Confetti Cake Cheesecake

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A full birthday-party build: a crustless vanilla cheesecake round baked in a water bath, frozen solid, then stacked between two tender confetti cake layers and coated in silky vanilla buttercream. It's a three-day project by design — the make-ahead timeline means each element cools and firms properly, so assembly day is calm and the slices come out sharp.

Ingredients

• 24 oz full-fat cream cheese, room temperature (three 8-oz blocks)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup rainbow jimmies sprinkles

• 2 3/4 cups cake flour (330 g), spooned and leveled
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 12 tbsp unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes
• 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
• 4 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 cup rainbow jimmies sprinkles
• 1 tbsp cake flour, for tossing the sprinkles

• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened (3 sticks)
• 5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/4 cup heavy cream, plus more as needed
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 3/4 cup rainbow jimmies sprinkles, for coating
• Birthday candles

Instructions

1. DAY 1 — CHEESECAKE. Heat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the lower third. Lightly butter a 9-inch springform pan, line the bottom with a parchment round, then wrap the outside of the pan in two tight layers of heavy-duty foil, bringing the foil at least 2 inches up the sides. Set a kettle of water on to boil.
2. In a stand mixer with the paddle (or with a hand mixer), beat the 24 oz cream cheese on medium-low for 2 minutes until completely smooth, scraping the bowl twice. Add the 1 cup sugar, cornstarch, and 1/2 tsp salt and beat 2 minutes more, still on medium-low — you want no lumps and no whipped-in air.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing just 20 seconds after each and scraping down between additions. Mix in the sour cream and 1 tbsp vanilla on low until just combined, about 15 seconds. Remove the bowl and fold in 1/4 cup jimmies by hand with a spatula, 5 or 6 strokes only, so the colors don't smear.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Set the pan in a roasting pan and pour boiling water into the roasting pan to a depth of about 1 inch. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until the outer 2 inches are set and the center 3 inches still wobbles as one soft mass; an instant-read thermometer in the center should read 150°F.
5. Turn the oven off, prop the door open with a wooden spoon, and let the cheesecake cool in the water bath for 45 minutes. Lift it out, dry the foil, and cool on a rack to room temperature, about 1 hour. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and freeze at least 8 hours or overnight — the layer must be frozen solid to stack.
6. DAY 2 — CAKE LAYERS. Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment, and butter the parchment. Toss the 1/2 cup jimmies with 1 tbsp cake flour in a small bowl and set aside.
7. Whisk the 1 cup milk, egg whites, 1 tbsp vanilla, and almond extract together in a measuring cup. In the stand mixer bowl, whisk together 2 3/4 cups cake flour, 1 3/4 cups sugar, baking powder, and 3/4 tsp salt.
8. With the paddle on low, add the softened butter cubes to the dry ingredients a few at a time and mix 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture looks like damp sand with no dry flour visible. Pour in half the milk mixture, raise to medium, and beat 90 seconds until light and thick. Add the remaining milk mixture in two additions, beating 20 seconds after each and scraping the bowl. Fold in the floured sprinkles by hand.
9. Divide the batter evenly between the pans (about 20 oz each if you have a scale) and smooth the tops. Bake 25 to 28 minutes, until the tops spring back and a toothpick comes out with a crumb or two. Cool in the pans 15 minutes, then turn out onto racks, peel off the parchment, and cool completely, about 1 hour. Wrap each layer in plastic and refrigerate overnight — chilled layers trim and stack far more cleanly.
10. DAY 3 — BUTTERCREAM. Beat the 1 1/2 cups butter on medium-high for 5 minutes until very pale and fluffy. Reduce to low and add the powdered sugar in three additions, then the 1/4 cup heavy cream, 1 tbsp vanilla, and 1/2 tsp salt. Beat on medium-high 3 minutes. If it's stiff, add cream 1 tsp at a time until it's spreadable and glossy.
11. Level the cake layers: set each on a cutting board and shave the domed top flat with a long serrated knife. Trim each layer to about 1 1/4 inches tall so the finished cake isn't top-heavy.
12. Release the frozen cheesecake from the springform, peel off the parchment, and, if its edges are ragged, run a hot dry chef's knife around the perimeter to true it to a clean 9-inch circle. Work fast and return it to the freezer if it starts to soften.
13. Put a dab of buttercream on a cardboard cake round or serving plate and set the first cake layer down. Spread a scant 1/2 cup buttercream over it, then pipe or spoon a 1/2-inch-tall ring of buttercream around the outer edge as a dam. Center the frozen cheesecake round on top and press gently.
14. Spread another scant 1/2 cup buttercream over the cheesecake, add the second cake layer cut-side down, and press down evenly with your palms. Check the sides with a ruler or your eye and nudge the layers into alignment. Chill the stack 20 minutes.
15. Crumb coat: spread a thin, see-through layer of buttercream over the top and sides, filling the gap at the cheesecake seam. Refrigerate 30 minutes until firm to the touch. Then apply the remaining buttercream in a thick, even coat, smoothing the sides with a bench scraper or offset spatula held upright.
16. Press the 3/4 cup jimmies onto the bottom third of the sides with a cupped hand (work over a sheet pan to catch strays) and scatter more over the top edge. Refrigerate the finished cake at least 1 hour, or up to 2 days.
17. Pull the cake from the fridge 45 minutes before serving so the cheesecake softens and the buttercream loses its chill. Slice with a long thin knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between every cut. Add candles at the table.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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