How to Bake Sprinkle Cake with Your Kids

For starters, let’s just say that anything with the word “sprinkle” in it practically has to – by definition – be fun. Sprinkle cake is no exception to that rule, and it is especially fun when you bake it with your kids. That’s exactly what I did with my 3-year-old son, and we both had a ball.

The ingredients are fairly basic. Get a box of cake mix, either yellow or white. We used Betty Crocker, but you can use Pillsbury or any other brand of your choosing. You’ll need water, eggs, and vegetable oil as called for on the cake mix box, plus one bottle of store-bought sprinkles. You can certainly go all chocolate or all of a single-colored sprinkle, but my son and I both thought that the multi-colored sprinkles would really make for the most fun. Oh, right – one other key ingredient here is your kids! Just make sure their hands are washed and aprons are on.
 

Following the instructions on the cake mix box, do everything up to where the recipe calls for you to pour the cake batter into a pan. This will typically mean cracking the eggs into a bowl. As long as you have more eggs than the actual cake mix recipe calls for (that’s usually 2), go ahead and let your child have a “crack” at breaking them into the bowl. My little guy, even at 2 ½ was able to tap gently enough so as not to make a big mess or get shell in the bowl, so your kids will probably be fine too. Just do the eggs first so if you do end up with shell in the bowl, you can remove it before any other ingredients are in there.
 

The next steps on the cake mix box are usually to add the mix, egg, water, and oil to the same bowl and mixing. Feel free to do this with your stand mixer, if you have one. A hand mixer or spoon is also fine, but the stand mixer definitely makes quick work of the process. If your child has a little stool to stand on, you can let him turn the mixer on, but only with your supervision. If you’re using a hand mixer, a tiny little hand under yours can help move it around the bowl, and my son thought the vibration tickled. That elicited some giggles and will likely do the same for you.
 

Now is the time for you to open up that bottle of sprinkles. I would not recommend letting your child do the opening, lest you have a sprinkle-filled kitchen and none for your cake. Once you have it open, though, let your child drop, pour, or gently place the sprinkles into the bowl with the cake batter. Have him help you give it a few good stirs with a wooden spoon to blend the sprinkles into the batter. If you use one of the mixers, you will break the sprinkles into smithereens.
 

Go ahead and pour the completed batter into your baking pan or cupcake molds, and bake as directed. When it’s done, you will have a delicious cake that’s decorated and you will have had fun baking with your kiddies! 
 

A final note: This type of cake is great for kids’ parties and such, as there is no frosting to be spread about their faces, your living room, etc.