I Tried 7 Funfetti Boxed Cake Mixes And Ranked Them

When it comes to selecting a cake flavor for an event, there's certainly no shortage of options. Whether you opt for boxed chocolate cake mixes or decide to go with a homemade version of a classic white cake, there are fewer desserts more crowd-pleasing than a good old frosted cake. Of course, if you want the cake to really scream celebration and literally burst with color, then Funfetti cake is really the only way to go.

Funfetti is a colorful cake that became a '90s birthday party staple, and it's really not all that different from classic white or vanilla cakes. This celebration cake tends to have a prominent flavor reminiscent of imitation vanilla, while those hallmark colorful sprinkles — which ideally add even more sweetness — are perhaps its most important aspect.

It's totally possible to make Funfetti cake from-scratch, but there are quite a few reputable boxed Funfetti cake mixes on the market — so, I purchased, baked, and tried seven of them to find the best of the best. To me, a good Funfetti cake is sweeter than your average confection. It really plays up that imitation vanilla flavor, and it has the perfect pop of colorful sprinkles to add flavor and improve the visual and textural appeal. As such, these were the key factors I used to rank each cake mix. Of course, the texture of any cake can be a deal-breaker, so I also paid attention which of these baked to attain a perfect crumb (or at least as close as you can get with box mix), and of course, those that didn't.

As someone who has dabbled somewhat regularly in gluten-free baking, I truly had no clue what to expect from this gluten-free Funfetti box mix (one of two GF options on this list). The batter came together very similarly to just about any boxed cake, requiring the addition of eggs, oil, and water. The batter struck me as very dense, which was worrisome, but it at least had those pretty, vibrant sprinkles, so I kept an open mind.

Upon first bite, I thought that the flavor of this cake mix wasn't half bad, but then the texture hit me over the head. Dense, gummy, and strangely chewy, the texture of my cupcake was simply abysmal, and in fact, I don't think I've ever experienced a cupcake with such a sheer bad texture. The more I chewed, the gummier the bite became, and the flavor moved from something sweet and vanilla-forward to something that just tasted like flour. 

Between the flavor that somehow managed to get worse the more I chewed and a texture that was awful from the get-go, Pillsbury Funfetti Gluten Free Premium Cake & Cupcake Mix made for a pretty obvious last-place choice. Not only would I not repurchase this mix, but I'd straight-up warn people not to buy it or even give it a try themselves.

There's a pretty big leap in quality from the Pillsbury gluten-free Funfetti option to this Great Value Confetti White Cake Mix. While I downright did not like the Pillsbury GF one, I found some redeeming qualities in Walmart's take on Funfetti.

Something unique about this cake mix is that it called for using four egg whites as opposed to whole eggs, likely to keep the cake truly white. As a result, the finished cupcakes had a certain airiness that wasn't terrible — and would perhaps even be preferable to some — but one that I wasn't a huge fan of. I actually think the cake would have benefited from the richness that the yolks might provide; otherwise, there just wasn't a whole lot of flavor going on here at all. Not only did this not really taste like Funfetti, but it didn't even taste all that much like vanilla. Sure, my cupcake was sweet, but I wanted a little more oomph to keep me coming back for more bites.

Due to a slightly too-light texture and flavor, I didn't love Great Value's confetti cake mix, so it's coming in second-to-last place. But, hey, I didn't hate this one either, and if you actually prefer strictly white cake (as opposed to vanilla or yellow), then you might enjoy this one more than I did.

King Arthur has an esteemed reputation (it happens to be Alton Brown's favorite flour company), and it's often a top choice for all things gluten-free baking. So, naturally, I had high hopes for King Arthur's Gluten-Free Confetti Cake Mix, and although this one didn't end up being my favorite on this list, it was at the very least the (much) better option of the two gluten-free mixes.

I baked these cupcakes and the gluten-free Pillsbury ones at the same time, so I sampled them side-by-side as well. And, really, there was no comparison in texture, as these cupcakes were much better than the other gluten-free option. Now, was it still obvious that these were gluten-free cupcakes? Yes, and more specifically, there was a certain floury denseness that I didn't love, hence why these aren't ranking higher. But it's hard for a gluten-free baked good to compare to a non-GF one, and for what it's worth, these weren't bad at all.

I also thought that these cupcakes were pretty good in the flavor department. They were sweet and had that distinct vanilla flavor. Essentially, they delivered that classic Funfetti flavor profile. The confetti sprinkles sort of lost all color after baking though, resulting in sort of grayish sprinkles that didn't look appetizing. So, ultimately, I wouldn't necessarily reach for this box mix again, but if you strictly need a gluten-free Funfetti mix, King Arthur is without a doubt the better option.

Anyone who has baked angel food cake before knows that it's a fickle process — you should avoid greasing the pan when making it, the texture of the batter has to be just right, and you have to cool it upside down (otherwise it'll just collapse on itself). That's why I had to make a modification when baking this box mix. I originally tried making cupcakes to stay consistent, but it was immediately apparent that the cupcakes were going to sink during the cooling process. So, since I have an angel food cake pan (one shaped like a bundt with feet for easy upside-down cooling), I used it to bake the whole cake instead.

I was thoroughly impressed by how well this cake baked. This mix yielded a full-fledged angel food cake, but once I got into the tasting aspect, that's where the flaws became more obvious. Although the cake looked like a bona fide angel food cake, the texture was too dense, and it wasn't like the homemade version. Also, while the cake had that signature angel food cake sweetness, I couldn't figure out where the confetti part came into play, other than the sad attempt at throwing a few sprinkles in there. The flavor was no different than regular angel food cake, and while I know Funfetti is more down to sprinkles than flavor, I still expected some sort of variation to make it stand out.

Because I enjoyed certain elements of this cake, I didn't want to rank it too low. On the other hand, I don't think this mix lived up to its Funfetti flare, so I couldn't rank it too high. Smack-dab in the middle felt like the best spot for this one.

All this time I thought Sur La Table only sold kitchenware, tools, and accessories, but as it turns out, it also sells baking mixes, including Confetti Cake Mix. This one was by far the most expensive on the list (over $12, and that was the sale price!), and the one that called for butter and milk as opposed to vegetable oil and water. I followed these instructions as written, and I have to say, I was surprised by the results.

Based on how dense the batter was, I knew these were going to be some thick cupcakes. And indeed, they were superthick and dense, but I surprisingly enjoyed that texture. The butter really did some work here, contributing to density and adding rich moisture that other mixes (that called for vegetable oil) couldn't compete with. 

I can't deny that I enjoyed the flavor of these confetti cupcakes, but I determined that third place was the best spot for this mix. Ultimately, I think it was the butter that made these cupcakes taste as good as they did, because the mix itself wasn't exactly anything special. Aside from the vibrant sprinkles, the flavor of these cupcakes didn't exactly scream Funfetti. In fact, the flavor wasn't even all that vanilla-forward, either. They tasted good, but in a ranking of Funfetti (or confetti) mixes, there were two options that hit the nail on the head.

Taking the number two spot on this list is a baking aisle staple: Betty Crocker Delights Super Moist Party Rainbow Chip Cake Mix (a mouthful, to say the least). Like many Betty Crocker cake mixes, this one boasts having pudding in the mix — it's stated right on the box — so, at the very least, I was hopeful for cupcakes that would live up to that super moist namesake.

And, considering how high this mix ranks, it's safe to say that it lived up to expectations. The cupcakes baked up well, puffing up nicely without going overboard on the light, airy texture. The cupcakes' crumb was tender and soft, and while I couldn't pinpoint if there actually was pudding in the mix, I'll just have to believe that there was. As far as boxed cake mix is concerned, this is pretty much as good as it gets in terms of ease of preparation and a finished product that rivals homemade baked goods.

I also enjoyed the flavor of these cupcakes, though I wish they leaned a little more heavily into the Funfetti theme, which is why this mix didn't quite make it to first place. The party rainbow chip sprinkles were pretty small and subdued, so they didn't add much sweetness to the mix. The cupcakes were quite tasty, but again, I wanted them to scream Funfetti just a bit more.

In search of the best Funfetti cake mix, sometimes the answer is the obvious one. While I went into this ranking somewhat expecting that the tried-and-true Pillsbury Funfetti mix might rank high, it became quickly apparent that this mix would simply take the top slot for a few key reasons.

First, the texture of these cupcakes was on point. Much like the Betty Crocker mix, Pillsbury has pretty much nailed the art of making a good boxed cake mix, and these cupcakes baked beautifully. They were tender, fluffy, and not at all overly dense or chewy, and to me, that's about all you can hope for from a boxed mix.

These cupcakes also excelled flavor-wise, which truly highlighted why this mix deserves the first place slot. Not only was the mix sprinkled with vibrant sprinkles, but it also had that super-sweet, vanilla-like flavor. It tasted good, but it was also reminiscent of childhood and nostalgia all wrapped up into a cupcake. I understand that not everyone likes that super-sweet flavor, but if it's a true Funfetti cake mix that you're after — from the tender crumb and the sweet flavor profile to the vibrant sprinkles — then you simply can't go wrong with Pillsbury's OG Funfetti mix.

When baking these Funfetti cake mixes, I figured it'd be easiest to make a few cupcakes instead of making whole cakes. Most mixes called for very similar ingredients, preparation, and bake times, so I baked several of them at once. I paired each box with a corresponding cupcake liner pattern or color so as to not get them mixed up, as shown in the image above. The exception was the angel food cake mix, which I initially tried to make in a cupcake form (hence the corresponding liner). I ultimately readjusted and baked it into a traditional angel food cake shape to give it the fairest chance to compete against the others.

To prepare these, I mixed each cake mix according to package instructions. Most called for the addition of water, vegetable oil, and eggs, with the exception of the Sur La Table mix (which called for melted butter, milk, and eggs), the angel food mix (which only called for water), and the Great Value mix (which called for oil, water, and egg whites instead of whole eggs). 

When it came time to finally taste these baked products, I waited for everything to cool before digging in. Flavor, moisture, crumb texture, sprinkles, and Funfetti-leaning flavor (super sweet imitation vanilla profile) were the top criteria in the ranking. I opted not to pair the cupcakes with frosting so the cake could truly speak for itself (and to keep things fair, since the angel food cake likely wouldn't be paired with frosting like the others).