Funfetti Cake Bars With Chocolate Glaze

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 45 mins

Total: 60 mins

Servings: 12 servings

If you’ve found yourself in the baking aisle of a western supermarket, chances are you’ve noticed the word «funfetti» on lots of products. But what exactly is it? Very simply, a dessert that has rainbow colored sprinkles mixed into the batter as opposed to just being used as a decoration on the top is considered «funfetti.» While baking, the sprinkles slowly dissolve and create brightly colored, confetti-like, spots inside the batter.

Rainbow sprinkles are made of sugar, waxy shortenings and brightly colored dyes. And they've been enormously popular ever since the late 80's when a funfetti cake mix was introduced. It was the first time that the sprinkles were used to color the batter and kids loved it. Now you can find them in all manner of baked goods and now even as part of pop culture design.

Just as with that cake mix, rainbow sprinkles previously used only as decoration on cakes, cookies, and cupcakes after they're baked are used to color the batter in the case of funfetti bars.

Most recipes for the bars call for a box of yellow cake mix, the addition of the rainbow sprinkles in the batter, something gooey like sweetened condensed milk, and a good dose of chocolate chips, most often white. The result is a crispy exterior and soft moist center and they are off the charts sweet.

This version, however, is made from scratch with no box mix. The recipe is still super simple, but the flavor has a better homemade taste. The white chocolate chips in the dough are omitted in favor of a semi-sweet chocolate glaze over the top of the bars. Make no mistake, though. These might be a little bit more adult-friendly but they're still powerfully sweet.

Cut them into 9 or 12 bars and watch them quickly disappear.

Ingredients

• 16 tablespoons (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

• 1 cup rainbow sprinkles

• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Steps to Make It

1. Gather the ingredients.

   

2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Cream together butter and granulated sugar using a stand or hand mixer.

   

3. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

   

4. In a separate bowl, sift together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.

   

5. Stir dry ingredients into wet until fully incorporated.

   

6. Stir in 3/4 of the rainbow sprinkles.

   

7. Butter and flour an 8-inch square baking pan or line with parchment paper.

   

8. Pour batter into pan, sprinkle with remaining sprinkles, and bake in oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

   

9. Cool and cut into 9 or 12 slices.

   

10. While bars are cooling, add chocolate chips to a small, microwavable bowl and melt for 30 to 60 seconds.

    

11. Drizzle melted chocolate over baked bars.