Print

Easy One-Bowl Vanilla Birthday Cake with Sprinkle Frosting

one-bowl vanilla birthday cake - featured image
Print Recipe

A tender, perfectly moist vanilla birthday cake made in one bowl with a fun sprinkle frosting. This easy recipe comes together in under an hour and is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser for kids and adults alike.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ½ cups (310g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ¼ cups (300ml) buttermilk, room temperature
  • ⅓ cup (80ml) vegetable oil
  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened (for frosting)
  • 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2–3 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ⅓ cup (60g) rainbow sprinkles (jimmies)
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
  2. In your large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk them together until well combined.
  3. Add the softened butter and granulated sugar to the dry ingredients. Beat with your mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until the mixture looks like coarse sand.
  4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.
  5. In a separate measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk and vegetable oil. With the mixer on low speed, pour half of the buttermilk mixture into the batter. Mix until just combined, then add the remaining buttermilk mixture. Mix until the batter is smooth, but don’t overmix.
  6. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Smooth the tops with your spatula.
  7. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
  8. While the cakes cool, make the sprinkle frosting. In a clean bowl, beat the softened butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating on low speed. Add the vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, and 2 tablespoons of milk. Beat on medium-high for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. If too thick, add the remaining tablespoon of milk.
  9. Gently fold in the rainbow sprinkles by hand with a rubber spatula until just distributed.
  10. Assemble the cake: Place one cooled cake layer on your serving plate. Spread a generous layer of frosting on top. Place the second layer on top and frost the entire cake. Decorate with extra sprinkles if desired.

Notes

Use room temperature ingredients for best texture. Fold sprinkles gently to prevent color bleeding. For a dairy-free version, use plant-based butter and almond milk with apple cider vinegar. For gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend.

Nutrition

Keywords: vanilla birthday cake, one-bowl cake, sprinkle frosting, easy birthday cake, kid-friendly cake

Find it online: https://vexifood.com/easy-one-bowl-vanilla-birthday-cake-with-sprinkle-frosting/