Funfetti cakes from scratch, made just for two in ramekins are here! Finally!
It’s like your own personal birthday cake in a cup…that you don’t have to share at all.
Funfetti and I have not always gotten along, to be honest. The only time I had it was when it was made with a cake mix, and I think the baker didn’t exactly follow the instructions on the box. Unless gritty sand cake was the goal? I know not.
Anyway, I avoided the stuff for a long time. I’ve even made a few statements here and there about how I don’t really see the point of sprinkles…they don’t really taste like much.
And then, friends, I had a daughter. And she LOVES sprinkles. She likes the colors, the sweet little crunch, and the sound the jar makes when you shake it. And I’m kinda getting into them, too.
Now, being the crazy Mama that I am, I had to seek out sprinkles made with plant-based dyes. You knew I would do this, didn’t you? You’ve seen my homemade baby food section, right?
So, these are the exact sprinkles I use. But but but, when I was recipe testing these cakes, I used up some leftover Christmas and Halloween sprinkles (made with all the chemical dyes and what-have-you), and I will confess: the cakes made with artificially dyed and flavored sprinkles had a taste more similar to ‘real funfetti.’
I’m going to leave the choice up to you. Use whatever sprinkles you have in your pantry (because we all have leftover sprinkles that need to be used up and these funfetti cakes from scratch are totally calling your name right this second).
Two tiny little cakes in ramekins still makes me endlessly happy.
Probably because I ate both servings.
Oops.
Don’t miss my mini chocolate cakes in ramekins and my lemon cakes in ramekins, too!
Oh, and these are the exact ramekins I use!
Funfetti Cakes from Scratch (in ramekins!)
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- big pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 2 tablespoons sprinkles
For the frosting:
- 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- splash of milk, as needed
- sprinkles, for garnish
Instructions
- First, spray 2 4-ounce ramekins very well with cooking spray, and set them on a mini baking sheet.
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, sugar, oil and vanilla until very well blended. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients in two batches to the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk (1 tablespoon at a time), and stir gently to combine.
- Stir in the sprinkles at the last minute.
- Divide the mixture between the two ramekins.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- While the cakes cool, make the frosting: beat together with an electric mixer the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla, adding milk as needed to make it spreadable.
- Frost the cakes, and decorate with more sprinkles. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 217 Total Fat: 12g Carbohydrates: 25g Protein: 2g
Christina! These are perfect! I didn’t get a birthday cake this year because I was in hospital. Now that I’m back on my feet – and back on solid food – you can bet that I will be making my way through all of your gorgeous mini cakes. I don’t think I’ll be sharing either…at least the first batch ;)
You didn’t get a birthday cake:,( I was in the picu for my 17th birthday and I still got a cake. No candles though. I guess there is some rule about having fire in your room or something like that. While I don’t know what happened, I can say I feel for you as I have spent a good amount of time in the hospital. I’m happy to hear that you are eating again and hopefully you are feeling well. Now go make yourself some cake! It’s okay to eat both because one is your birthday cake and the other is the cake since you didn’t get a birthday cake. See the logic? I hope you are doing well!
Yay, I’m so excited to try these! I’m glad Camille is pulling you aboard the sprinkles train :)
i wouldnt want to share these either :)
Are Strawberry cakes up next? Oh! Pretty please with a cherry on top?!! **fellow Texan :D
tiny little cakes in ramekins make me endlessly happy too :)
Ooooh, I have all the ingredients on hand for these! If we don’t use up all the cream cheese when we have smoked salmon baguettes at lunch, then this will totally be dessert tonight or tomorrow :-)
My 9 year old daughter made these for us tonight…added just a bit more sprinkles…you know..because sprinkles. ;-) They were awesome!!!!!
ohmygosh SO SO CUTE
and I love that you found natural sprinkles. You are so #momgoals lol
I have a question. I have a daughter that has a gluten allergy. Can I use gluten free flour in place of the all purpose flour. Trying to think of smaller forms of desserts for her and her new husband. By the way these are very cute and I am excited to try these for my husband and I. Thank you for your creativity.
Hi JoDee,
I’m not sure; I haven’t tested this recipe with GF flour. Are you using the Cup4Cup brand? It should work… But in the meantime, I do have an entire gluten-free section on my site here: https://www.dessertfortwo.com/category/gluten-free-2/
Hey I’m a celiac – I’ll give it a go in a few days with bobs red mill baking flour and let you know, if you’re still curious. Seven months late is better than never? ????
These look so good! I’m planning on making these and the chocolate ones to bring to a party. Which brings me to my question, I wanted to bake these in the ramekins and then take them out to frost and serve them like that. If I was going to do that do you think I could make/decorate it and eat it the next day? How would I store it until the next day? Thanks. Sorry for being so needy :)
Hi Holly!
You can definitely make them ahead of time. I would bake them, let them cool completely, and then run a knife around the edge to pop them out of the ramekins. Then, tightly wrap them in plastic wrap and store at room temperature. I would frost just before serving :)
And you’re not needy :) You’re just a dessert lover like me :) <3
I just made these and you definitely need a ramekin larger than 4 ozs!!!
You’re right–it should be 6 ounces. Sorry!
I made this last weekend – delicious! I had to throw some chocolate sprinkles in there too, as I ran out of the coloured ones a T into the recipe. So good!
can I use butter instead of oil?
I wouldn’t. I tested the recipe with butter because it has the best taste and texture. The thing about using butter is that it’s solid at room temperature. So, when your cake comes out of the oven, it will be nice and tender. As it sits on the counter and cools to room temp, it will harden. This is why wedding cake bakers always use oil in their cakes. Oil is liquid at room temperature, which produces a more tender cake.
Hello! I’m planning to make your 6-inch funfetti cake for my daughter’s first birthday smash cake. I’m wondering whether you noticed the plant-based sprinkles bleeding more into the batter during baking, compared to artificially-dyed ones? The ramekin and cupcake versions are baked for 20 minutes or less, so it may not be an issue there (though Molly Yeh’s sprinkles test suggests otherwise), but I’m curious about your thoughts on the 6-inch version which is baked for 30 minutes. Thanks in advance!
Hi Flo!
I didn’t notice the plant-based sprinkles bleeding more than the regular ones. They both bled a bit, though. Did you know I have a mini 6″ funfetti cake recipe too? It’s here: https://www.dessertfortwo.com/mini-funfetti-cake/
Yes, it’s your 6-inch I’m planning to make. I’m commenting on this page because of your use of the plant-based sprinkles here. :) Thanks for your response! I might try freezing the sprinkles before baking for a bit more assurance. :)
I just made these little cakes for my boyfriend ‘s birthday today!! So cute and perfect for a little treat when you don’t want a lot of cake!! Love your recipes!!
Thanks, Kelley! :) So glad <3
Hi Christina, I was looking for kids baking activities which require a few simple ingredients in small amounts and I came across your website. I find your website very creative and engaging. You have an absolutely adorable daughter.
I tried these cakes today with my 4.5 yr old and they came out really tasty. Thank you very much.
Thank you so much for this recipe! My daughter’s birthday is this weekend and her very best friend has a severe peanut allergy so if I didn’t make him a dessert from scratch myself then he would have to go without while everyone else had something sweet. Thank you for an easy recipe that makes just enough for me to have an allergy safe treat to offer him.
I have made these cakes more than ten times now, and I love them every time! I use chocolate chips instead of sprinkles, though, because I never have sprinkles on hand, and it comes out great! I also substitute the egg with a flax egg, due to allergies. They are always so delicious and my entire family loves them! Thank you so much for this recipe!
Thanks so much, Mariana! I love hearing this :)
Nice recipe thanks for sharing