Whether you’re turning five or fifty, you’re never too old for funfetti. These birthday cake pancakes capture that sweet cake flavor with a rich vanilla frosting and plenty of sprinkles — breakfast feels like a celebration in just 15 minutes.
I always ask for funfetti cake or cupcakes on my birthday, piled high with vanilla frosting and extra sprinkles. This year I decided to bring that birthday-cake joy to breakfast: a towering stack of funfetti pancakes topped with frosting and sprinkles — exactly how my five-year-old self would approve.
How to make birthday cake pancakes
First, whisk the melted butter until smooth. Add the eggs and whisk until fully combined. Pour in the milk and stir to blend.
Second, add the flour, baking powder, vanilla and almond extracts, whisking until the batter is smooth and lump-free.
Third, fold in the sprinkles gently and only at the last moment. Many dry, uncoated sprinkles tend to bleed color when soaked, so avoid adding them too early.
Pour the batter onto a hot, lightly greased nonstick griddle or skillet. Cook until golden on one side, flip, and cook until the other side is golden brown. Transfer pancakes to a cooling rack and let them cool slightly so they don’t melt the frosting immediately.
Finally, spread a thin layer of vanilla frosting on each pancake and stack to your preferred height. Warm a few tablespoons of leftover frosting in the microwave for 10–15 seconds and drizzle it over the stack, or use maple syrup if you prefer. Finish with an extra spoonful of frosting and a generous sprinkle of rainbow sprinkles.
Tips for making birthday cake pancakes
- To prevent colors from running, don’t add your sprinkles to the batter until the last possible moment. Dry sprinkles like jimmies and quins lose color the longer they sit in liquid.
- Alternatively, sprinkle them onto the uncooked pancake surface. When flipped, the colors will rise to the top, though the bottom may look messy.
- For a perfectly rounded scoop of frosting, use an ice cream scoop. Freeze the scoop for a few minutes to help soft frosting hold its shape as you release it.
- Storing: Make pancakes ahead and refrigerate for 1–2 days or freeze for 1–2 months. Place parchment between pancakes and seal in an airtight bag.
- Reheating: Microwave refrigerated or frozen pancakes on medium power for 1–2 minutes, or bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes.
Recipe
Birthday Cake Pancakes
These pancakes combine classic funfetti flavor with creamy vanilla frosting and bright sprinkles — perfect for turning any morning into a celebration.
- Author: The Simple, Sweet Life
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 12 pancakes
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract
- ½ lb vanilla frosting
- Rainbow sprinkles
Instructions
- Whisk together the melted butter and eggs in a bowl.
- Add the milk and whisk until combined.
- Stir in the flour, baking powder, vanilla and almond extracts until the batter is smooth and lump-free.
- Quickly fold in the sprinkles and pour the batter onto a hot nonstick pan or griddle. Cook until golden brown on each side.
- Allow pancakes to cool slightly, then frost each with a thin layer of vanilla frosting and stack to your desired height.
- Melt a few tablespoons of leftover frosting in the microwave for 10–15 seconds and drizzle over the stack, or use maple syrup.
- Garnish with extra sprinkles and serve.
Notes
- Dry, uncoated sprinkles can lose color when submerged in batter — add them at the last moment to avoid bleeding.
- You can sprinkle directly onto the uncooked pancake surface so color rises to the top, though the underside may look messy.
- Use a frozen ice cream scoop for neat frosting rounds if your frosting is soft.
- To store, layer pancakes between parchment and refrigerate for 1–2 days or freeze for up to 2 months in an airtight bag.
- Reheat in the microwave on medium for 1–2 minutes or bake at 350°F for 10 minutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pancake + filling
- Calories: 151
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 48mg
- Fat: 4.7g
- Saturated Fat: 2.2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.5g
- Carbohydrates: 12.4g
- Fiber: 0.3g
- Protein: 3.6g
- Cholesterol: 111mg
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear how it turned out. Share a photo and tag it on Instagram with #thesimplesweetlife — I enjoy seeing your creations!
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