Featured Recipe
Birthday Confetti Cake
By Kate
"
Vanilla cake with sprinkles folded in. Double layer, each cut in half horizontally. Frosted with meringue buttercream tinted with vanilla. Baking powder switched for baking soda. Vinegar replaced with lemon juice. Some sugar reduced. Extra zest added. Confetti tossed in dry mix, quantity adjusted. Slightly longer bake time. Frosting made by heating whites and sugar over gentle heat. Butter added slowly, whipped for aeration. Cake chilled, layered with thick frosting smear. Piped decorations and confetti scatter on top. Stored covered at room temp, lasts three days.
"
Prep:
80 min
Cook:
45 min
Total:
Serves:
12 servings
birthday
cake
celebration
dessert
Introduction
Cake layers dense but light. Vanilla scent, lemon zest surprise. White with color bursts inside from sprinkles baked right into batter. Buttercream buttery and whipped airy. Lemon juice swaps vinegar for a different tang. Slight shake of baking powder adds lift alongside soda. Meringue base frosting that melts smooth. Cutting cakes flat, layering thick frosting. Pipe, scatter sparklers on top for the festive pop. Not sweet overdone but joyful on fork. No nuts. Vegetarian friendly. Perfect for birthdays, parties, or any excuse. Store under glass dome, fridge optional but not required. Three days good, if not gone before.
Ingredients
Vanilla Cake Batter
- 368 g (2 1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 20 ml (4 tsp) baking soda
- 10 ml (2 tsp) baking powder
- 3 ml (1/2 tsp) fine salt
- 480 ml (2 cups) buttermilk
- 10 ml (2 tsp) vanilla extract
- 10 ml (2 tsp) fresh lemon juice
- 320 g (1 1/2 cups) granulated sugar
- 180 ml (3/4 cup) vegetable oil
- 4 egg whites
- 180 ml (3/4 cup) rainbow sprinkles (store-bought or homemade)
- grated lemon zest from 1 lemon (twist)
- 280 g (1 1/4 cups) granulated sugar
- 7 egg whites
- 5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract
- 360 g (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, softened for 20 minutes
Vanilla Meringue Buttercream
About the ingredients
Flour swap reduced by about 30% for lighter crumb but still substantial structure. Baking soda quantity increased with small amount baking powder added to balance. Lemon juice replaces vinegar - less sharp but citrus bright. Sugar reduced by like 20%. Oil slightly less to compensate sweetness. Zest adds aromatic layer, unexpected but subtle kick. Sprinkles folded in at three quarters original volume; avoids too many colored sugar bits melting away or bleeding. For the frosting, sugar lessened and egg whites boosted — makes stable meringue base. Butter softened for consistent creamy texture. Vanilla remains star flavor. Homemade or store sprinkles both work but toss dry before folding in.
Method
Vanilla Cake Batter
- Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 175 °C (350 °F). Grease sides of two 8-inch springform pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper.
- Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, stir buttermilk, vanilla, and lemon juice together.
- Using electric mixer, beat sugar and oil for about 2-3 minutes until well combined. Add egg whites and beat until fluffy.
- Reduce mixer speed to low, alternately add dry ingredients and buttermilk mixture. Start and end with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
- Fold in 140 ml (1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp) sprinkles gently.
- Divide batter evenly between pans. Smooth tops.
- Bake between 43-47 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 2.5 hours on wire racks; remove cakes from pans.
- In heatproof bowl over simmering water, combine sugar and egg whites. Stir continuously until sugar dissolves completely, approx 4-5 minutes — mixture should feel smooth when rubbed between fingers.
- Remove from heat and beat with electric mixer on high until firm peaks form and meringue cools to lukewarm.
- Add vanilla extract. On medium speed, add butter pieces a few at a time, beating constantly. When all butter incorporated, beat another 5 minutes to lighten and thicken. Scrape sides and bottom periodically to incorporate all ingredients.
- Reserve 180 ml (3/4 cup) frosting and place into piping bag fitted with star tip.
- Trim domed tops from cakes to level them. Cut each cake horizontally into two even layers (4 total).
- Place one cake layer on serving plate. Spread one quarter of remaining frosting evenly on top. Repeat with next two layers. Finish stacking last layer without frosting.
- Apply thin crumb coat of frosting around sides and top. Chill briefly, then spread remaining frosting evenly on top.
- Pipe decorative peaks using reserved frosting. Scatter remaining sprinkles on top.
- Cover and store cake at room temperature up to 3 days.
Vanilla Meringue Buttercream
Assembly
Technique Tips
Start with oven preheating and pan prep; key to greasing sides and lining bottoms properly for easy release after bake. Mix dry ingredients thoroughly first then wet separately, including acid and extract. Whisk sugar and oil to start base, then eggs blend in well, avoiding foam overbeat. Slow adding dry and wet alternately helps keep batter tender but well mixed. Sprinkles folded last; fold gentle to not crush. Bake a few minutes longer than standard, checking toothpick. Cool completely before frosting. For frosting, sugar/egg whites dissolve in bain-marie slowly, stir often to avoid scramble. Beat meringue till stiff and lukewarm, then butter added in pieces or frosting will split. Beat long for fluffy texture, scrapping bowl key. Assembly involves trimming dome off cakes for flat layers, slicing horizontally. Layer with thick frosting scrapes. Crumb coat to seal crumbs, chill if humid. Pipe decorations with star tip, scatter sprinkles on top last. Store covered; temperature ambient fine; lasts 3 days. Shaky assemblies may collapse if overloaded with fillers or frosting too soft.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Proper pan prep is key. Grease well. Parchment paper bottom for easy removal. Don't skip it. Oven temp crucial. Preheat, steady heat major.
- 💡 Mix dry first. Flour, baking soda, powder, salt. Blend together, airy mix helps. Next, wet ingredients separate. Buttermilk, lemon juice, vanilla.
- 💡 Sugar and oil whipped together. Aeration matters. Fluffy texture starts here with egg whites. Don't rush. Keep mixing till light and airy.
- 💡 Add dry and wet mix alternately. Start and end with dry. Gentle folding in sprinkles last. Careful on mixing not to crush the sprinkles.
- 💡 Bake longer than normal. Toothpick test is essential. Check at least 43 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cooling is crucial.
Kitchen Wisdom
How to store this cake?
Keep at room temp, covered. Glass dome works. Fridge optional, but not necessary. Lasts three days.
What if meringue doesn't form?
Beat longer. Heat sugar and whites more. Smooth mixture important. Try whisking on high, watch closely.
Can I add different sprinkles?
Yes, change colors or shapes. Homemade sprinkles also work. Mix dry before folding. Blend in last.
What if cake layers are uneven?
Level them with a sharp knife. Cut carefully. Don't rush, keep it even for easy stacking.
