Celebration Sprinkle Cake Jars
The cake itself is fluffy, lightly sweetened with honey, and balanced perfectly with the sweet almond buttercream on top. The extra sprinkles add the perfect little crunch that makes these feel extra special.
And honestly — baking something homemade just feels better sometimes. No shortcuts, no mystery ingredients, just a fun dessert made from scratch that tastes amazing.
Thanks so much for stopping by Flour and Pots! If you make these sprinkle cake jars, have questions, or just want to say hi, leave a comment below. 🤍
Easy Sprinkle-Topped Mini Cakes in Jars
These homemade celebration sprinkle cake jars are fluffy, festive, and so fun to make. A honey-sweetened vanilla cake packed with sprinkles, topped with fluffy almond buttercream, and dipped in crunchy sprinkles for the cutest little dessert cups. Perfect for birthdays, parties, holidays, BBQs, or anytime you want something cheerful and homemade. They are truly customizable!
Unlike store-bought cake cups or boxed cake mix, these are made with simple ingredients and better fats for a more homemade feel and flavor. Yes, they’re still a treat — but a fun one made from scratch with ingredients you can actually feel good about serving.
Ingredients:
For the Cake
Wet Ingredients -
4 egg whites
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
¾ cup honey
¾ cup avocado oil or canola oil
⅓ cup milk
⅓ cup light mayo or light sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients -
2 ¼ cups cake flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon sea salt
⅓ cup patriotic sprinkles or sprinkles of choice
For the Frosting -
1 ½ cups butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons light sour cream, room temperature
½ cup milk, room temperature
½ teaspoon almond extract
6 cups powdered sugar
Pinch of salt
For The Topping -
Extra sprinkles for dipping and decorating
How to Make Sprinkle Cake Jars
Step 1: Prepare the Cake Pan
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
Step 2: Whip the Egg Whites
In a large mixing bowl, add the egg whites and beat with a hand mixer on high speed until pale and foamy, about 1 minute.
Add the granulated sugar and beat again on high speed until slightly fluffy and soft peaks begin forming, about 30 seconds more.
Step 3: Add the Wet Ingredients
Add the honey, oil, milk, light mayo or sour cream, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until combined, about 30 seconds.
Turn the mixer to high speed and whip for another 30 seconds to keep the batter light and airy.
Step 4: Add the Dry Ingredients
Add the cake flour, baking powder, and sea salt. Mix on low speed until just combined. Gently fold in the sprinkles. Be careful not to overmix — you worked hard to keep this cake fluffy and light.
Step 5: Bake
Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly. Bake for 26–30 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the cake cool completely before assembling the jars.
Step 6: Make the Fluffy Buttercream Frosting
While the cake cools, make the frosting. In a large bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the room temperature butter on medium-high speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the sour cream and mix for 30 seconds until smooth.
Scrape down the bowl and slowly add 1 cup of powdered sugar, mixing on low speed until incorporated. Continue adding the powdered sugar gradually. Add the almond extract, milk, and salt. Finish adding the remaining powdered sugar slowly until the frosting is smooth and fluffy.
Once fully combined, beat the frosting on high speed for 1 minute to whip extra air into it for that soft bakery-style texture. Set aside.
Step 7: Prepare Sprinkles
Pour 1–2 cups of sprinkles into a small bowl for decorating.
Step 8: How to Assemble the Cake Jars
Using small plastic cups or 4-ounce glass jars, turn the cup upside down and use it to cut circles from the cake. Twist gently for a clean cut, then lift the cake piece out carefully.
Using one finger push the cake piece into the bottom of the jar or cup and lightly press it down so there are no gaps on the bottom. Repeat with the remaining jars.
Helpful Tip: If you want the maximum number of cake jars from this recipe, cut the cake circles close together to minimize wasted cake between cuts.
Step 9: Finish the Cakes
Top each cake jar with enough frosting to reach the very top. Smooth the frosting, then gently turn the jar upside down into the bowl of sprinkles so the frosting gets fully coated. Repeat with all jars.
Serve immediately, or for the best texture and flavor, refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Enjoy!
Helpful Recipe Notes
Whipping the egg whites properly helps create a lighter, fluffier cake texture. Don’t rush this step.
Avoid overmixing once the dry ingredients are added or the cake can become dense and rubbery.
Avocado oil gives the best flavor and texture, but canola or vegetable oil also work well.
Light mayo adds richness and moisture, while light sour cream gives a lighter, more neutral flavor. Both work great.
Make sure the butter, milk, and sour cream are all room temperature before making the frosting. If some ingredients are cold and others are warm, the frosting can separate and become funky.
No cake flour? Substitute all-purpose flour plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch for this recipe.
Why You’ll Love These Homemade Cake Jars
These mini sprinkle cakes are:
Soft and fluffy
Honey sweetened
Packed with festive sprinkles
Fun for birthdays and celebrations
Better than boxed cake mix
Easy to make ahead
Adorable for parties and holidays
I know this cake jar idea is super popular right now, so I wanted to recreate a homemade version with better ingredients and more flavor than the viral store-bought versions out there.
Yes, this is still dessert. But if you’re going to have a sweet treat, you might as well make one that’s homemade, fun, and genuinely delicious. I hope you enjoy each bite!
- 4 egg whites
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¾ cup honey
- ¾ cup avocado oil or canola oil
- ⅓ cup milk
- ⅓ cup light mayo or light sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2¼ cups cake flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅓ cup patriotic sprinkles
- 1½ cups butter, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons light sour cream
- ½ cup milk
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- Pinch of salt
- Extra sprinkles for decorating
- 4 egg whites
- 38g granulated sugar
- 180ml honey
- 180ml avocado oil or canola oil
- 80ml milk
- 80ml light mayo or light sour cream
- 10ml vanilla extract
- 280g cake flour
- 20g baking powder
- 4g sea salt
- 55g sprinkles
- 340g butter
- 30g light sour cream
- 120ml milk
- 2.5ml almond extract
- 720g powdered sugar
- Pinch of salt
- Extra sprinkles for decorating
- Preheat oven to 375°F and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Add egg whites to a large mixing bowl and beat on high speed until pale and foamy, about 1 minute.
- Add granulated sugar and beat again on high speed until soft peaks begin forming, about 30 seconds more.
- Add honey, oil, milk, light mayo or sour cream, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until combined.
- Turn the mixer to high speed and whip for another 30 seconds to keep the batter light and airy.
- Add the cake flour, baking powder, and sea salt. Mix on low speed until just combined.
- Gently fold in the sprinkles. Be careful not to overmix so the cake stays fluffy and light.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly.
- Bake for 26–30 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before assembling the jars.
- To make the frosting, beat the room-temperature butter until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the sour cream, milk, almond extract, and salt. Beat until combined.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating after each addition until smooth and fluffy.
- Crumble or cut the cooled cake into small pieces.
- Layer cake pieces and frosting into mini jars or cups until filled.
- Finish with extra sprinkles on top and serve.
- Whipping the egg whites properly helps create a lighter, fluffier cake texture. Don’t rush this step.
- Avoid overmixing once the dry ingredients are added or the cake can become dense and rubbery.
- Avocado oil gives the best flavor and texture, but canola or vegetable oil also work well.
- Light mayo adds richness and moisture, while light sour cream gives a lighter, more neutral flavor.
- Make sure the butter, milk, and sour cream are all room temperature before making the frosting.
- If some frosting ingredients are cold while others are warm, the frosting may separate.
- No cake flour? Substitute all-purpose flour plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch.
- Cake jars can be made a day ahead and refrigerated until serving.
- 🥚 Protein from Egg Whites
- 🍯 Naturally Sweetened with Honey
- 🎂 Portion-Control Friendly Servings
- ⚡ Energy-Providing Carbohydrates
- ✨ Great Celebration Dessert
| Nutrient | Amount | % Daily Value |
| Calories | ~420 | 21% |
| Carbohydrates | ~58g | 19% |
| Sugar | ~38g | — |
| Protein | ~4g | 8% |
| Fat | ~20g | 26% |
| Sodium | ~170mg | 7% |
