry preserves. It is not the easiest cake to make, so if it intimidates you, make it into a sheet cake, throw the sprinkles on and call it a day!

This cake is 3 layers of round cake, 6 inch diameter. It should feed about 10-12 people.

Vanilla Sponge Cake

6 eggs, divided

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp neutral oil

3/4 cup white sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1.5 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup + 2 tbsp of unbleached cake flour, sifted

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup rainbow jimmies

Turn oven on to 350F, line 3 separate 6 inch round baking pans with parchment paper. Do not grease sides or bottom of pan. In a large bowl mix 6 egg yolks, salt, oil and vanilla extract. In stand mixer with whisk attachment whisk 6 egg whites until soft peaks occur. Add white sugar slowly, and begin to increase speed of mixer to high. At the end of the sugar addition, whisk egg whites until stiff peaks form.

Add baking powder to sifted cake flour. Fold in egg yolk mixture into meringue mixture. Add sifted cake flour/baking powder in 2 or 3 additions, use spatula to fold in gently. Add in rainbow sprinkles (jimmies).

Pour cake batter into 3 cake pans or 1 large sheet pan. Tap pans on countertop to knock out excess air. Bake cakes for 15-18 minutes. Cake will be done when toothpick comes out clean (albeit crumbs) when poked in center.

Let cool on wire rack before decorating.

Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream

I used this recipe from Natasha’s Kitchen. I think it is an excellent recipe and my favorite of the moment. Here is the link to it, I made the exact quantities for this cake recipe.

Strawberry Preserves

I normally make strawberry preserves to fill my cakes, but due to some weird misfortune both the organic fresh and frozen strawberries were out of stock at my grocery store. So I just bought preserves.

In order to decorate your cake you will need a cake scraper (they are about $2 online, or at your local cake supply shop), icing spatula, and a cake platter.

I already have an in-depth cake decorating tutorial, please follow link to get the blog post. The only new addition is that you will create a buttercream dam to enclose the strawberry preserves. Please review photos below for reference.

Let me know if you make this, or if you need any help! I am here to assist you!

xoxo,

Onisha