Nothing embodies the sweetness and excitement of a birthday quite like a colorful confetti cake. This funfetti doughnut cake features confetti cake layers frosted with coffee buttercream. The assembled cake is garnished with baked mini doughnuts!
The secret is out of the bag. I’m currently at Disney World celebrating my 30th birthday. On your 30th birthday (and any birthday for that matter), you shouldn’t have to choose between cake or donuts.
You CAN have it ALL! Also included in this cake: lots of confetti, a good helping of whiskey, and a touch of coffee. This funfetti doughnut cake basically has everything I could ever want in a dessert (minus ice cream. I forgot to add ice cream!).
Yellow Cake with Confetti Sprinkles
This fun and colorful birthday cake is vibrant and festive. The assembled cake is comprised of: funfetti cake, optional cake soaking syrup, coffee buttercream, and baked mini doughnuts garnish.
It features a funfetti yellow cake studded with rainbow confetti sprinkles. Each slice reveals an explosion of color, making it such an exciting treat for celebrations of all kinds.
This part is optional, but highly recommended. To add moisture and additional flavor, lightly soak the cake layers with soaking syrup. Simply mix together equal parts simple syrup and liqueur of choice. Whiskey, bourbon, and rum are great options. Or, omit the liqueur and just use simple syrup.
The frosting is an American buttercream. Softened butter is whipped together with confectioners’ sugar, espresso powder, and salt. Thin out the frosting to your desired consistency with heavy cream or whole milk. Use food gel color to impart the color of your choice. I highly recommend food gel color instead of standard liquid food coloring.
Baked mini donuts are the final component and garnish the assembled cake. The right thing to do would have been to use REAL fried mini doughnuts. However, it has been way too hot to even try to fry something in my kitchen. These baked doughnuts will have to do
And obviously, mini baked doughnuts save you a ton of calories. Those calories can be spent elsewhere like towards a chocolate hazelnut cake or creme brûlée cheesecake.
Assembly
Assembling a layer cake is not as daunting as it may seem. The key to a stable cake is even cake layers! Take the time to level each cake layer to create a flat smooth surface. For best results, level cake using a long serrated knife and a rotating cake turntable.
- Slice each cake into two layers. You will end up with four layers of cake. Place one layer on a cake stand or cake plate.
- Optional: Lightly moisten cake layer with syrup.
- Spread thin layer of coffee buttercream over moistened cake. Place another cake layer on top. Repeat moistening cake layer and topping with buttercream. Repeat until you have used all the cake layers.
- Crumb coat the stacked cake by spread a thin layer of buttercream all over the sides and top of cake. Place in the fridge for about 15-30 minutes to firm up.
- Meanwhile, prepared the baked doughnuts for garnish. If desired, dip doughnuts in glaze and top with sprinkles.
- Add another thin coat of buttercream over cake. Decorate cake as desired with additional sprinkles. Arranged mini baked doughnuts around the bottom of the cake. Keep chilled until ready to serve.
The mini doughnuts on the side of the cake are perfect little portion dividers. No guess work in trying to figure out where to slice. Simply slice around the mini doughnut!
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This cake is so vibrant and cheerful looking that I can’t help but accept turning 30. Plus, my parents have convinced me that life gets better with age.
More Birthday Cake Recipes
Funfetti Doughnut Cake
Ingredients
Funfetti Cake:
- 1 ½ cup cake flour, (180 g) or all-purpose flour*
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, or kosher salt
- ½ cup whole milk, (114 g) room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup unsalted buter, (170 g) room temp, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar, (200 g)
- 3 large eggs , , room temp
- ½ cup confetti sprinkles
Whiskey Soaking Syrup:
- 3 Tablespoon simple syrup
- 3 Tablesoon whiskey of choice
Coffee Buttercream:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, (226 g) room temp, softened
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, or kosher salt
- 3 cups confectioners sugar, (340 g)
- ½ Tablespoon heavy cream, (114 g) or whole milk
- pink gel color, , as needed
Baked Mini Doughnuts:
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour, (195 g)
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup granulated sugar, (150 g)
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup vegetable oil, (50 g)
- ¾ cup whole milk, (170 g)
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Doughnut Glaze:
- 1 ½ cup confectioners' sugar, (170 g)
- 1 Tablespoon dark maple syrup, (20 g)
- 2 Tablespoon whole milk, (28 g)
- confetti sprinkles,, as needed
Instructions
Funfetti Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Line two 6-inch round cake pans with parchment. Lightly grease and set aside.
- Whisk together cake flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine milk and vanilla. Set aside.
- In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter. Add sugar and mix until smooth. On low speed, add eggs one at a time, making sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next one. Scrape down bowl as needed to ensuring thorough mixing.
- Add a third of flour mixture into mixing bowl. Mix on low speed and add half of vanilla milk mixture. Add another third of flour mixture, following with remaining half of vanilla mix mixture. Add last third of flour mixture and mix until there are no longer any dry streaks of flour. Fold in confetti sprinkles until evenly distributed.
- Evenly divide cake batter between the two prepared cake pans. Level cake as needed using a mini offset spatula, or the back of spoon. Bake for 30-35 minutes until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5-7 minutes before unmolding from cake pan. Allow cakes to cool to room temperature on a wire rack.
Coffee Buttercream:
- Cream butter until smooth. Add espresso powder and salt and mix until throughly combined. Add sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time. Follow with heavy cream. Add pink food gel coloring until desired color is achieved. *If buttercream is too thin, add additional powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time until desired consistency is achieved. If buttercream is too thick, add heavy cream 1/2 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is achieved.
Baked Mini Doughnuts:
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease mini doughnut pan and set aside.
- Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together sugar and egg until thick and light in color. Add dry ingredients to sugar egg mixture. Mix until combined.
- Whisk together oil, milk, and vanilla. Add to batter in two additions until incorporated. Let batter stand for 3-5 minutes to slightly thicken.
- Transfer batter to pastry piping bag. Pipe batter into prepared doughnut pan filling each mold about half full. Alternatively, spoon batter into doughnut pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool in pan for 2 minutes before unmolding. Let cool on wire rack until ready to decorate.
Doughnut Glaze:
- Combine confectioners sugar, maple syrup, and milk. Stir until smooth. Dip one side of cooled mini doughnut into glaze. Immediately top with confetti sprinkles. Place glazed doughnut on wire rack and allow glaze to set.
Assembly:
- Slice each funfetti cake in two layers. You should end up with four layers of cake. Place one layer on a cake stand or a cake plate.
- Combine simple syrup and whiskey. Lightly moisten the cake layer with syrup using a pastry brush.
- Spread a thin layer of coffee buttercream over moistened cake. Place another cake layer on top. Moisten with syrup and top with frosting. Repeat until you finish with the top layer. Crumb coat the cake by spreading a thin layer of buttercream on the sides of the cake. Place in the fridge for 15-30 minutes to allow buttercream to slightly harden.
- Meanwhile, dip doughnuts in glaze and top with sprinkles.
- Coat the cake in another thin layer of buttercream. Garnish the top of the cake with confetti sprinkles. Arrange glazed doughnuts around the bottom of the cake. Use remaining buttercream to help doughnuts stick to cake. Keep cake stored in the fridge until ready to serve. Let cake sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow cake to soften.
Notes
- I used this electric pink gel food color by AmeriColor
- Funfetti layer cake recipe adapted from Love and Olive Oil
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Hi! This is such a wonderful cake and I want to make it for my friend’s birthday but I only have 8″ and 9″ pans, how do I adjust this recipe for that?
Divide the batter between two 8-inch pans and reduce the baking time. Check on the cakes after 20 minutes of baking. It should take 20-25 minutes to bake.
Hi Tori! Thank you so much for catching that! I have updated the recipe. The mini doughnuts needs 3/4 cup sugar that will be mixed with the egg.