Simple Gluten Free Confetti Cake

It’s my birthday week! And that means cake!

Confetti cake has always been a favorite of mine — and with birthday plans still being affected by the pandemic, I figured a home baked cake was the perfect fit for this “stay at home” year. I had asked if you all wanted to see a from scratch or box mix cake and wellllll, it was a 50/50 split! So here is a super simple, boxed mix cake recipe (dressed up a bit) to get your birthday/party/celebration vibes going quick!

I used Simple Mills vanilla cake/cupcake mix as well as their coconut oil based vanilla frosting. I love using their products because of how, well, how simple they are! Made with only a handful of whole food ingredients, it’s almost like baking from scratch — without the measuring, sifting, or other tedious baking steps. There is a recipe on the back of the box, but I modified this recipe a bit for my birthday cake. Plus, I added a ton of sprinkles! I just picked up the jimmy style sprinkles I found at whole foods which I honestly loveddd for the muted colors (it’s all about a pretty cake, right?!).

You can whip up this semi-homemade confetti cake in a matter of hours — just allow for the cake to cool completely before trying to frost it! The Simple Mills brand frosting might need a little warming (coconut oil is solid at room temperature, so make sure you stir it up a ton or pop it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds) but a warm cake is no good for pretty frosting! I also decorated mine as a naked cake (no frosting covering the sides) to keep it simple, plus I love the look. I made this cute Milk Bar style 4 layer stacked cake - but you can absolutely make a bigger 8-inch cake with 2 layer instead! All you have to do it add extra sprinkles, pop a cake topper on there and BAM, you’ve got a pretty impressive birthday cake — made by YOU!

This cake is….

gluten-free
dairy-free
simple
quick to make
& nostalgic AF with a whole food twist!

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Simple Gluten Free Confetti Cake

Prep Time: 20-30 min
Cook Time: 25-30 min
Servings: 8

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 box Simple Mills vanilla cake mix

  • 3 eggs

  • 1 c milk of choice

  • 2 Tbsp. applesauce

  • 2 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted

  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract

  • 1 tsp. almond extract

  • 1-2 containers Simple Mills vanilla frosting

  • 1/2 c sprinkles (more if desired)

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Preheat oven to 325 deg F.

  • Combine milk, applesauce, coconut oil, and extracts into a medium mixing bowl. Whisk together.

  • Add cake mix into the mixing bowl and stir to combine.

  • Fold 1/4 c sprinkles into the batter.

  • Pour cake mix into (greased or lined) one 8-inch cake pan, or two 6-inch cake pans for a mini cake (as pictured).

  • Bake for 25-30 minutes, depending on cake size, until cake tester (or toothpick) can be pulled out clean when tested. *Check early if baking at a high altitude!

  • Allow cake to cool completely before removing from the baking pans. Carefully lay cakes onto a cutting board.

  • Using a bread knife, slice cakes horizontally to create the cake layers. You should have two layers if using one 8-inch cake, and 4 layers if using two 6-inch cakes.

  • Carefully place one layer (preferably a slightly thicker one) onto your cake stand or serving dish of choice.

  • Warm up frosting by stirring for 1-2 minutes, or pop into the microwave for 30 seconds in a microwave safe bowl.

  • Scoop out 1/3-1/2 c frosting onto the base layer of cake, Spread evenly using a spatula or knife.

  • Sprinkle the sprinkles evenly across the frosting.

  • Add another layer of cake directly on top and repeat the frosting/sprinkle process.

  • Repeat this until all four layers are stacked and frosted. When adding sprinkles to the top of your cake — decorate as desired; I did a ring of sprinkle around the top, or you can sprinkle evenly across like you did with the other layers.

  • Serve immediately or if serving later, store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Allow to set out for 10 minutes prior to cutting to allow the frosting to soften.

Enjoy!

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Substitute Options

  • Use flax eggs to make this recipe vegan.

  • Don’t mind dairy? Use any frosting you like! Cream cheese was a close second for me on this one!

Cheers! and Happy Birthday to all my Aquarius babes!


xx,
mallory

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