layer cakes

Give my classic vanilla cake an exotic nutty flavor with this naked brown butter cake. Light and fluffy, this is lightly frosted with a whipped cream buttercream between layers. Perfect for serving as a dessert and even for a special celebration.

Brown Butter Cake

All-purpose flour

oz Brown butter ((see above))

Brown sugar

Eggs (large)

tsp Vanilla extract

Whipping cream ((or milk))

tsp Baking powder

Salt

tsp Nutmeg (fresh grated)

tsp Ground cinnamon ((optional))

oz Unsalted Butter ((1 stick) room temperature)

Sugar

tsp Vanilla extact

Whipping cream

Simple syrup

Preheat the oven to 170 C/ 340 F.

Grease and line 3 x 6-inch round cake pans or 2 x 7-inch round cake pans.

Dry ingredients - In a bowl combine flour with baking powder, nutmeg, and salt - set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the brown butter and sugars until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time. Followed by the vanilla extract.

Next, add the flour mixture along with the whipping cream. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure you have a smooth mixture.

Divide batter equally between the prepared baking pans.Tip - I like to use cake strips to ensure my layer cakes bake flat.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes clean.

Cool in the baking pan for 5 minutes. Invert and cool on a wire rack completely before you decorate.

Prepare cake

In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment cream the butter until smooth.

Add salt and vanilla – mix a minute longer, until well combined

Then, add the powdered sugar one cup at a time

Once all the powdered sugar has been incorporated. Gradually add the whipping cream while the mixer is still running.

Continue to mix on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes more until you have a light and fluffy buttercream.

The cream in the mixture will whip and give you almost stiff peaks.Tip- If the buttercream is too soft, you haven&#039;t whipped enough. However, If the butter is melting chill the bowl for 10 minutes then whip again. (this can happen in warmer temperatures)

Whipped Cream Buttercream Frosting

Prepare simple syrup - cool completely before using.Tip- Simple syrup is just sugar water that has been boiled and cooled. Used to keep cake layers moist.

Using a bread knife or cake leveler cut the domes off the cake layers

Brush each layer with the cooled simple syrup

Place a cake layer on the cake board or cake stand

Top with a big dollop of buttercream - spread evenly using a straight-edge spatula.

Then top the second cake layer on top followed by more buttercream and the last layer.

Place the cake in the fridge to chill for 10 to 15 minutes.Tip - Chilling the cake at this point will ensure the layers don&#039;t move when you frost the outside. Though, if you leave the cake uncovered in the fridge for too long it can dry out. So, 10 minutes is all you need.

Smear the remaining buttercream around and top of the cake.Tip - A straight-edge spatula fo the top, an off-set spatula and bench scraper for the sides work better.

For a naked cake-effect scrape off as much buttercream from the outside of the cake with a bench scraper.

Place any remaining frosting in a piping bag with a star tip and pipe a border or swirls on top of the cake.

Enjoy!

Assemble

A fudgy chocolate brownie cake filled with edible cookie dough filling and frosted with a chocolate fudge buttercream

Chocolate Brownie Cake with Cookie Dough Filling with Fudge Frosting

cocoa powder (1 ¼ cup)

flour (2 ¾ cups)

360 ml boiling water (1 ½ cup)

vegetable oil (1 cup)

eggs

tsp vanilla extract

sugar (2 ½ cups)

½ tsp baking powder

tsp kosher salt

tsp baking soda

buttermilk (1 ½ cups)

butter, room temperature (1 ½ cups)

light brown sugar (1 cup + 1 tbsp)

sugar (1 cup + 1 tbsp)

½ tsp salt

flour, heat treated (2 ¼ cups)

chocolate chips (1 ½ cups)

tbsp milk (or heavy cream)

nutmeg

powdered sugar (2 ⅕ cups)

butter, room temperature (1 ½ sticks)

heavy cream

cocoa powder (¼ cup)

melted chocolate (3 ounces)

Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C. Grease 3 8-inch cake pans with butter, then line the bottoms with parchment paper.

Combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment. Set aside. In a large jug, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla.

While the mixer is on low speed, slowly pour in the wet ingredients. While mixer is till running, slowly add the boiling water and mix. Your batter will be very thin.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans (about 22 ounces/600 grams per pan). Bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.

Allow the cakes to cool completely 

Make Cake

In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, add butter and sugars, beat until fluffy and pale, about 2-3 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix again.

Reduce the speed and slowly add in the flour, nutmeg and salt. Mix until just combined. Add in the milk/heavy cream a tablespoon at a time until you have your desired consistency. Fold in your chocolate chips.

Divide the dough in two and shape into 8 inch circles. Wrap in clingfilm and keep in the fridge until ready to use.

Make Cookie Dough

In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder and salt together. Start on low and then increase the speed to stop the dry ingredients from flying out. Beat until fluffy, it will start off looking sandy but will come together. Pour in the melted chocolate, heavy cream and vanilla and beat for another minute.

If the frosting isn&#039;t as spreadable as you would like, add more heavy cream a tablespoon at a time.

Make Fudge Frosting

This London Fog Cake is an easy vanilla layer cake with a rich Earl Grey buttercream frosting that's perfectly simple for an imperfect baker. The Earl Grey buttercream, combined with the vanilla cake flavors, mimics the flavors of your favorite London Fog latte.

London Fog Cake

White Cake Mix (I recommend Betty Crocker Super Moist White Cake Mix)

eggs (per box directions –

unsalted butter – softened

sugar

Earl Grey tea

pure vanilla extract

salt

Tbsp. brewed Earl Grey tea – cooled

Culinary Lavender, orange zest – OPTIONAL

Preheat oven to the temperature recommended on box cake mix directions.

Grease and flour two 8&#8243; round cake pans. Then, trace around each pan onto parchment paper and cut out so that the circle pieces fit snuggly into the bottom of each pan. I find that this ensures your cake will easily transfer with no sticking.

Mix cake mix according to package directions and bake according to the directions for two 8&#8243; round cake pans.

While the cakes are baking, mix the Earl Grey buttercream icing.

Add the softened butter and heavy cream to a large mixing bowl. Start creaming on medium-low speed and slowly add in the powdered sugar. Then add in the vanilla, salt, and loose Earl Grey tea. Then add in the cooled brewed Earl Grey tea. Mix until fully combined and creamy. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Once the cakes have finished baking, remove from the oven and set the pans onto a cooling rack. Let cool for 5 minutes. Then, carefully place another cooling rack on top of each pan and flip to transfer to the cake to the cooling rack outside of the pan. Let completely cool.

Once the cakes have cooled, you can assemble the cake and ice with the Earl Grey buttercream.

Place a small dab of the buttercream frosting onto the center of your cake stand, then place one of the cake layers onto the cake stand. Add a big dollop of the Earl Grey buttercream on top of that layer and spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cake out to the edge. You can have a slight bit of overhand of frosting, which will help when icing the sides of the cake.

Next, place the second layer of cake onto the frosting and gently press it down just to make sure it sticks. From here, frost a thin layer of frosting all of the cake, top and sides. This will help seal in the crumbs, also known as a crumb coat. Once you have your crumb coat, begin to frost the cake from the top, then down the sides. Be generous with your frosting, continuing to smooth as you go around the cake.

Top with Culinary Lavender and orange zest, if preferred.

This is the famous Hershey&#039;s Perfectly Chocolate Cake recipe on the back of the Hershey&#039;s cocoa powder box, but made better with some easy cake baking tricks I&#039;ve learned over the years! Hershey&#039;s Perfectly Chocolate Cake is the dictionary definition of a good chocolate cake, with its super moist crumb and creamy chocolate frosting.

The Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake Recipe

(14 ounces or 397 grams) granulated sugar

¾ cups (7.85 ounces or 223 grams) all-purpose flour

baking powder

baking soda

(4 ounces or 113 grams) canola oil

eggs,

vanilla extract

(8 ounces or 227 grams) boiling water

confectioners' sugar

(3 ounces or 85 grams) natural unsweetened cocoa powder

(4 ounces or 113 grams) whole milk

Prep your oven and pans. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously spray three 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottom of each with a parchment paper circle. Spray the parchment, too.

Make the cake batter. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Gradually whisk in the dry ingredients until just combined. Slowly pour in the water. The batter will be fairly runny; use a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. Use the rubber spatula to finish mixing until smooth and well combined, 2 to 3 minutes more.

Divide the batter evenly between the pans; if using a digital scale to measure out layers, note that this recipe makes around 48 ounces (1361 grams) of batter—pour 16 ounces (454 grams) of batter into each cake pan.

Bake the cakes. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. When done, the top of the cake should bounce back when gently pressed. A skewer inserted into the center of the cake should come out with a few crumbs attached. Cool completely in the pans on a wire rack before frosting.

Store the cakes. Once the cakes are cool, tightly wrap each cake layer in its own sheet of plastic wrap. Freeze overnight, or up to 3 months.

Day 1: Make the Chocolate Cake

Thaw the cakes. When ready to assemble the cake, remove the cakes from the freezer. Unwrap each cake and discard the plastic wrap. Set aside to thaw slightly while you make the frosting.

Prep the ingredients for the chocolate frosting. Sift together the confectioners&#039; sugar, cocoa powder, and salt into a medium bowl. In a small liquid measuring cup, whisk together the milk and vanilla.

Make the chocolate frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-low until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Reduce the mixer to low and gradually add the dry ingredients, beating until combined. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the milk and vanilla and beat until just combined. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl once more, then beat on medium-high until the frosting is creamy and smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Use immediately.

Assemble the cake. If necessary, level the top of the cakes. Place one of the cake layers on a cake board or serving platter in the center of a rotating cake stand. Use a rubber spatula or cookie dough scoop to drop ½ cup of frosting in the middle of this cake layer. Use an offset spatula to spread it evenly all over the top, just like you would spread butter on toast. Place the second cake on top of this frosting, stacking it evenly on top of the first cake. Use the rubber spatula or cookie dough scoop to drop another ½ cup of frosting in the middle of this cake layer. Spread it evenly all over the top. Finally, place the third cake on top of this frosting, stacking it evenly on top of the first two cakes.

Next, crumb coat the cake. Use the offset spatula to cover the surface of the entire layer cake with a thin layer of frosting. Use just enough frosting to cover the entire cake completely. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes to stiffen and &quot;set&quot; the frosting.

After the crumb coat sets, finish frosting the cake. Use the offset spatula to cover the cake with the remaining frosting. Then, use the spatula to make large, random sweeping motions across the frosting on the top and sides of the cake. The sweeping motions will create swirls.

Serve and store. Serve immediately. The assembled Hershey&#039;s Perfectly Chocolate Cake can be stored at room temperature, under a cake dome or a large bowl turned upside down, for up to 1 day. Press a sheet of plastic wrap against any cut surfaces to prevent the cake from drying out. After that, cover the entire cake loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Day 2: Make the Chocolate Frosting and Assemble The Hershey&#039;s Perfectly Chocolate Cake

A moist pistachio cardamom carrot cake with a cream cheese whipped cream frosting

Pistachio Carrot Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

grated carrots

all-purpose flour

cinnamon

½ tsp ground cardamom

½ tsp ground ginger

pistachios (crushed)

vegetable/canola oil

white sugar

cold cream cheese

Preheat your oven to 350°F/180°C. Grease and line 2 8&quot; cake tins.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, eggs, spices, vanilla, baking soda and salt together. If using a stand mixer, whisk for about 3 minutes, if doing this by hand, then whisk for about 8-10 minutes.

Fold in the flour and mix until smooth, making sure there are no flour pockets. Add in the carrots and pistachios and fold together until combined.

Pour 700g into each cake tin. Bake for 50-55 minutes, a toothpick inserted should come out clean (or with just a few crumbs). Let cool for 15 minutes, then remove from the pans and let cool completely.

Make cake

Chill your mixing bowl for at least 1 hour, or overnight. In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk the heavy cream, salt, sugar and vanilla on medium-low for 2 minutes. The sugar needs to have completely dissolved.

Increase the speed to high and whisk for 2 minutes, until it looks very thick like Greek yoghurt.

While the mixer is running on a low speed, add in the cream cheese a tablespoon at a time. By the end, it should look like cream cheese. Turn off the mixer, and scrape the entire bowl to make sure no cream cheese is left on the side. Turn the speed to high, and whip for 3 minutes until smooth.

Make frosting

In this cake thin butternut slices turn into a soft, sweet and custardy Thanksgiving cake that is a perfect pairing to pumpkin pie. It tastes deeply autumnal, with a layered look that is sure to impress everyone (with barely any work!). You could also do this with fresh pumpkin, if you want it to rival any pumpkin pie on the table.

Butternut Custard Cake

butternut squash

salted butter (48 grams)

lemon

brown sugar (50 grams)

granulated sugar (130 grams)

all-purpose flour (140 grams)

milk (any kind, 120 grams)

Diamond Crystal kosher salt

ginger

sugar (75 grams)

water

Powdered sugar (optional)

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F convection or 375°F standard.

Peel the squash and use a mandolin to slice the pieces as thinly as possible. Add these slices to a large bowl.

Place a small pan over medium heat, add the 3 tablespoons of butter and let the butter brown. Stirring occasionally while the butter foams until brown flakes form at the bottom of the pan, around 3-4 minutes.

Add the brown butter to the squash, then squeeze in the juice from half a lemon. Add in 50 grams of brown sugar, 130 grams of granulated sugar, and mix until the squash is well coated. Set this aside.

In another bowl, whisk together three eggs and 1/20 grams of milk. Add the 140 grams of flour, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

Pour this over the butternut squash . Mix gently to combine.

Line a tart pan with two pieces of parchment paper, making sure the paper comes all the way up the edges.

Scoop the squash out of the bowl, shaking off any excess custard, and layer it into the pan. It doesn't need to be perfect, but you want the squash pieces to be able to bake into nice layers. When all the squash is in the tart, pour any remaining custard batter over the top. You can reserve some squash slices to make a pattern on the top, but I like the rustic look of letting the squash be naturally arranged.

Move the pan to a baking sheet to avoid any spilling. Give the sheet a few taps to let the batter settle.

Bake at 350°F convection for 60-70 minutes, or until the edges are pulling away from the sides and the center is firm.

When the cake is out of the oven, put it on a cooling rack.

Now make the ginger simple syrup. Add 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 75 grams sugar, and 2 teaspoons water to a small pot. Place this over medium heat, stirring until the sugar melts into a syrup. Pour directly over the cake. This will firm up into a sugar crust of sorts.

Dust with powdered sugar if you like, then slice and serve!

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The most viewed layer cakes recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine