Chef notes
Buttery pound cake meets colorful funfetti in this mash-up recipe that’s perfect for birthdays, celebrations and everything in between. In its simplest form, the base of this recipe is a classic pound cake with all the usual suspects (butter, sugar, eggs and flour), but a few extra goodies give it the funfetti treatment. A combination of vanilla and almond extract flavors the cake, making it taste that much more like the boxed stuff (in the best way), and a generous amount of rainbow sprinkles folded into the batter speckles the butter-tinted crumb like confetti.
Whereas many recipes for funfetti pound cake actually lean further into vanilla cake territory with the addition of milk or other dairy, this version stays (mostly) true to a traditional pound cake, relying on the ratio of ingredients for that iconic, tight crumb and the mixing method for its plush texture and lift. Although there’s no added yogurt, sour cream or milk, the cake is plenty moist. Just take care to not overmix the batter when adding the eggs, as this can make the baked cake shrink and become dense.
Baking the cake in a Bundt pan makes it look equally as impressive as a layered cake with way less hassle. For the best results, be sure to grease and flour the pan so that the cake pops right out once baked. Though the cake is delicious on its own, draping the cake with a vanilla and almond-laced glaze, plus more sprinkles to boot, makes it all the better.
Technique Tip: For the best results, use jimmies-style sprinkles in the batter. Avoid any sort of sprinkles that bleed when wet, such as nonpareils.
Swap Option: You can omit the almond extract in the cake and substitute the almond extract in the glaze for more vanilla extract.
You can use any kind of milk or milk-alternative for the glaze.
Ingredients
- nonstick cooking spray, for greasing the pan
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pan
- 1¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles, plus more for decorating
- 1½ cups confectioners’ sugar, plus more as needed
- 5 teaspoons milk, plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Preparation
Make the cake
1.Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 F. Grease a 10- or 12-cup Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. Dust the pan evenly with flour, taking care to get into all the nooks and crannies, and tap out the excess flour.
2.In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
3.In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the sugar, butter, vanilla and almond extract. Beat on medium speed until very fluffy and lightened in color, about 3 minutes, scraping the bowl and paddle every minute.
4.Reduce the speed to medium-low. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl between additions, until each is fully incorporated, about 15 seconds each.
5.Add the flour mixture to the bowl and beat on low until just combined, about 15 seconds.
6.Remove the bowl from the mixer. Fold in the sprinkles with a rubber spatula until the sprinkles are evenly distributed, the batter is smooth and any remaining flour is fully incorporated.
7.Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and gently smooth the top.
8.Bake for about 75 minutes or until the cake is risen, golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
9.Place the pan on a wire rack to cool slightly for about 10 minutes. Very gently tug the cake all around the sides and center tube to coax it away. Invert the cake directly onto the wire rack and let cool completely before glazing.
Make the glaze
In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, milk, vanilla and almond extract until smooth. Adjust with more sugar if too thin or more milk if too thick. Pour or spoon the glaze over the cake and immediately top with more rainbow sprinkles, if desired. Let set until firm before slicing.
