Funfetti Coffee Cake - a classic recipe with a colorful twist (2024)

This Funfetti Coffee Cake is a classic coffee cake recipe updated with colorful sprinkles making it the perfect dessert for a celebration.

Funfetti Coffee Cake:

I’m one of those people who thinks everything tastes better with sprinkles, which is why I created this Funfetti Coffee Cake recipe. When it comes to picking out donuts, cupcakes, ice cream, or any other sweet treat, I’m immediately drawn to anything with sprinkles. I’d like to think it says something about my personality, but I suspect it means I’m addicted to sugar.

I don’t know if sprinkles add flavor, but I certainly seem to enjoy treats that have them.

In my search for delicious Funfetti desserts, I did notice one thing missing from the group of funfetti treats: a fabulous recipe for Funfetti Coffee Cake. And as quickly as that idea came into my brain, I was in the kitchen whipping up this festive coffee cake.

How do you make Funfetti Coffee Cake:

Because Ina Garten is my cooking queen, I used her coffee cake recipe as a base for my recipe. I’ve made this recipe before, and it’s one of my favorites, so I figured that was a good place to start.

Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a bundt pan. (Alternatively you can use a 10-inch tube pan or a 13×9-inch pan.) Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light (about 4-5 minutes). For your convenience, there is a full ingredient list and detailed instructions in the printable recipe card below.

Add the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla and sour cream. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Then, with a spatula, gently fold in the sprinkles.

Next, prepare the streusel. Place the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and butter in a bowl. With your fingers, pinch the mixture together until it forms a crumble.

Into your prepared pan, spoon in half of the batter and level with a spatula. Then, sprinkle with 3/4 of the streusel mixture. (Only use 1/2 if you plan to have your crumb layer be on the top of your finished cake.) Spoon the rest of the batter into the pan, evenly spread it out, and top with the remaining streusel. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack for about 30 minutes. Then, remove the cake from the pan and place on a serving plate. Allow the cake to cool.

In the meantime, prepare the funfetti glaze. In a bowl, whisk together the confectioner’s sugar, melted butter, vanilla, salt and milk. You’ll want the glaze to be as thick as possible while still being a bit runny. If it’s too runny, add more confectioners sugar; if it’s too thick, add more milk.

Once the cake has cooled (It can still be slightly warm.), drizzle as much of the glaze over the cake as you’d like. Then, add more sprinkles before the glaze has set.

Slice and serve.

Traditional coffee cakes like this are made in a tube-style (angel food cake) pan. Not only does this create an interesting shape, but it allows for that beautiful crumb coat to be visible on top.

I did’t have a tube pan so I improvised withthis gorgeous bundt pan. (affliate link) However, as a result. my crumb coat was on the bottom. Which honestly doesn’t bother me in the slightest. In fact, it reminds me of a cloud, and clouds and funfetti go together like peanut butter and jelly. (In case non-traditional upside-down cakes drive you bananas, you’ve been warned.)

One other thing to note: I found that sprinkles like these, or the cylindrical variety, work best for funfetti. Most of these are the same color throughout. The round sprinkles (nonpareils) are typically color coated, and they tend to bleed when they come in contact with liquid which does not result in the best funfetti effect. Although I’ve seen both used, I’m just letting you know my personal preference.

With all of that out of the way, I think we are ready to bake up some fun!

Coffee cake just got a whole like more fun. And, let’s be honest, a lot cuter, too.

This cake is delicious on its own (without the glaze), but the glaze makes the whole thing come together. You can add as much or as little as you’d like. Glaze and I are BFFs so naturally I used all of it. So much so that it pooled on my cake stand, but I’m totally okay with that.

You’ll notice that some of the cinnamon sugar streusel will fall off the bottom as you glaze. At first I was annoyed because it was getting into my glaze, but then I chose to embrace it, and enjoy how it gives a sneak peak as to what’s inside.

So friends, the lesson for today is that sprinkles really do make everything better. (Puddles of funfetti glaze don’t hurt either.) So next time you’re in charge of baking up something sweet, give this Funfetti Coffee Cake a try.

Looking for more unique cake recipes? Try these:

• Lemon Yogurt Cake
• Sticky Toffee Cake
• Mixed Berry Icebox Cake
• Cream Puff Cake
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

And don’t forget the sprinkles.

Funfetti Coffee Cake Recipe: