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Fluffy Milk Bar Copycat Birthday Cake Recipe with Easy Funfetti Crumb

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A light, fluffy birthday cake with a playful funfetti crumb topping that delivers a tender crumb and a delightful crunch. Perfect for celebrations or casual occasions, this recipe is easy to make with pantry staples and simple techniques.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ½ cups (320g) all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ¾ cups (350g) granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, room temperature (or milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice)
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • Zest of 1 lemon (optional)
  • For the Funfetti Crumb Topping:
  • 1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup (110g) light brown sugar, packed
  • 6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, melted and browned
  • ½ cup (90g) rainbow sprinkles (jimmies or nonpareils)
  • Pinch of salt
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper.
  2. Make the funfetti crumb topping: Brown butter in a saucepan over medium heat until golden and nutty (3-4 minutes). Remove from heat.
  3. In a bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, salt, and vanilla. Pour in browned butter and mix until crumbly. Fold in sprinkles gently. Set aside to cool.
  4. Prepare cake batter: In a large bowl, whisk together sifted flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  5. In a mixer, cream softened butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy (3-4 minutes).
  6. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Stir in vanilla extract and lemon zest.
  7. With mixer on low, alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk in three additions, starting and ending with flour. Mix just until combined.
  8. Divide batter evenly between pans (about 2 cups or 480 ml each). Sprinkle funfetti crumb topping generously over each, pressing lightly.
  9. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and edges pull away from pans.
  10. Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Crumb topping will firm up as it cools.

Notes

Use jimmies or small nonpareil sprinkles to prevent bleeding colors. For gluten-free, substitute flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend. For dairy-free, use coconut oil instead of butter and dairy-free milk with lemon juice instead of buttermilk. Brown butter carefully to avoid burning. Cool cake completely before slicing or frosting to maintain crumb integrity.

Nutrition

Keywords: birthday cake, funfetti cake, Milk Bar copycat, fluffy cake, easy cake recipe, funfetti crumb, party cake, homemade cake

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