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Best Classic Birthday Cake with Sprinkle Frosting

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A tender, moist vanilla layer cake with a stabilized buttercream frosting studded with rainbow sprinkles. Perfect for birthdays and any celebration, this one-bowl batter comes together in under 10 minutes and stays soft for days.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ½ cups (315g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 ¾ cups (350g) granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ¼ cup (60ml) vegetable oil
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened (for frosting)
  • 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 3–4 tablespoons (45-60ml) heavy cream
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (for frosting)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt (for frosting)
  • ½ cup (80g) rainbow sprinkles (jimmies)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper. Grease parchment.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  3. In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
  4. Add vegetable oil and beat 30 seconds. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Add vanilla with last egg.
  5. With mixer on low, add one-third of flour mixture, then half the buttermilk. Repeat with another third of flour, remaining buttermilk, and last of flour. Mix just until combined. Fold by hand with spatula.
  6. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans (about 650g each). Smooth tops. Bake 25-30 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  7. Cool cakes in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Run knife around edges, invert onto rack, remove parchment. Cool completely (1-2 hours).
  8. For frosting: Beat softened butter on medium speed 2-3 minutes until pale and creamy. Add sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time, alternating with tablespoons of heavy cream. Beat on low until combined, then medium-high 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and salt, beat 1 minute. Fold in sprinkles by hand.
  9. Place one cake layer on serving plate. Spread about ¾ cup frosting evenly on top. Place second layer on top. Apply thin crumb coat. Refrigerate 15 minutes. Apply final layer of frosting, creating swirls or smooth sides.
  10. Top with extra sprinkles. Slice and serve at room temperature.

Notes

Room temperature ingredients are essential for proper emulsification. Don’t overmix the batter once flour is added. Use jimmies (long sprinkles) instead of nonpareils to prevent color bleeding. A crumb coat helps achieve a clean final frosting layer. The cake can be made a day ahead; flavors improve after refrigeration.

Nutrition

Keywords: birthday cake, sprinkle cake, vanilla cake, layer cake, buttercream, celebration cake, classic cake

Find it online: https://spoonmira.com/best-classic-birthday-cake-with-sprinkle-frosting/