Birthday-Worthy Funfetti Layer Cake

Ingredients:

Sprinkle Cake:

2 Cups AP Flour

2 Cups Cake Flour

2 tsp. Baking Powder

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 ½ Cups Buttermilk

2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

½ Cup Vegetable Oil

2 Cups Granulated Sugar

½ Cup Light Brown Sugar, packed

1 Cup Unsalted Butter, at room temperature

4 Large Eggs + 4 Large Egg Yolks

½ Cup Sprinkles

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

1 1/2 Cups Unsalted Butter, at room temperature

6 Cups Confectioners Sugar, sifted

⅓ Cup Heavy Cream

3 tsp. Clear Vanilla Extract

⅛ tsp. Kosher Salt

Whipped White Chocolate Ganache:

8 oz. White Chocolate

½ Cup + 2 Tbsp. Heavy Cream, boiling hot

3 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, melted

Steps:

Ganache

1. In a small saucepan, heat heavy cream until just boiling.

2. Remove from heat and pour heavy cream over white chocolate in a glass bowl and let sit for 60 seconds.

3. Whisk until smooth, add melted butter, then whisk again until smooth and fully incorporated.

4. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill in fridge for at least 6 hours. Remove from fridge when it’s time for assembly.

Cake

1. In a bowl, stir to combine all of the wet ingredients, (buttermilk, oil, and vanilla).

2. In another bowl, sift together dry ingredients, (the 2 flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt).

3. In a large bowl attached to a stand mixer, cream together butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar on medium-to-medium-high speed until light and fluffy.

4. Slowly incorporate eggs and egg yolks to the creamed butter and sugar by beating at a low speed, one at a time. Beat until doubled in volume, (about 5 minutes).

5. While continuing to stir on low, add about a third of the dry ingredients.

6. Before fully combined, add half of the wet ingredient mixture and continue mixing at low speed.

7. Add the next third of dry ingredients, then the final half of wet ingredients, then the final third of dry ingredients, beating until fully combined and no lumps in the batter.

8. Fold in the sprinkles until evenly distributed throughout the batter.

9. Remove bowl from stand mixer and stir a few times with a rubber spatula to incorporate any flour that may be sitting at the bottom.

10. Grease 3 9-inch cake pans with butter and line the bottom with a parchment round.

11. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with the racks positioned in the middle and upper third.

12. Evenly divide the cake batter into the 3 cake pans and place in the oven. (2 on top, 1 in the middle)

13. Bake cakes for 30 minutes, switching positions once halfway into the baking time. (Move the 2 on top to the center rack, and the 1 in the center rack to the top)

14. Once golden brown, the top of the cake springs back, and a toothpick comes out clean, remove cakes from the oven and cool on the stovetop for about 30 minutes.

15. After slightly cooled, invert the cakes from their pans and continue to cool on a wire rack while preparing the frosting. Wait until assembly.

Frosting

1. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium until creamy. (2-3 minutes)

2. Add 4 cups of confectioners sugar, the heavy cream, and the vanilla extract and beat on low speed until somewhat combined. Increase speed to high and beat for about 3 more minutes.

3. Add the next 1-2 cups of confectioners sugar to taste as you continue to beat the frosting, stopping intermittently to add and also scrape down the sides.

4. If too sweet, add a pinch of salt.

5. Set in fridge for about 30 minutes to stay chill before assembling the cake.

Assembly

1. Slice the tops off of the cakes so all are flat and level. (Save those scraps!!)

2. Remove ganache from fridge and whip with a hand-mixer or by hand until light and fluffy.

3. On a cake stand, place a dollop of frosting before setting down the first cake layer. (This helps the cake stay in place while turning to decorate.)

4. Top first cake layer with half of the ganache and spread out to the edge, leaving about 1 cm of a border.

5. Top with the next cake layer and repeat step 4. Top with final cake layer.

6. Spread roughly 1 cup of buttercream frosting on top of the cake, spreading it evenly so it’s flat. Excess frosting can be used on the side.

7. Frost the sides of the cake with frosting, scraping any excess off to form a thin first layer of frosting. (Yes, the crumb coat.)

8. Once the crumb coat is fully applied, place the cake and frosting in the fridge for about 30 minutes to set and chill.

9. Remove cake and frosting from fridge and decorate the entire outside of the cake with remaining frosting. (Get a good thick layer, then continue from there. Either pipe decorations or keep it rustic!)

10. Top with additional sprinkles and store in fridge.

11. For serving, let the cake sit out at room temperature for about an hour before slicing.

12. After all that hard work, enjoy!