Two-Layer Confetti Cake

Two-Layer Confetti Cake – Tender and moist Vanilla Cake layers studded with colourful rainbow sprinkles and covered in fluffy Vanilla Buttercream. Topped off with a fun ganache drip and more rainbow sprinkles! 

Ok…is Confetti Cake just Vanilla Cake with sprinkles? Yes. However, there’s something about those added sprinkles that make it way more fun and a flavour of it’s own. This Two-Layer Confetti Cake is the perfect size for a small gathering and is sure to brighten any celebration. 

This cake has the most tender and moist crumb and pairs perfectly with classic vanilla buttercream. I have a whole post about Buttercream if you are looking for some tips! One of the best parts about this Two-Layer Confetti Cake is that you can customize it to fit whatever your needs might be. Feel free to use any coloured sprinkles or candy melts for the ganache drip. Another way to mix it up would be to colour the buttercream! I love using Americolor gels and the Wilton Colour Right system. 

What you will need

Unsalted Butter

Granulated Sugar 

2 eggs

Vanilla Extract

Cake flour – Cake flour really gives this Vanilla Cake base a super fluffy and tender crumb. If you bake cakes a lot, I recommend having a bag on hand. However, you can make a pretty good substitute if you don’t have any. Measure out 1 cup of flour. Remove two tablespoons from the cup and replace it with two tablespoons of corn starch. Then, sift this mixture twice. Sifting twice not only mixes the two ingredients together properly but also aerates it so the consistency is similar to cake flour. 

Baking powder

Baking soda

Salt

Buttermilk – Buttermilk adds moisture and a little bit of tang to this cake. I recommend using real buttermilk, but if you don’t have any on hand, you can make a substitute. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup of milk and let it sit for a few minutes. It will look a bit clumpy after sitting, but that is how it’s supposed to look.

Sour cream – Sour cream adds moisture and fat to this cake without thinning out the batter too much. The extra fat gives it a richer flavour. 

Rainbow Sprinkles – The best kind of sprinkles to use for Confetti Cake are quins because their colour won’t bleed. I used jimmies, which is your next best option. Try to avoid nonpareils because they will bleed the most! Whatever kind of sprinkles you use, be sure to mix them in gently as this will help avoid the colour from bleeding. 

Powdered sugar

Heavy whipping cream – Heavy whipping cream (33%) is key to a light and fluffy buttercream. 

Candy melts – I love using candy melts for ganache drips because they come in such a variety of colours and therefore you don’t have to colour the drip yourself. I always use the Wilton Candy Melts. 

Room temperature ingredients 

You’ll notice that most of the wet ingredients are listed as room temperature. This is super important because it helps all of the ingredients mix together properly. It will also help your cakes rise more evenly!

How to make this Two-Layer Confetti Cake

For the Cake

Prepare two 6 inch cake pans. I like to grease them, coat with flour and then place a parchment round in the bottom. Set the pans aside. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. 

In the bowl of your stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. About 2 minutes.

Next, add in the egg and egg white and mix until combined. Add the vanilla and sour cream and continue mixing, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Don’t worry if your mixture looks curdled at this point. 

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet a little bit at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Mix until just combined. Over-mixing will produce a dense cake.  

Lastly, gently mix the rainbow sprinkles in to the batter by hand until they are evenly dispersed throughout. 

Pour half of the batter into each 6-inch cake pan. You can use a kitchen scale to make sure you have the same amount of batter in each.

Bake for about 35-40 minutes at 325. The cakes are done when a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean with a few crumbs. 

Let the cakes cool on a wire rack. 

For the Buttercream

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix your butter on medium speed until it is well dispersed throughout the bowl.

On low speed, add the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Once all of the powdered sugar is incorporated with the butter, add the vanilla and whipping cream. Mix at high speed for a few minutes until the buttercream is light and fluffy.

The last step is to remove any air bubbles from your buttercream. You can do this by mixing on low speed for a minute or so or with a spatula by beating the buttercream against the side of the bowl.

For the Ganache Drip

In a microwave-safe dish or measuring cup, melt the candy melts and heavy whipping cream. Microwave in 15-second increments and stir in between to avoid the mixture from seizing. Once the ganache is smooth and there are no clumps, set aside to cool a little. 

Assembly 

If needed, level your cake layers. You can use a serrated knife or cake leveler. 

Smear a small amount of buttercream on the base of your cake plate or board. This will help hold the cake in place. Set the first cake layer down, top side up. Spread about 1/2 cup of buttercream over the first layer. Place the second cake layer on top, top side down. This provides a nice flat surface for the top of your cake. 

Cover the entire cake in buttercream, smoothing out the sides as necessary. I like using an offset spatula and an cake scraper for this step. It’s ok if the first layer is not perfect, this is just your crumb coat and is meant to seal in any cake crumbs. Chill the cake in the fridge for about 15 minutes. 

After the crumb coat is set, go over the cake with another layer of buttercream. Smooth out the sides and top of the cake. If you want to add some sprinkles around the base of your cake like I did here, do that now. Gently press the sprinkles in to avoid smushing the buttercream and creating fingerprint marks! Chill the cake in the freezer for about 10 minutes.

Ganache Drip

If your ganache has cooled down, warm it up in the microwave. Do this in 10-second increments to avoid seizing. The ganache should be warm, not hot. You can test it by spooning a little bit on the inside of a glass. The ganache should drip down and hold its shape. If it runs straight down and seems thin, it is too hot. Ideally, you want the cake chilled enough and the ganache warm enough so that the drip runs down the cake, but stops before it hits the bottom.

You can use a squeeze bottle or just spoon the ganache on to the cake. Put a little bit at the edge of the cake and let it drip down. Repeat this all around the cake. Pour the remaining ganache on to the centre of the top of the cake and spread evenly. Let the cake chill in the fridge for about 15 minutes to let the drip set.

Once the drip has set, decorate the top of the cake with the remaining buttercream and sprinkles! I used a 1M tip to pipe classic swirls and sprinkled more sprinkles over top. 

If you tried this Two-Layer Confetti Cake, I would love to know what you think! Leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @cremedelacombe.

More two-layer cake recipes to try that are perfect for small gatherings and celebrations!

Two-Layer Red Velvet Cake

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream

Mini Snack Cake

Two-Layer Confetti Cake

Recipe by Kelsey LacombeCourse: DessertDifficulty: Medium

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

1

hour 

Bake time

40

minutes

Tender and moist Vanilla Cake layers studded with colourful rainbow sprinkles and covered in fluffy Vanilla Buttercream. Topped off with a fun ganache drip and more rainbow sprinkles! 

Ingredients

• For the cake

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

• 1 large egg

• 1 egg white

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1/4 cup sour cream, room temperature

• 1 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature

• 1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles plus more for decorating

• For the Buttercream

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

• 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• For the Ganache Drip

• 1/2 cup candy melts

• 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Directions

• For the Cake
• Prepare two 6 inch cake pans by greasing and dusting them with flour. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• In the bowl of your stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until light and fluffy. About 2 minutes.
• Add in the egg and egg white and mix until combined. Add the vanilla and sour cream. Mix until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Don’t worry if your mixture looks curdled at this point.
• In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet a little bit at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Mix until just combined.
• Lastly, gently mix the rainbow sprinkles in by hand until evenly dispersed throughout.
• Pour half of the batter into each 6 inch cake pan.
• Bake for about 35-40 minutes. The cakes are done when the top is a golden yellow colour and springs back if you lightly press. You can also check with a cake tester or toothpick. It should come out clean with a few crumbs.
• Let the cakes cool on a wire rack.
• For the Buttercream
• In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter. Mix on medium speed until it is well dispersed throughout the bowl.
• On low speed, add powdered sugar one cup at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
• Once all of the powdered sugar is incorporated with the butter, add the vanilla and whipping cream. Mix on high speed for a few minutes until the buttercream is light and fluffy.
• To remove any air bubbles from your buttercream, mix on low speed for a minute or so. You can also do this by hand with a spatula by beating the buttercream against the side of the bowl.
• For the Ganache Drip
• In a microwave-safe dish or measuring cup, melt the candy melts and heavy whipping cream. Microwave in 15-second increments and stir in between to avoid the mixture from seizing. Once the ganache is smooth and there are no clumps, set aside to cool a little.
• Assembly
• Once the cakes are cool, level off the tops of the cake layers if needed. You can use a serrated knife or cake leveller.
• Smear a small amount of buttercream on the base of your cake plate or board. This will help hold the cake in place. Set the first cake layer top-side up. Spread about 1/2 cup of buttercream over the first layer. Place the second cake layer on top, top-side down. This provides a nice flat surface for the top of your cake.
• Cover the entire cake in buttercream, smoothing out the sides as necessary. I like using an offset spatula and an icing scraper for this step. It’s ok if the first layer is not perfect, this is just your crumb coat and is meant to seal in any cake crumbs. Chill the cake in the fridge for about 15 minutes.
• After the crumb coat is set, go over the cake with another layer of buttercream. Smooth out the sides and top of the cake. If you want to add some sprinkles around the base of your cake like I did here, do that now. Gently press the sprinkles in to avoid smushing the buttercream and creating fingerprint marks!
• Once the cake is evenly covered in buttercream and you’ve added sprinkles, chill for about 10 minutes in the freezer. If your ganache is cool now, warm it up in the microwave. Do this in 10-second increments to avoid seizing. The ganache should be warm, not hot. You can test it by spooning a little bit on the inside of a glass. The ganache should drip down and hold it’s shape a little bit. If it runs straight down and seems thin, it is too hot.
• Using a squeeze bottle or spoon, let the ganache drip off the side of the cake and down. Repeat this all around the cake. Pour the remaining ganache onto the centre of the top of the cake and spread evenly. Chill the cake in the fridge for 15 minutes to let the drip set.
• Once the drip is set, decorate the top of the cake however you like with the remaining buttercream and sprinkles! I used a 1M tip to pipe classic swirls and sprinkled more sprinkles over top.

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