Sprinkle Ombre Funfetti Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Prepare three 6-inch (15-cm) or two 8-inch (20-cm) round cake pans by spraying the sides with baking spray and fitting a parchment paper circle to the bottom of each pan.
 

Place the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and whisk the ingredients to combine them. Set the flour mixture aside.
 

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter at high speed for about 2 minutes, until it is creamy. Add the sugar and mix the ingredients at medium-high speed for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl and paddle at the halfway point. Decrease the mixer’s speed to low and add the eggs and egg whites, one at a time, mixing until they are just combined. Add the almond extract, vanilla and sour cream, increase the mixer’s speed to high and beat the ingredients for 1 minute.
 

Turn the mixer off and add the flour mixture all at once. Start the mixer at low speed. Mix until the ingredients are just combined, and then, with the mixer still running, slowly pour in the milk. Mix the ingredients at low speed for about 30 seconds, until they are just combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and stir the batter with a whisk a few times to make sure there are no lumps. The batter will be slightly thick.
 

Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the flour-coated sprinkles.
 

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake the cake for 32 to 36 minutes. They’re done when they spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs on it. Let the cakes cool in their pans for 5 minutes, then remove them from the pans and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.
 

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium-high speed for about 7 minutes, until it’s creamy and almost white in color.
 

Decrease the mixer’s speed to low and add the powdered sugar 2 cups (240 g) at a time, scraping the bowl and paddle after each addition.
 

Add the vanilla, almond extract, milk and salt and mix the ingredients at low speed for 1 to 2 minutes, until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the frosting is smooth.
 

If you’ll be tinting the buttercream for an ombré finish, wait until step 2 of the assembly instructions to add the food coloring gel.
 

Level the cooled cake layers to your desired height. Fill and stack the cake layers with Vanilla-Almond Buttercream, then crumb coat the cake with Vanilla-Almond Buttercream. Chill the crumb-coated cake in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow the frosting to firm up.
 

Mix the buttercream ombré color palette. Divide the remaining Vanilla-Almond Buttercream between three bowls: Use 2½ cups (538 g) of buttercream for the darkest color, ¾ cup (161 g) of buttercream for the in-between color and 1½ cups (323 g) of buttercream for the lightest color. Mix 4 to 5 drops of AmeriColor Deep Pink into the bowl with 2½ cups (538 g) of buttercream to create the darkest color. Next, add about 2 tablespoons (26 g) of the darkest buttercream to the bowl with ¾ cup (161 g) of buttercream to create the in-between color. Leave the third bowl of buttercream uncolored.
 

Use the buttercream from the previous step to create an ombré finish, then use about ⅓ cup (67 g) of the sprinkles to add a sprinkle border and floating sprinkles to the sides of the cake.
 

Mix all of the remaining buttercream together and use it to create a swirl border around the top of the cake with a Wilton tip 4B. Garnish the swirls with the remaining sprinkles.