This Birthday Pound Cake is a soft, rich cream cheese pound cake filled with rainbow sprinkles. Based on my popular Cream Cheese Pound Cake, it stays buttery and tender while the jimmies add bright color and a fun, celebratory feel. A simple glaze drips over the top for an easy bakery-style finish.
It is perfect for birthdays, parties, holidays, or any day that needs a little extra color and cheer!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Cream Cheese: Full-fat brick-style cream cheese gives this pound cake its rich flavor and incredibly tender texture. Be sure it is at room temperature so it blends smoothly with the butter.
- Butter: I use unsalted butter to control the salt in the recipe. If using salted butter, you can still make the cake, but expect a slightly saltier flavor.
- Granulated Sugar: Sugar sweetens the cake while also helping create a light, fluffy batter when beaten with the butter and cream cheese.
- Eggs: Room-temperature eggs mix more easily into the batter and help create the dense yet soft crumb that makes pound cake so irresistible.
- Vanilla Extract: Vanilla adds warmth and enhances the buttery, cream cheese flavor. Pure vanilla extract gives the best flavor, but imitation vanilla will also work.
- Cake Flour: Cake flour keeps the crumb soft and tender. If you only have all-purpose flour, you can make a homemade cake flour substitute by measuring 3 cups of all-purpose flour, removing 6 tablespoons, and replacing them with 6 tablespoons of cornstarch. Sift well before using.
- Buttermilk: A small amount of buttermilk adds moisture and a subtle tang while helping create a tender crumb. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own by adding about 2 teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup, then adding enough milk to reach ¼ cup. Let it sit for 5 minutes before using.
- Rainbow Sprinkles: Jimmies are the best choice because they hold their shape and color while baking, giving you bright pops of color throughout the cake. Nonpareils are not recommended, as they tend to bleed into the batter and can create streaks of color.
- Glaze: A simple glaze (made with confectioners’ sugar and a splash of milk) is all you need for the finishing touch. It’s quick to whisk together and drizzles beautifully over the cooled pound cake.
Tips for the Best Birthday Pound Cake
- Bring the cream cheese, butter, eggs, and buttermilk to room temperature for the smoothest batter.
- Cream the butter, cream cheese, and sugar thoroughly until light and fluffy.
- Mix the flour just until combined. Overmixing makes the cake tougher.
- Fold the sprinkles in by hand at the very end to keep the colors bright.
- Grease the Bundt pan generously (butter + flour or baking spray with flour) so the cake releases cleanly.
- Start checking at the 1-hour mark. The cake is done when a toothpick shows a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.
- Cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before turning out. Too long or too short can cause sticking or breakage.
FAQs
Can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour?
Yes, but the texture will be a little less tender. Use the cornstarch substitute method above for the closest result.
What kind of sprinkles work best?
Rainbow jimmies. They keep their shape and color. Nonpareils tend to bleed into the batter.
Why did my pound cake sink?
Common causes are overmixing, opening the oven door too early, or underbaking. Check with a toothpick… moist crumbs are fine; wet batter means it needs more time.
Can I make Birthday Pound Cake ahead of time?
Yes. Pound cake often tastes even better the next day. Cool completely, wrap tightly, and store at room temperature. Add the glaze and extra sprinkles just before serving.
Can I change the sprinkle colors?
Absolutely. Match the colors to any theme: holidays, graduations, baby showers, or team colors.
How to Store Birthday Pound Cake
Room Temperature: Store the cake in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 to 4 days. If the cake is glazed, let the glaze set completely first so it doesn’t stick or smear when stored.
Freezer: Freeze the cooled cake (whole or sliced) before glazing for best results. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, or place in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, then glaze and add sprinkles before serving.
Birthday Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups (2 ½ sticks / 284 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 cups (600 g) granulated sugar
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups (375 g) cake flour
- ¼ cup (60 g) buttermilk, room temperature
- ¾ cup rainbow sprinkles, jimmies preferred, plus more for serving (optional)
Glaze
- 1 cup (125 g) confectioners' sugar
- 2 to 3 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Generously grease a 10 to 12-cup Bundt pan with butter and flour or nonstick baking spray.
- In a large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter until completely smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes.
- Gradually add the sugar and mix until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract until combined.
- On low speed, gradually add the cake flour and mix just until incorporated.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer. Add the buttermilk and stir gently by hand with a rubber spatula until just combined, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Fold in the rainbow sprinkles until evenly distributed. Do not overmix to help prevent color bleeding.
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and smooth the top. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes, checking at the 1-hour mark. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then carefully turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Glaze
- In a medium bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar and milk. Whisk until you achieve a smooth and pourable glaze. Add more milk if necessary to reach the desired consistency.
- After the cake has cooled completely, pour the glaze over the top of the pound cake, allowing it to drizzle down the sides. Immediately sprinkle additional rainbow sprinkles over the glaze, if desired.
Did you make this recipe?
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