A lot of us are having to celebrate birthdays in quarantine. I thought I’d share a recipe to make if you’re celebrating a birthday, but don’t want to make an entire cake. This funfetti cake recipe will yield you a perfect amount to feed 4-6 people. 4 people if you’re serving “healthy” sized portions! I used 2 4″ cake pans for this, and if you don’t have them you can find them here. You can also use this batter to make 6 cupcakes if you prefer. Either way, you should still be celebrating birthdays as best you can!
This cake recipe is super moist, and can be whisked up in a small bowl- no stand mixer needed. It literally takes about 3 minutes to measure and mix completely. The frosting recipe is a simple cream cheese frosting recipe that will easily whip up in a stand mixer. I know some baking items are scarce still right now, so I tried to incorporate as little butter in this recipe as needed. The cake calls for cake flour, but if you only have ap flour that will works as well.
How is everyone doing out there? I’m pleased that our weather here in Denver has been so nice lately. I’ve really been enjoying my long walks. It’s the one thing that really helps me stay in a good head space. Even I can’t just bake in my kitchen all day long. It’s not like a professional kitchen by any means. There’s limited space, the lighting is not great, I’m making messes no matter what I’m cooking, and I’m running the dishwasher sometimes 2-3 times a day! But I’m making the best out of it, there’s really nothing I can do about it! It’s nice to think that we are all going through the same thing. Just trying to get through these trying times.
Stay tuned for more recipes! And happy birthday to those celebrating birthdays during this time!
Quarantine Birthday Cake
Yield 2 4″ cakes or 6 cupcakes
Funfetti cake
Oil 2.75 oz
Sugar 3.5 oz
Egg 1
Milk 2.5 oz
Vanilla ½ tsp
Cake flour 3.25 oz
Baking powder ¾ tsp
Pinch of salt
Rainbow sprinkles 1 T
Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream cheese, room temp 8 oz.
Butter, room temp 4 oz.
Powdered sugar, sifted ¾ cup
Directions:
Preheat oven to 330 degrees F. Line 2 4” cake pans with parchment paper and spray the sides with non-stick baking spray. Set aside.
If you’re making this batter into cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake tin with 6 liners.
In a medium size bowl, combine all wet ingredients for the cake. Whisk together, then add in dry ingredients. Whisk until smooth. Fold in sprinkles last and divide batter between cake pans. Bake for 35 minutes until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean. If you’re baking cupcakes, bake for about 25 minutes.
Let the cakes cool in the pans at room temp for 5 minutes, then invert onto a piece of plastic wrap. Wrap cakes and place in the refrigerator until completely cool, at least 4 hours.
To make the frosting, place cream cheese and butter into a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix until smooth. Add powdered sugar. Mix until smooth, scrape down sides as needed. Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag.
To build the cake, remove cake from the refrigerator and remove the plastic. Use a serrated knife to trim the edges off the top and bottom of the cake. Then cut each layer in half. You should have 4 thin layers of cake.
Place a little frosting on your serving plate, then the first layer of cake on top to secure it in place. Pipe a thin layer of frosting on the cake. Add another layer of cake then frosting until all layers are built. Pipe frosting around the entire cake. Use an offset spatula to smooth it out to crumb coat the cake. Once it’s relatively smooth, place the cake in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Once frosting has chilled a bit, it will be easier to smooth out the frosting using a hot offset spatula. Dip the offset spatula in some hot water to aid in smoothing out your frosting. To decorate like the photo, take sprinkles and press them all onto the sides of the cake. I recommend doing this over the sink so the sprinkles don’t fly everywhere. Top the cake with fresh berries if desired. This cake can be made up to 3 days in advance and held in the refrigerator. Enjoy!
Quarantine birthday cake
