Funfetti Anniversary

2 nerds + 3 years of marriage = 1 happy family

Three years ago today, this was my November 3:

Good times :)

While we served our wedding guests some delicious "grown-up" cake (chocolate + raspberry and vanilla + vanilla cream), Adam maturely requested that our portion of the cake be "Funfetti." What can I say? The man loves sprinkles in his cake.

In celebration of today's anniversary, I surprised him with a homemade Funfetti cake. Forget Duncan Hines. The Hungry Spoon version of this wedding day dessert involves Cooking Light's basic vanilla cake recipe, with colorful sprinkles (and a little lovin') mixed right in.

This is a bowl-heavy cake to prepare. The recipe guides readers through four different mixing bowls, including the classic "beat the egg whites alone before adding them in" process. No worries though--the cake was super tasty, and the shock on Adam's face when he discovered the colorful cake made the labor-intensive prep well worth it.

The icing is by no means healthy, but it's ridiculously good--and it's the same recipe our dear friend Mrs. Gallon used when she made our wedding cake. I marvel at people who can make icing and not lick the beaters when they're finished. You couldn't pay me to leave an icing-coated beater without enjoying its leftovers.

Enough of my rambling, though. You've got some baking to do, and I've got some cake to eat.

What's your favorite "celebration food" to make?

Funfetti Anniversary Cake

(recipe adapted from Cooking Light magazine)

Who needs a cake mix when you can make your own Funfetti cake? Use seasonally-colored sprinkles to match your cake for a holiday-theme (red and green sprinkles for Christmas, anyone?)

Cake Ingredients:

• 2 - 3/4 cup cake flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup nonfat buttermilk
• 1/4 cup skim milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 5 TBSP butter, softened
• 2 TBSP canola oil
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 large egg whites
• approximately 1/4 cup rainbow sprinkles (or whatever amount looks good to you!)

Frosting Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 - 3 TBSP milk

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat two 8 inch round pans with cooking spray.

2) Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. In small bowl, combine buttermilk and skim milk. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together at medium speed until well-blended. Add oil and egg yolks, beating well. Alternately add flour mixture and milk mixture to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, and beating until just combined.

3) Place egg whites in a bowl and beat with a mixer (with clean beaters) on high speed until foamy. Gently fold egg white mixture into batter. Stir in sprinkles. Divide batter evenly between the pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

4) To prepare frosting, beat butter and shortening together until well-combined. Add 2 cups powdered sugar, vanilla, and 1 TBSP milk; beat well. Add remaining powdered sugar. Add milk and sugar as need to bring the frosting to your desired consistency.

5) Enjoy a piece with your favorite person :)