This high altitude table runner cake has a long, rectangular shape that’s ideal for serving to birthday party guests. The cake is a soft and fluffy vanilla cake with sprinkles, vanilla buttercream, and a hint of almond extract. (Included in today’s post is a cake decorating video in the recipe card.)
You might also love these high altitude recipes for chocolate hostess sheet cake, Denver chocolate sheet cake, and yellow birthday cake with fudge frosting.
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What are Table Runner Cakes?
Table runner cakes gained popularity in 2024 and 2025, as a non-traditional option at weddings. While a tiered cake is tall and towering, usually sitting on its own designated table in the corner of the room, a table runner cake is long and rectangular, sometimes running down the entire length of a banquet table. It’s as much a centerpiece as it is a dessert.
I created today’s recipe to be manageable for home bakers. It’s enough to serve 20 people, but small enough to fit on a long serving board. You can certainly scale it up, though, for a larger party.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Perfect Party Cake. Whether for a birthday party or other celebration, a table runner cake can be customized however you like.
Simple Serving Options. I made my table runner cake with the same volume of batter used for a standard 8 or 9 inch layer cake, but a round cake can be more challenging to cut into smaller portions. The long, rectangular shape of table runner cakes is perfect for cutting small or large slices, and you can easily get 18-20 generous slices of cake.
Guests Help Themselves. For a more informal gathering, having a cake that runs the length of the dining room table can be a fun way to serve dessert. Rather than cutting slices for everyone, guests can serve themselves, or even just dig in with a fork.
High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
- Funfetti Cake. I started with my recipe for funfetti cake (sprinkle cake). It’s so soft, moist and fluffy, and honestly, a perfect birthday cake.
- Vanilla Buttercream. For the buttercream, my American buttercream is the best for both frosting cakes and using for intricate piping.
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line a 13×18 inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. It’s helpful to snip the paper at the four corners of the pan, so that it fits snugly into the pan, with the paper rising up above the pan’s sides on all sides. The paper must be higher than the pan’s edges, so that the cake can rise up the paper as it bakes and not spill over the edge. Lightly spray the paper with non-stick baking spray.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed for 10 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally, until very light and fluffy. Beat in the egg whites, one at a time, beating each for about 15 seconds before adding the next egg white. Scrape the bowl down and beat for 15 more seconds.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, vanilla and almond extracts.
- With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk mixture, starting and ending with the flour, being careful not to over-mix. Add the sprinkles and use a large spatula to briefly fold the sprinkles in, as well as any remaining bits of flour.
- Pour the batter into the pan, and use a large offset icing spatula to smooth out the top of the batter as evenly as possible.
- Bake the cake on the center rack for about 28-30 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs clinging to it, and the center springs back when lightly touched.
- Set the pan on a wire rack, and let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then set the pan in the refrigerator to cool completely before assembling. It’s helpful if the cake is slightly firm and cold from the fridge for assembling the layers.
Buttercream
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter for one minute until smooth.
- Whisk together the powdered sugar, meringue powder and salt. With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar mixture by spoonfuls, mixing until combined.
- Add the vanilla and almond extracts, then whip on medium speed for 4-5 minutes until very light and fluffy, scraping the bowl occasionally. Add the milk only if needed for desired consistency. Turn the speed down to “stir” and mix for 1 more minute.
- This makes a large batch of buttercream, enough for frosting the cake, with some leftover for the decorative piping shown in the video.
Assembly
- Slide the cooled cake off the baking sheet onto your counter. Measure the width of the cake, and cut the cake into thirds, lengthwise, so that you have three 18-inch long sections of cake. I used a rolling pizza cutter to cut the cake. Now use a sharp knife to go back through the cuts again, this time scoring the paper. Separate the sections of cake, so that each section is sitting on its own strip of paper.
- Carefully, lift one of the sections of cake and invert it onto your serving board, then peel off the paper. Frost the cake with a layer of buttercream.
- Repeat with the 2nd and 3rd layers of cake. If needed, you can use a knife to trim any uneven edges.
- Frost the cake all over with a thin crumb coat of buttercream, and chill for 15 minutes.
- Frost the cake all over with a final coat of buttercream, using a bench scraper to smooth the sides and top, or an icing spatula to create swirls all over.
- Before the buttercream crusts over, scatter the cake with sprinkles.
- To decorate the cake, you can tint the remaining buttercream with gel food coloring and add decorative piping. For the pink border around the top and bottom edges of the cake, I used tip 18. For the green drop flowers, I used tip 1M.
Recipe Variations
- Double Length. To make an even longer table runner cake for 40 people, you can double this recipe and assemble two 18-inch cakes end to end.
- Other Pans. Depending on the length and width you want to achieve in your finished cake, you can play around with other pan sizes. For example, you could divide the batter between two 9×13 inch baking pans, then cut those into various sized sections to assemble your cake.
- Other Cake Flavors. Today’s post is all about how to cut and assemble a table runner cake, but theoretically, you could use any cake flavor you like. Note that I haven’t tested any of my other cake recipes in a rimmed baking sheet, so I’m unable to advise on baking times, or if the volume of batter is correct.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common questions with cake making, so that you can be successful in your own baking! I also suggest reading these comprehensive posts on making Perfect American Buttercream, How to Stack, Fill, Crumb Coat and Frost Layer Cakes and How to Use Piping Bags.
Frequently Asked Questions
I used a beautiful 20-inch long marble board to display my cake. I’d recommend checking your local Home Goods stores for these types of boards – you can usually find various sizes of wood and marble boards for very affordable prices.
If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make sour milk with whole milk and lemon juice. Simply replace one tbsp of the milk with lemon juice.
Leftover buttercream can be frozen in freezer bags for up to 3-6 months, and used for other projects.
Store leftover cake in an airtight container or cake carrier, at room temperature, for up to 3 days.
You Might Also Like
Please check out my Amazon Shop for a curated collection of some of my favorite cake pans from trusted brands, baking tools, ingredients, pretty things and fashion finds. I recommend products that I buy and use every day!
Did you love today’s recipe? Please rate the recipe and let me know in the comments what you thought! Also, be sure to follow Curly Girl Kitchen on Instagram, and tag me when you try one of my recipes so I can see all your delicious creations!
High Altitude Table Runner Birthday Cake
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment
- 13×18 Rimmed Baking Sheet (+ parchment paper)
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 ½ cups (12 oz) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 6 egg whites room temperature (you can use fresh egg whites, or 3/4 cup liquid egg whites from a carton)
- 3 cups cake flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- 3 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 1 ½ cups whole buttermilk, room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp almond extract
- ½ cup rainbow sprinkles, preferably quins or confetti sprinkles
Buttercream
- 3 ½ cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 7 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp meringue powder (optional)
- ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 4 tsp vanilla extract
- 2-4 tbsp milk or cream, only if needed
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line a 13×18 inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. It's helpful to snip the paper at the four corners of the pan, so that it fits snugly into the pan, with the paper rising up above the pan's sides on all sides. The paper must be higher than the pan's edges, so that the cake can rise up the paper as it bakes and not spill over the edge. Lightly spray the paper with non-stick baking spray.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed for 10 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally, until very light and fluffy. Beat in the egg whites, one at a time, beating each for about 15 seconds before adding the next egg white. Scrape the bowl down and beat for 15 more seconds.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, vanilla and almond extracts.
- With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk mixture, starting and ending with the flour, being careful not to over-mix. Add the sprinkles and use a large spatula to briefly fold the sprinkles in, as well as any remaining bits of flour.
- Pour the batter into the pan, and use a large offset icing spatula to smooth out the top of the batter as evenly as possible.
- Bake the cake on the center rack for about 28-30 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs clinging to it, and the center springs back when lightly touched.
- Set the pan on a wire rack, and let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then set the pan in the refrigerator to cool completely before assembling. It's helpful if the cake is slightly firm and cold from the fridge for assembling the layers.
Buttercream
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter for one minute until smooth.
- Whisk together the powdered sugar, meringue powder and salt. With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar mixture by spoonfuls, mixing until combined.
- Add the vanilla and almond extracts, then whip on medium speed for 4-5 minutes until very light and fluffy, scraping the bowl occasionally. Add the milk only if needed for desired consistency. Turn the speed down to "stir" and mix for 1 more minute.
- This makes a large batch of buttercream, enough for frosting the cake, with some leftover for the decorative piping shown in the video.
Assembly
- Slide the cooled cake off the baking sheet onto your counter. Measure the width of the cake, and cut the cake into thirds, lengthwise, so that you have three 18-inch long sections of cake. I used a rolling pizza cutter to cut the cake. Now use a sharp knife to go back through the cuts again, this time scoring the paper. Separate the sections of cake, so that each section is sitting on its own strip of paper.
- Carefully, lift one of the sections of cake and invert it onto your serving board, then peel off the paper. Frost the cake with a layer of buttercream.
- Repeat with the 2nd and 3rd layers of cake. If needed, you can use a knife to trim any uneven edges.
- Frost the cake all over with a thin crumb coat of buttercream, and chill for 15 minutes.
- Frost the cake all over with a final coat of buttercream, using a bench scraper to smooth the sides and top, or an icing spatula to create swirls all over.
- Before the buttercream crusts over, scatter the cake with sprinkles.
- To decorate the cake, you can tint the remaining buttercream with gel food coloring and add decorative piping. For the pink border around the top and bottom edges of the cake, I used tip 18. For the green drop flowers, I used tip 1M.
Video
Notes
- Store leftover cake in an airtight container or cake carrier, at room temperature, for up to 3 days.
- Leftover buttercream can be frozen in freezer bags for up to 3-6 months, and used for other projects.
- If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make sour milk with whole milk and lemon juice. Simply replace one tbsp of the milk with lemon juice.
- I used a beautiful 20-inch long marble board to display my cake. I’d recommend checking your local Home Goods stores for these types of boards – you can usually find various sizes of wood and marble boards for very affordable prices.
- To make an even longer table runner cake for 40 people, you can double this recipe and assemble two 18-inch cakes end to end.
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