Moist, tender and packed with sprinkles, this Vegan Funfetti Cake is absolutely delicious! Whether you're celebrating a birthday or just in the mood for a sweet treat, this dessert is sure to please everyone's taste buds!
Feeling festive? This Funfetti Cake is the perfect treat for any occasion! It's naturally vegan and can easily be made gluten free. The light and fluffy vanilla cake is made in one bowl and then it's topped with a vegan icing or vegan cream cheese frosting. Add rainbow sprinkles and enjoy!
Ingredients needed
For this colorful funfetti cake recipe, you will need common baking ingredients. Here's the list:
- Milk: To make a vegan cake, use your favorite unsweetened plant-based milk. We like to use almond milk or oat milk. A dairy-based milk also works, if preferred.
- Vegan Butter: Melted butter makes this cake irresistibly rich and moist.
- Sugar: To make this perfectly sweet without overwhelming the flavor, use granulated sugar. Or, substitute with a pure cane sugar-free alternative, if you'd like.
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder: These baking essentials will help give the funfetti loaf the perfect amount of lift while baking.
- Vanilla: Adds delicious vanilla flavor to the cake.
- Flour: You can use regular all purpose flour here. If you need a gluten-free loaf cake, we recommend using King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten Free flour.
- Rainbow Sprinkles: This wouldn't be a funfetti cake without some colorful sprinkles added to the batter.
- Icing or Frosting: You can choose to make a vegan icing or a vegan cream cheese frosting. They're both simple to whip up and taste amazing!
How to make this recipe
- Step one: Preheat the oven to 375ºF. And grease either a 9-inch loaf pan or an 8-inch round pan.
- Step two: In a large mixing bowl, stir together the almond milk, melted butter, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and vanilla.
- Step three: Then, mix in the flour.
- Step four: Fold the rainbow sprinkles into the batter - don't over-mix, so they don't melt.
- Step five: Pour the batter into your prepared pan.
Step six: While the cake is baking, use an electric hand mixer to mix together the icing ingredients. Spread it over the loaf while it's warm OR allow the loaf to cool and then spread the icing. Either way... it's delicious! Top with sprinkles and enjoy!
Expert tips
- Use fresh ingredients. If either your baking soda or baking powder are older than 3 months, we recommend replacing them for best results.
- Prep the pan. To ensure the cake comes out of the pan easily, we suggest lining the loaf pan or round pan with parchment paper AND spraying it with nonstick cooking spray.
- Don't over-mix the batter. As with most baked goods, this funfetti cake will have the best texture, if you don't over-mix the batter. Over-mixing can cause a dense and tough cake!
- Ice the cake warm or cooled. Feel free to spread the icing over the cake while it's still warm or after it has cooled. If you pour it over the cake while still warm, the icing will be slightly runny. If you want the icing to stay in place, wait for the cake to cool and then spread the icing on top.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, typically a funfetti cake is made with a vanilla cake mix that is made extra festive and fun with rainbow sprinkles added to the batter. However, sometimes funfetti cake recipes are white cakes with sprinkles added.
These are really the same thing! Funfetti is trademarked by Pillsbury and is a more popular way to refer to this celebratory dessert.
Jimmies, the little rod-shaped sprinkles, are the best sprinkles to use in baked goods as they hold up to being mixed without much bleeding or melting. You will want to read the label to ensure that they are vegan.
Storage recommendations
Store any leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to about 4 days.
To freeze the cake, store it unfrosted wrapped in plastic wrap and then placed into an airtight container like a freezer bag for up to 2-3 months. To thaw, let it sit in the fridge overnight and prepare your frosting on the day that you are ready to serve it.
More cake recipes
Funfetti Cake
Ingredients
Vegan Funfetti Cake
- 1 cup unsweetened almond or oat milk
- ⅓ cup melted vegan butter
- ¾ cup sugar or ⅓ cup purecane sugar-free substitute
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cup regular or gluten free all purpose flour If gluten-free, I recommend King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten-free flour. Please don't substitute any other flour such as almond flour, baking flour, etc.
- ¼ cup vegan rainbow sprinkles
Vegan Vanilla Icing
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoon softened vegan butter
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened almond or oat milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoon softened vegan butter
- 2 oz vegan cream cheee
Instructions
Vegan Funfetti Cake
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Grease a 9-inch loaf pan or an 8-inch round pan with cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the almond milk, melted butter, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and vanilla. Then, mix in the flour. Fold the rainbow sprinkles into the batter - don't over mix, so they don't melt. Pour the batter into prepared pan.
- If baking in a loaf form, bake for about 45 minutes or until the cake is golden. If baking in a round pan, you will want to bake the cake for less time. I recommend starting with 30 minutes and adding more time if needed.
- While the cake is baking, use an electric hand mixer to mix together the icing ingredients. Spread it over the loaf while it's warm OR allow the loaf to cool and then spread the icing. Either way... it's delicious! Top with sprinkles and enjoy!
Notes
- Storing leftovers: Store any leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to about 4 days.
- Freezing: To freeze the cake, store it unfrosted wrapped in plastic wrap and then placed into an airtight container like a freezer bag for up to 2-3 months. To thaw, let it sit in the fridge overnight and prepare your frosting on the day that you are ready to serve it.
Nutrition
The recipes on Peanut Butter and Jilly can easily be adapted to fit a vegan lifestyle, a gluten-free lifestyle, or both depending on the ingredients you use. Please review the ingredients lists carefully and refer to our recommendations in the Notes of the recipe card to make this recipe compatible with your needs. Nutrition information provided is an estimate, and will vary based on specific brands of ingredients used and cooking methods.
Gina says
Do you grease the pan before putting the batter in it?
Jillian says
Yes we do!
Apoorva says
Hey Jillian! If I make the cake the night before I need it, will it stay intact in the fridge?
Jillian says
Hi there, I would recommend not refrigerating this cake or any baked goods as it can dry it out! It'll do well stored on the countertop overnight wrapped in plastic.
LaTrice Mays says
Hi Jillian where do you purchase your vegan Funfetti sprinkles
Jillian says
I love sprinkles from fancysprinkles.com!
Tiff says
Can I double to make a 2 layer cake in 9" pans?
Jillian says
Hi Tiff! Absolutely! You can double the recipe if you'd like!
Jess says
Hi! Can I substitute maple syrup for the sugar? Or would you recommend a different recipe for me to try?
Jillian says
Hi Jess, I'd recommend trying my Vegan Cinnamon Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and adding sprinkles to make it "funfetti style". This recipe uses maple syrup instead of sugar! Hope you love it!
Erica says
Hi!
For the melted vegan butter, could I use I Can't Believe it's not butter Light spread instead? Or could I use vegetable oil instead of butter? Can I substitute the milk for Rice Milk?
Nazifa says
You can substitute any butter or oil for this
Nazifa says
And use any milk. I’ve made this multiple different ways
Lili says
Does this taste buttery? I am looking for a buttery tasting recipe. Others I’ve tried weren’t that good but this one looks great! Cant wait to try it
Jillian Glenn says
It's not overly buttery but definitely has that classic buttery vanilla cake flavor and texture!
Ashley Murray says
Hi! I see there are no eggs in this recipe - could I add or not? And what would soy milk do for the recipe?
Jillian Glenn says
Hi Ashley, I suppose you could add an egg but there would be no purpose and might interfere with the moist and soft texture. I don't recommend soy milk in this recipe. I recommend oat milk, almond milk, cashew milk, etc.