Whip up a quick and delicious Funfetti Pound Cake filled with colorful sprinkles and topped with a sweet and tangy cream cheese glaze. This recipe is perfect for busy families, offering a fun and tasty treat everyone will love for birthdays or any occasion!
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If you’re a fan of funfetti desserts, you’ll love this recipe for easy and moist Funfetti Pound Cake. This colorful and festive cake is a delightful twist on a classic funfetti cake, featuring a buttery texture and a burst of rainbow sprinkles in every bite. It's topped with a smooth and rich cream cheese glaze, enhancing the cake's texture and taste.
As a busy mom and trained pastry chef, I love using colorful decorations to elevate easy desserts, so they look like they came from a professional bakery! This recipe is designed to be simple and quick, and includes all the classic ingredients of a traditional pound cake.
If you enjoy this recipe, you’ll love my other easy and fun Funfetti-themed desserts, from mini funfetti cupcakes to funfetti cutout cookies, and of course, the quick and delicious funfetti ice cream!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Quick and Easy: This Funfetti Pound Cake recipe is a breeze to make using staple baking ingredients. It takes under 15 minutes to prepare and less than an hour to bake, making it perfect for busy schedules.
- Vibrant and Festive: With rainbow sprinkles throughout the cake and a silky cream cheese glaze on top, this dessert adds a pop of color and a touch of celebration to any occasion.
- Nostalgic Twist: The funfetti twist brings back childhood memories, making it a hit with both kids and adults who crave that classic, cheerful taste.
Ingredients For This Birthday Pound Cake
Pound Cake Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour - The foundation of the cake, providing structure and texture.
- Baking Powder - Acts as a leavening agent, helping the cake rise and become light and fluffy.
- Salt - Enhances the overall flavor by balancing the sweetness with other ingredients.
- Unsalted Butter - Adds richness and a buttery flavor to the cake while also contributing to its moistness. Make sure your butter is at room temperature so that it incorporates with the other ingredients into a smooth batter.
- Granulated Sugar - Sweetens the cake and, when creamed with butter, creates a tender crumb texture.
- Eggs - Bind the ingredients together, add moisture, and contribute to the cake's structure. Use room temperature eggs.
- Vanilla Extract - Infuses a pleasant vanilla aroma and flavor into the cake, enhancing its overall taste. Splurge on a high quality vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Buttermilk - Provides moisture, tenderness, and a slight tanginess to the cake.
- Rainbow Sprinkles - The star of the show, these colorful sprinkles not only add a fun, festive appearance but also a pop of sweetness and a delightful crunch to each bite. Avoid using nonpareils, as their color will bleed into the batter.
Cream Cheese Glaze Ingredients
- Cream Cheese - Forms the base of the creamy glaze, adding richness and a slight tanginess.
- Unsalted Butter - Enhances the creaminess of the glaze and contributes to its flavor.
- Powdered Sugar - Sweetens and thickens the glaze, creating a smooth, pourable consistency.
- Heavy Cream - Thins the glaze to the desired consistency and adds a touch of creaminess for easy drizzling over the cake.
Easy Ingredient Swaps
- Homemade buttermilk: add 1 ½ teaspoons white vinegar to a half-cup measuring cup and add enough whole milk to fill it. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes before adding it to your batter.
- Milk: feel free to use any milk instead of the heavy cream in the glaze. It will only affect the flavor, not the consistency.
Helpful Equipment & Tools
- Digital kitchen scale or measuring cups. Using a scale will give you exact measurements for consistent results.
- Measuring spoons
- 9x5-inch Loaf Pan. If using a glass or ceramic pan, the heat will take longer to transfer to the batter, so you'll need to add 5-10 minutes to the baking time.
- Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
- Mixing Bowls
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Cooling Rack
Step-By-Step Instructions
Before you begin: Bring all your ingredients to room temperature and read the recipe from start to finish. Preheat the oven to 325°F/163°F and line a 9x5-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
Mix the dry ingredients: To a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until fully combined.
Cream butter and sugar: Add the butter and sugar to a stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed for 3-4 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Mix in wet ingredients: Mix in the eggs, one at a time, to the butter and sugar mixture, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the vanilla and mix to combine.
Combine wet and dry: Turn the mixer to low speed. Alternate mixing in the dry ingredients with the buttermilk, making sure to begin and end with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined without overworking. Gently fold in the sprinkles with a spatula.
Bake and cool: Pour the cake batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 55-65 minutes or until the edges start to pull away from the sides. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Assemble cream cheese glaze: Add the cream cheese and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy. Turn the speed to low, then add the powdered sugar until well incorporated. Adjust the consistency by adding heavy cream one teaspoon at a time.
Glaze and enjoy: Once the pound cake is fully cooled, pour the cream cheese glaze on top evenly. Let the glaze harden before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Be cautious not to overwork the cake batter; once the dry ingredients are combined with the wet, mix only until they come together to avoid a dense texture in the finished cake.
- If you notice the cake is browning too quickly in the oven, cover it with aluminum foil to prevent the top from getting too dark while the inside continues to bake evenly.
- For a thicker glaze, add more powdered sugar gradually until you reach your desired thickness, and if you prefer a thinner consistency, simply add a bit more heavy cream or milk.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely; this helps prevent it from sticking to the pan.
- Don't rush the cooling process; ensure the cake has completely cooled before drizzling on the glaze to prevent it from melting and becoming runny.
Recipe Variations
- If you're a fan of citrus flavors, add the zest of one lemon or orange to the batter to create a zesty Funfetti pound cake with a hint of citrus.
- For an extra decadent treat, decorate the pound cake with a layer of chocolate frosting or funfetti buttercream and serve with vanilla ice cream.
- For a nutty twist, fold in chopped nuts like almonds or pecans into the batter for added crunch and flavor.
- Transform leftover slices into a delicious and fancy trifle with some homemade whipped cream!
Storage & Freezing Tips
- To store: keep the cooled pound cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To freeze: wrap leftover funfetti pound cake tightly in plastic wrap, followed by aluminum foil, and store it in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
- Reheating: For a fresh-from-the-oven taste, preheat your oven to 350°F/177°C, place slices on a baking sheet, and warm for 10-15 minutes until heated through.
Note: I don’t recommend freezing a whole decorated cake. For the best texture, freeze the pound cake and decorate it up to 1 day before serving.
Recipe FAQ
Absolutely! You can mix the batter by hand using a sturdy wooden spoon or silicone spatula; it may require a bit more effort, but it can be done. Just make sure you are not overworking the batter.
The best sprinkles to use for a Funfetti cake are rainbow jimmies. These classic sprinkle shapes hold their colors well during baking and provide that signature fun and colorful appearance in every slice of the cake.
Yes, you can make the glaze in advance and store it in the refrigerator. When you're ready to use it, let it come to room temperature and give it a quick stir to restore its creamy consistency.
Yes, you can make this recipe in a bundt cake pan. However, you may need to adjust the baking time as bundt cake pans have different dimensions than a loaf pan. Start checking for doneness around 45-50 minutes, and when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, it's ready.
More Birthday Dessert Recipes You'll Love
I hope you love this Funfetti Pound Cake as much as we do and that it becomes a family favorite! Please leave a comment below, I love reading your feedback. Happy Baking!
Print
Easy & Moist Funfetti Pound Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 9x5 Loaf 1x
Description
Whip up a quick and delicious Funfetti Pound Cake filled with colorful sprinkles and topped with a sweet and tangy cream cheese glaze. This is perfect for busy families, offering a fun and tasty treat everyone will love for birthdays or any occasion!
Ingredients
Funfetti Pound Cake
- 280 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 226 g (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 220 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 120 g (½ cup) buttermilk, at room temperature
- 80 g (½ cup) rainbow sprinkles
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 30 g (2 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 60 g (½ cup) powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
Instructions
Funfetti Pound Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325°F/163°C. Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl, using a hand-held or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Mix in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Add the vanilla and mix to combine.
- With the mixer on low speed and in three parts, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat until just combined.
- Using a spatula, gently fold in the sprinkles.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 55-65 minutes until the edges begin to pull from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the cake begins to brown too quickly, cover it with aluminum foil.
- Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Glaze
- Using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
- With the mixer on low speed, add in the powdered sugar, beating until completely incorporated.
- Add enough heavy cream until the desired consistency is achieved. Glaze the completely cooled funfetti pound cake.
Notes
Storage: Keep the cooled pound cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freezer: Wrap leftover cake tightly in plastic wrap, followed by aluminum foil, and store it in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 55
- Category: Cakes & Cupcakes
- Method: Baking
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