Easy Homemade Sprinkle Cake

There’s nothing like sprinkle cake to make you feel like a kid again! Reminiscent of box cake mix, this homemade version is soft, moist, and loaded with rainbow sprinkles. It’s a single layer cake baked in a regular 9-inch cake pan, so it’s perfect for smaller gatherings and celebrations. Top with vanilla buttercream for the ultimate birthday treat!

There’s a lot of recipe testing and baking science background discussed in this post, so feel free to skip it by clicking the button above.

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/2 cups (177g) cake flour (spooned & leveled)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
• 2 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup (80g) sour cream, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup (80ml) whole milk, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (70g) sprinkles

Vanilla Buttercream

• 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 3 cups (360g) confectioners’ sugar
• 3 Tablespoons (45ml) heavy cream, half-and-half, or whole milk, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• salt, to taste
• optional: sprinkles for garnish