For a festive Easter cake this year, try your hand at this Easter Confetti Cake. Made with doctored box cake mix and a homemade buttercream frosting, this cake is easy to make and delicious to eat.
Spray the inside of 3 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and cut a circle of parchment paper to fit at the bottom of the pan. The spray will hold the paper in place, and the paper will prevent the cake from sticking.
Place your dry cake mix, dry pudding mix, flour, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
Whisk together until well blended.
In another mixing bowl, add your sour cream, milk, vanilla, oil, and eggs.
Whisk together until well blended.
Add the wet mixture to the bowl with the dry mixture.
Whisk together until the cake batter comes together, and no flour streaks remain. Do not overmix.
Add your rainbow colored sprinkles to the cake batter.
Mix well until evenly distributed.
Divide the cake batter between your prepared cake pans.
Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted into the center and come out clean.
Let the cake rest in the pan for 10 minutes before flipping onto a wire rack and removing the pan and parchment.
Allow to rest until fully cooled. You can place the cakes into the freezer for faster prep if needed.
I recommend freezing the cake layers after they've cooled a bit. They'll be much easier to handle if fully or partially frozen. You can freeze them while you make the filling and have it chill, and then remove the cake from the freezer after you've prepared the buttercream.
Prepare the Filling
Make your cook and serve pudding according to the package directions. Let cool completely before using.
If desired, you can make the filling lighter in texture and more mousse like, by folding in an 8 ounce tub of thawed cool whip.
Prepare the Buttercream
In a large mixing bowl, cream together 3 sticks of softened butter and 4.5 cups of powdered sugar.
Add in 1.5 teaspoons of vanilla extract and 3-4 tablespoons of milk. Beat again until incorporated.
Assembly
Place some or most of the buttercream into a piping bag and snip a large corner off of the end. You won't need a fitted tip for this part.
Place a layer of cake onto your cake board or display surface
Pipe a round rim around the top of the layer of cake. This will work like a dam to prevent the filling from leaking out. Go over the rim twice if needed.
Spoon your filling into the center and gently spread it out to the edges.
Add a layer of cake on top. Try to position it evenly centered above the other layer.
Repeat the frosting rim and filling as you did before.
Add the final cake layer on top. Center it well.
If it's slippery, you can use plastic straws or wooden dowels in the center of the cake to help give it support. You can also freeze the cake at this point for an hour to make it easier to handle.
Add your frosting around the edges and the top of the cake.
Spread the frosting around until smooth. There should be just enough frosting to coat the cake without embellishments.
Place the cake into the freezer to chill for an hour.
Second Batch of Frosting
Repeat the buttercream frosting instructions and make a second batch of frosting.
Take out about (4) ¼ cup portions of buttercream into separate bowls.
Decorate
Add a little food coloring to each bowl, a different color per bowl. I chose pink, blue, yellow, and purple. Mix well until the color is evenly distributed.
Spoon a little bit of differently colored frosting around the sides of the cake. Scatter them around so that they don't look uniform.
Spread the frosting around the sides using a cake scraper or frosting spreader. As you go around the colors will fade together and create a fun design.
Continue to spread the frosting around until you're happy with the results.
Place your remaining white frosting into a piping bag with a large fitted tip (I like 1M).
Pipe a boarder or peaks around the top of the cake.
Line some bunny peeps along the bottom edge of the cake. If they won't stick to the frosting, pipe a small dollop of frosting on the back to help them adhere.
Decorate the cake with shredded coconut, Easter egg candies, and more peeps if desired.
Place your cake into the fridge and allow to chill until ready to serve.
Slice into it and enjoy the fun rainbow colors throughout the cake layers.
Happy Easter!
Notes
Substitutions:
Cake mix: You can use any boxed cake mix, but white or yellow cake is recommended for the best results.
Sour cream: Greek yogurt can be used as a substitute for sour cream.
Butter: Crisco shortening can replace butter in the frosting for a dairy-free option.
Pudding mix: Any flavored pudding mix can be used, and even chocolate pudding can be used for the filling.
Variations:
Customize the candies for different occasions or omit Easter-themed touches for a birthday cake.
Try different flavored pudding fillings between the cake layers, such as strawberry or blueberry.
Recipe Tips:
If the frosting becomes messy, place the cake in the freezer and the frosting in the fridge for a few minutes to firm up.
Various tools can be used for frosting, including a large frosting leveler, a butter knife, or a clean office ruler.
If the cake's sides look messy, strategically place candy to cover them.
Make Ahead Instructions:
Cake layers can be prepared up to two weeks in advance and stored in the freezer, well wrapped in plastic wrap.
Buttercream can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to a month or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and mix before use.
Storage:
Keep the cake covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. Allow it to sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours at a time, depending on the room temperature.
Recipe Add-Ins:
Add up to an additional 1 cup of rainbow jimmie sprinkles for added color if desired.