Pink Funfetti Animal Cookie Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Start by creaming 10 tbsp of softened butter together with 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar.
Then add in 4 egg whites along with 1 tbsp of vanilla bean paste and mix for two minutes until it is paler and color and slightly fluffy.
In a small bowl sift together 2 1/4 cups of cake flour, 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder, 1/4 tsp of baking soda and 1/2 tsp of salt.
Alternate adding 1 cup of buttermilk and the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar/egg mixture. Mix until everything is incorporated.
Lastly mix in 1/4 cup of pink jimmies, the long skinny sprinkles. Any other kind of sprinkle will completely melt away in the cake when baked.
Evenly divide the cake batter between 3 6" cake pans. Bake the cakes for 30-34 minutes, or until a cake tester/toothpick comes out clean from the centers. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to completely cool.

In a large bowl add 2 1/2 cups (5 sticks) of softened, unsalted butter and beat on medium speed with an electric mixer until the butter is smooth and pale in color.
Then add in 3 3/4 cups of powdered sugar a little at a time until it is all combined.
Next add in 1/4 tsp of salt and 2 tsp of vanilla bean paste. The frosting should be thick but easily spreadable.

Pulse 1 1/2 cups of iced animal cookies in a food processor until super finely ground.
Transfer the cookie crumbs to a bowl and add in 1 cup of the frosting. Mix until completely combined.

Microwave 1/3 cup of heavy cream for about 45 seconds, just until the cream is about to boil.
Place 1 cup of chopped white chocolate in a medium sized bowl.
Pour the hot cream over the white chocolate and let it sit for 5 minutes.
Stir the chocolate until it is completely mixed into the cream.
Then add a few drops of pink gel food coloring into the ganache until the desired color is reached. Let the ganache cool slightly before using.

Once the cakes are completely cooled assemble the cake. You can simply fill each layer with the animal cookie filling, ice the outside with the vanilla bean buttercream and then pour the white chocolate ganache over the top. However, if you are looking to make a really beautiful cake, follow the extra steps in the above blog post.