Funfetti Cake

This is a fluffy white funfetti cake made from completely scratch. This cake is moist and sweet, a typical white cake that is too sweet for my taste. But it is certainly a good candidate to use inside a fondant cake since it can hold the fondant better than the Chiffon cake I like.

Ingredients

Cake
Unsalted butter - 9 TBSP  softened to room temperature
Sugar - 3 cups
Vegetable oil - 1 cup
Vanilla extract - 4 tsp
All-purpose flour - 4 cups+ 2 Tbsp
Baking powder - 4 and 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1 and 1/2 tsp
Milk - 1 and 1/2 cup
Egg whites - 9 at room temperature preferred
Sprinkles - 1/2 cup

Buttercream 
Unsalted butter - 1 lb  softened to room temperature
Shortening - 1/2 cup
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Powdered sugar - 6 cups
Heavy cream - 6 Tbsp
Vanilla extract - 2 tsp
* Depends on the number of layers and decoration, you may want to increase the buttercream. I used 1.5 of the receipt because I have to mix multiple color creams.

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare three 8-inch round cake pans (I used two 9" cake pans) by generously greasing and flouring. Be sure to shake out excess flour.
2. In stand mixer, beat butter on medium-low speed until creamy. Add sugar and oil and beat until all ingredients are well-combined and creamy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and then stir in your vanilla.
3. In separate bowl, whisk together your flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. With mixer on medium speed, gradually alternate between adding the flour mixture and the milk, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Stir until each one is almost completely combined before adding the next. Pause occasionally to scrape down sides and bottom of bowl.

5. In separate bowl, combine your egg whites and, with a hand-mixer on high-speed, beat until stiff peaks form.
6. Using a spatula, gently fold your egg whites and sprinkles into your batter. Take care to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl so that ingredients are well-combined, and take care not to over-mix.

7. Evenly divide cake batter into prepared pans.

8. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake layer comes out clean or with few crumbs (should not be wet). For best results, rotate your cake pans halfway through baking to ensure even baking. This cake may also be made in 3 9" pans, just decrease the baking time. Start checking the cakes for done-ness at 25 minutes.
9. Cakes will be a light golden brown when done baking. Remove cakes from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Run a butter knife around the inside rim of each pan and invert each onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting

1. In stand mixer, beat butter and shortening on medium-speed until creamy.
2. Add salt and beat again for about 20 seconds.
3. Gradually, about 1 cup at a time, add powdered sugar, waiting until each cup is completely mixed before adding the next cup.
4. One Tbsp at a time, add the heavy cream on medium-high speed, waiting until each addition is well-combined before adding the next 2 Tbsp.
5. Add flavoring (vanilla extract or emulsion). and stir on medium-high for 30 seconds.
6. Transfer one layer of your cooled cake to serving platter. Use frosting to ice the top. Add the next layer, ice the top of that. Add your third layer on top and ice the top, and then do a thin "crumb coating" around the entire cake.
7. Transfer to freezer for 10-15 minutes, then remove and apply a clean, thick coat of frosting around the entire cake.