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Rainbow Sprinkle Cake

Light and ‘buttery’ vanilla cake packed full of colourful sprinkles and sandwiched between a sweet and creamy vanilla buttercream frosting. This cake is made dairy-free making it perfect for any celebration.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 8 people
Author Sally

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • ½ cup (125 grams) dairy-free butter
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 egg + 2 egg whites
  • 1 ½ cups plain flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ⅔ cups dairy-free milk
  • ⅓ cup rainbow sprinkles

For the frosting:

  • ½ cup (125 grams) dairy-free butter*
  • 3-4 cups icing sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 tablespoon dairy-free milk
  • pinch of salt to taste
  • rainbow sprinkles to decorate

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease and line the bottoms of two 7-inch round cake pans with baking paper.
  • Make the cake. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the dairy-free butter, vanilla and sugar together. Add in the egg and whites and beat until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the edges of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add in half the flour mixture followed by half the milk, then repeat, beating to fully combine everything in between each addition. Add in sprinkles and mix through slowly with a spatula.
  • Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and place in the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tops are lightly springy when touched and a skewer when inserted comes out clean.
  • Let the cakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Make the frosting. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment fitted, beat dairy-free butter and vanilla for 1-2 minutes until creamy. Add in 3 cups of icing sugar and beat on medium until combined. As mixture thickens, add in dairy-free milk a little at a time. If frosting is too thin, add in an extra ½-1 cup of icing sugar until it reaches the right consistency. Add a pinch of salt to taste if the frosting is too sweet.
  • Assemble the cake. Add a little bit of frosting to a cake plate and set down the first cake. Add a generous amount of frosting followed by the second cake upside down so the top is flat. Using a cake knife, frost the top and sides with the remaining frosting. With any leftovers, add to a piping bag and pipe swirls around the top. Decorate with more rainbow sprinkles by pressing them around the bottom and sprinkling over the top.

Notes

Cake pan size: I used 7 inch pans because that’s the size that I had on hand. This recipe would also work with 8 inch pans which is a more common size. Just check on the cakes after 20 minutes as they may cook a bit quicker.
Dairy-free Milk: My preference for this recipe is oat milk or vanilla almond milk but soy would also work well.
Sprinkles: Use brightly coloured jimmys (the long ones) rather than 100s and 1000s for the best results.
Tip! Chill the cake before serving to ensure a cleaner slice.
I use Nuttelex Buttery to replace butter in most of my recipes as it is vegan and gives a 'buttery' flavour without being greasy. As this is an Australian product, the closest US alternative I believe is Earth Balance. Otherwise any dairy-free butter will work.
Not from Australia? Check out my US Conversion Guide.