Birthday Snack Cake


Cakes & Cupcakes Naturally Colorful Desserts No Seed Oils Gluten Free High Altitude | Published June 28, 2022 by Mimi Council

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Light and perfectly fluffy white cake is topped with chocolate buttercream frosting and all natural nonpareil sprinkles. I bake this in a square pan, making this Birthday Snack Cake an easy cake for any occasion!

If you love snack cakes as much as I do, be sure to check out my Sourdough Carrot Snack Cake, Lemon Olive Oil Snack Cake, or my Raspberry Lemon Snack Cake.

birthday snack cake

This organic cake is a simple and easy birthday cake. I make a classic white cake, using only egg whites and no yolks. White cake is different than yellow cake because only the egg whites are used. This results in a lighter, sweeter, and fluffier cake. If you like angel food cake, it's a cross between that and a classic vanilla yellow cake.

While I'm calling this a birthday cake, it really is the perfect organic cake for any occasion. This cake is always a huge crowd pleaser anytime I make it! I use my 9×9-inch pan, so it's a no fuss easy cake. If you don't have this pan, you can also use an 8×8-inch pan or even an 8-inch or 9-inch round pan as well. If you are a beginner baker, this is a great organic cake to start with!

birthday snack cake

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Perfect for Any Party: This is the only cake you'll ever need for literally any occasion. I'm calling it the Birthday Snack Cake because it's a classic white cake with chocolate frosting and rainbow sprinkles – which is a quintessential birthday cake flavor. But, this simple homemade cake is a great recipe for any occasion!

One Layer: This organic cake is made a 9 x 9-inch baking pan, making it one easy layer cake. I love one layer cakes as they are more rustic, freeform, and very casual. They have the perfect ratio of cake to frosting and it's just the right amount of cake for me.

Natural Sprinkles: I use all natural nonpareil sprinkles here, with no artificial colors. These naturally colored sprinkles are made with plant based dyes so you can celebrate naturally!

Organic Cake: I love making this simple white cake at home because I can choose organic ingredients. This will be so much better than any box mix or cake you would buy at a store!

birthday snack cake

Ingredients

  • Eggs: Use large eggs, but you'll just need the whites for this Birthday Snack Cake. You can save the yolks for other desserts, like my From Scratch Chocolate Pudding. Make sure to not get any of the yolks in the whites when separating.
  • Butter: I use Organic Valley Salted Butter, you can use your favorite.
  • Cane Sugar: I use organic cane sugar for natural sweetness. Organic cane sugar is just the organic equivalent of granulated white sugar. It is more processed though and can be overly sweet. Organic cane sugar is less processed, has a little bit larger crystals, and has a more natural sweet flavor.
  • Vanilla Extract: Use a high quality vanilla extract, not imitation.
  • Milk: Use whole milk. You can also use coconut milk if you want to use a dairy free milk.
  • Cake Flour: I use my homemade organic cake flour, but store bought also works. Cake flour has a lower protein content than all purpose, which gives this organic cake a light and tender crumb.
  • Baking Powder: Use baking powder, not soda. Be sure to check out my post the Difference Between Baking Soda and Baking Powder for more info on leavening agents.
  • Salt: Use fine sea salt.
  • Powdered Sugar: I use organic powdered sugar, be sure its sifted well so there are no lumps.
  • Dutch Cocoa Powder: I use organic Dutch cocoa powder for a rich chocolate flavor.
  • Sprinkles: I'm using ColorKitchen Foods Nonpareils, which are made using plant based dyes.
birthday snack cake

Tools Needed

  • Scale: Always use a digital food scale for the best results.
  • Stand Mixer: I use my stand mixer for ease, but you can also use your hand mixer if you prefer.
  • 9×9-inch Cake Pan: I bake this organic cake in a simple 9×9-inch square pan, but you can also do a round 9-inch pan too.
  • Parchment Paper: I always use nontoxic parchment paper to ensure this birthday cake comes out easily.

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birthday snack cake

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9 x 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper.

Step 2

To make the batter: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the egg whites. Whisk on low, then gradually increase speed as the egg whites start to thicken and continue until you are at full speed. Whisk until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a separate bowl.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (no need to wash the bowl), add the butter, cane sugar, and vanilla extract and mix on low until combined. Then set a timer and mix for 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. The butter should be light in color.

Add the milk, cake flour, baking powder, and fine sea salt in that order. Mix on low until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again to combine completely.

With the mixer on low, add in small bits of the egg whites and mix to combine completely. Continue to do so until all egg whites have been incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and mix until a smooth batter forms. Transfer the batter into the prepared baking pan.

Step 3

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the cake pan. (Make sure to follow the instructions in the Notes at the bottom of the recipe for baking times for high altitude.)

Step 4

To make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, powdered sugar, cocoa, and milk. Mix on low until combined, then speed mixer up to high for 1 to 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Spread the frosting onto the cake

Spread the frosting onto the cake and sprinkle with rainbow sprinkles.

birthday snack cake

Baker's Tips

  • I prefer to use USA Pan's 9 x 9-inch pan as it is truly the best. The little ridges in their pans really help cakes rise and bake evenly, especially if you are at high altitude. Their pans are very inexpensive for how much of a difference they make, so I highly recommend getting one, especially if you are just using a glass dish – their pan will be a major upgrade.
  • I make a classic white cake using egg whites. Save the egg yolks and make one of my pudding recipes like From Scratch Banana Pudding or From Scratch Chocolate Pudding.
  • Make sure your butter is soft. This is key for any cake recipe that calls for butter to be softened.
  • If you want to use coconut milk in place of cow's milk, you can.
  • Make sure that you mix your final batter and egg whites together until you do not see any pockets of egg whites. This is a delicate thing, as you don't want to over mix at this stage as you don't want to break the egg whites. However, you need to make sure you mix enough that there are no pockets of egg whites left as that will create small holes in a portion of you cake and the texture will be unpleasant.
  • Make sure you allow the cake to cool completely before removing it from the pan.
  • You can use any kind of sprinkles you like. This cake would even be delicious with chocolate sprinkles (I debated using them instead!) as well as the traditional kind of rainbow sprinkles, I've linked my favorite all natural kind here.
birthday snack cake

FAQ's

Can I make this cake gluten free?

Yes, I provide a simple substitution for gluten free in the Notes at the bottom of the recipe.

What else can I top this with?

Any kind of sprinkles you like, fresh fruit, nuts, or caramel sauce.

How should I store this?

Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

birthday snack cake
birthday snack cake

Craving More?

birthday snack cake

Birthday Snack Cake

Mimi Council
One of the best simple cake recipes, this light and fluffy white cake is topped with a chocolate buttercream and rainbow sprinkles.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Makes 9 servings
Calories 562 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

Batter

Frosting

Topping

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9 x 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
  • To make the batter: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the egg whites. Whisk on low, then gradually increase speed as the egg whites start to thicken and continue until you are at full speed. Whisk until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a separate bowl.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (no need to wash the bowl), add the butter, cane sugar, and vanilla extract and mix on low until combined. Then set a timer and mix for 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. The butter should be light in color.
  • Add the milk, cake flour, baking powder, and fine sea salt in that order. Mix on low until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again to combine completely.
  • With the mixer on low, add in small bits of the egg whites and mix to combine completely. Continue to do so until all egg whites have been incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and mix until a smooth batter forms.
  • Transfer the batter into the prepared baking pan.
  • Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the cake pan.
  • To make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, powdered sugar, cocoa, and milk. Mix on low until combined, then speed mixer up to high for 1 to 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.
  • Spread the frosting onto the cake and sprinkle with rainbow sprinkles.
  • Store in a cake dome or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Notes

Gluten Free — Replace the cake flour with 212 grams (1 ⅓ cups) gluten free flour blend.
High Altitude — Bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Nutrition

Calories: 562kcalCarbohydrates: 78gProtein: 6gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 395mgPotassium: 157mgFiber: 2gSugar: 57gVitamin A: 825IUCalcium: 67mgIron: 1mg
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