White Layer Cake with Buttercream Frosting
User Reviews
4.5
60 reviews
Excellent
-
Prep Time
45 mins
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Cook Time
22 mins
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Additional Time
4 hrs
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Total Time
4 hrs 52 mins
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Servings
16
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Calories
567 kcal
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Course
Dessert
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Cuisine
International
White Layer Cake with Buttercream Frosting
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This white layer cake features a light and tender crumb made with cake flour, milk, and egg whites, enriched by a combination of vanilla and optional almond extracts that add depth of flavor. It is finished with a classic buttercream frosting that complements the cake’s delicate sweetness with smooth, creamy texture. The recipe involves carefully mixing dry and wet ingredients separately before combining, then baking in prepared pans to produce even, soft layers suited for stacking and decorating.
Description
The White Layer Cake with Buttercream Frosting is crafted to yield a moist and fluffy cake using cake flour and whipped egg whites for lightness. Room-temperature milk and butter build richness, while the blend of vanilla and almond extracts provides aromatic complexity. The recipe begins with preparing cake pans thoroughly with spray and parchment to ensure smooth release after baking.
Dry ingredients including cake flour, baking powder, and salt are whisked together separately to ensure even distribution before being combined with the wet mixture of beaten egg whites and extracts. The butter and sugar are creamed until light, then alternated with the flour mixture for an aerated batter. The resulting mix bakes into two evenly risen, tender layers.
The accompanying buttercream frosting is a classic blend of softened butter, sifted confectioners' sugar, salt, vanilla, and almond extracts, whipped with milk to achieve a creamy, spreadable consistency. This frosting can be tinted slightly with violet food coloring to brighten its appearance. Together the cake and frosting form a traditional dessert suitable for celebrations or special occasions.
The optional almond extract adds distinctive flavor but can be substituted with extra vanilla or other extracts like orange or lemon if preferred. Sifting the confectioners’ sugar is recommended to avoid lumps and produce a smooth frosting. Sprinkles may be used for decoration as desired.
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Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup milk room temperature (65°F, whole
- 6 egg room temperature (65°F, large, whites
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract clear is likely "imitation" vanilla extract; real may be used noting it will yellow the cake, clear
- 1 teaspoon almond extract optional but highly recommended
- 2 ¼ cups cake flour all-purpose not recommended
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt fine sea salt
- ¾ cup butter room temp (65°F, unsalted
- 1 ¾ cup granulated sugar
Buttercream rosting:
- 1 ½ cups butter softened, unsalted
- 6 cups confectioners' sugar sifted*
- 1 teaspoon salt fine sea salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract clear
- 1 ½ teaspoons almond extract optional but highly recommended (clear is likely "imitation" vanilla extract; real may be used noting it will yellow the frosting)
- 3 tablespoons milk whole
- Sprinkles optional, for decorating
Instructions
- Prepping Cake Pans - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray two 9-inch round cake pans and with cooking spray. Take a pastry brush and brush the spray all over the pans to make sure they are evenly coated. Place a parchment paper liner in the bottom of the pans, it does not need to go up the sides. Grease the top of the parchment papers by spraying them with cooking spray and then brushing it lighting; set pans aside.
- Cake - To a large bowl, add the milk, egg whites, vanilla extract, optional almond extract*, and whisk until combined; set aside.
- To a separate large bowl, add the cake flour, baking powder, sea salt, and whisk until combined; set aside.
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, add the butter and sugar. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Stop and scrape down the sides.
- Add half of the flour mixture to the mixing bowl and beat momentarily until just incorporated. Stop and scrape down the sides.
- Add half of the milk mixture to the mixing bowl and beat momentarily until just incorporated. Stop and scrape down the sides.
- Add the remaining flour mixture and beat momentarily until just incorporated. Stop and scrape down the sides.
- Add the remaining milk mixture to the mixing bowl and beat momentarily until just incorporated. Stop and scrape down the sides.
- Divide the cake batter between the two cake pans. You can do this by weight or I like to use a large cookie scoop and scoop it evenly into each pan, one scoop by one scoop, to make sure the same amount of batter is in each pan.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until just done. The cakes are ready and done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean, with a few crumbs stuck to the toothpick is ideal. You do not want the cakes to brown too much because dark sides or tops will be evident when you slice into the cake, even after it's frosted the dark edges will be notable.
- Place the pans onto a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes before turning the cakes out and allowing them to completely on the wire rack, at least 2 hours or more.
- Buttercream Frosting - To the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or into a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, add the butter and whip on medium speed until completely smooth.
- Turn the speed down to low and being adding spoonfuls of the powdered sugar to the mixing bowl, one spoonful at a time. You want to make sure the confectioners' sugar gets incorporated fully before adding the next spoonful. The overall process will take some time, but it is worth it to get super fluffy buttercream. Scrape down the sides as needed.
- Add the vanilla and almond extracts and beat momentarily on medium-low speed until combined.
- Add the milk and beat momentarily on medium-low speed until combined.
- Turn up the speed to medium-high and whip the frosting for 3 minutes. It will become super light and fluffy.
- Cake Assembly - If there is any doming on the tops of the baked cakes, carefully cut any away so it is flat.
- Take a cake stand, plate, or cake board and place a tablespoon dollop of buttercream in the center. This helps keep the cake from moving around.
- Place one of the cakes, bottom side down onto the buttercream, centering the cake on your serving platter.
- Place 1 cup of buttercream on top of the cake and smooth it out to the edge.
- Invert the other cake and place it top-side down onto the buttercream. C
- Crumb coat - Place about 1 cup of the buttercream into a separate dish. This ensures you don’t get any crumbs in your big batch of buttercream.
- Carefully smooth out a layer of buttercream all over the cake. It doesn’t have to be thick but we want to make sure to coat the cake completely. I like to press in some of the buttercream into the sides where the two cakes meet where there can sometimes be a gap.
- Place the cake into the fridge for at least 2 hours so the crumb coat can set. I like to do this step overnight so I am not overwhelmed by the frosting and decorating process.
- After at least two hours and your crumb coat has set, frost the outside of the cake. I like a rustic look so it appears homey, and ultimately is less stressful since I don't feel pressure to create perfectly as-smooth-as-glass frosting, but you can decorate your cake however you wish.
- Optionally, add sprinkles as desired.
- Serving/Storing - I recommend allowing the cake to come to room temp before serving it because it seems to taste a bit moister. An assembled two-layer cake will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 1 week, although I find it tastes best in the first few days but take note, you can bake/assemble/frost this easily 24-36 hours before an event and store it at room temp since buttercream frosting is safe at room temp for up to 3 days because of the high sugar content.
- Baked, but unfrosted, cakes will keep airtight in the freezer for up to 3 months, and buttercream frosting will also keep for about 3 months in the freezer, so you may consider baking the cakes themselves, cooling them, freezing them, making the frosting, and then freezing everything separately. And then frosting/decorating the cakes if you need to be able to serve dozens and dozens of people all at once and can't possibly bake enough cakes all at once to serve everyone (such as an engagement party or even a wedding); and in situations like this the freezer therefore is a good plan-ahead option so you can prebake off some of the cakes and premake some frosting.
- Recipe is inspired from Cook's Country however the assembly process of the cake is my own as well as the buttercream frosting recipe and technique.
Notes
- Almond extract enriches both cake and frosting but can be replaced with extra vanilla or citrus extracts for a different flavor.
- Sift the confectioners' sugar before mixing the frosting to ensure smooth, lump-free texture.
- A small amount of violet gel food coloring can brighten the buttercream without altering flavor.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Serving
1
Calories
567kcal
(28%)
Carbohydrates
80g
(27%)
Protein
4g
(8%)
Fat
27g
(42%)
Saturated Fat
16g
(80%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
9g
(53%)
Cholesterol
70mg
(23%)
Sodium
323mg
(13%)
Sugar
64g
(128%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 16Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 567 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 | |
| Calories | 567kcal | 28% |
| Carbohydrates | 80g | 27% |
| Protein | 4g | 8% |
| Fat | 27g | 42% |
| Saturated Fat | 16g | 80% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 9g | 53% |
| Cholesterol | 70mg | 23% |
| Sodium | 323mg | 13% |
| Sugar | 64g | 128% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.5
60 reviews
Excellent
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