Today I’m bringing you a recipe that is one of my favorites to make for birthdays or gatherings. It’s the perfect celebration cake, but honestly, the flavor is so good that people will be asking for the recipe! This three-layer vanilla cake is soft, moist, and perfectly complemented by a smooth buttercream. While it may seem complicated, this recipe is foolproof! Follow the steps below and check out the recipe tips to ensure your cake turns out perfectly every time.
Recipe Tips
Room Temperature Ingredients: Always bake with room temperature ingredients! This is not something you want to rush—otherwise, the ingredients won’t incorporate evenly, which can lead to a dense cake or uneven texture.
Vanilla Matters: Since this cake is all about that rich vanilla flavor, using a high-quality vanilla extract makes a huge difference. Look for a pure vanilla extract with a deep, natural flavor for the best results. I’ve tired a ton of different brands but one of my favorite is Adam’s Best. You can usually find it in your local grocery store baking aisle!
Even Layers: Before stacking, trim the tops of your cakes to ensure they are even. This helps create a stable, level cake that won’t lean or fall apart as you assemble it.
Chill Your Cakes for Easier Decorating: For easier trimming and layering, freeze the cakes for about 30 minutes before assembling. Once stacked, apply a thin coat of buttercream (a crumb coat) and freeze again for about 20 minutes to set the layers before the final frosting.
How to Store & Freeze Cake Layers
If you want to make this cake ahead of time or just prep the layers in advance, freezing is a great option!
- Cool Completely: Make sure the cake layers are fully cooled before wrapping.
- Wrap in Plastic Wrap: Tightly wrap each cake layer in plastic wrap to keep them fresh and prevent freezer burn. For extra protection, wrap in a second layer of aluminum foil or place in a freezer-safe bag.
- Freeze: Store the wrapped cake layers in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Thaw Before Assembling: When ready to assemble, remove the cake layers from the freezer and let them thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes before unwrapping and frosting.
Fully assembled cakes can also be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Just keep them covered in an airtight container to prevent the cake from drying out.
Tools I Recommend for This Cake
If you’re looking for the right tools to make this cake easier to prepare, here are some of my favorites:
- Cake Pans – These 9-inch cake pans bake evenly and release the cake easily.
- Piping Tips – I love this set of piping tips for decorating cakes. They’re larger so perfect for borders.
- Offset Spatula – This offset spatula makes spreading buttercream super smooth.
- Cake Turntable – A cake turntable is a game changer for easy frosting. I just recently got one and it makes a huge difference!
Three-layer cakes may seem daunting, but they aren’t any more difficult than a two-layer cake! If you don’t have three cake pans, you can bake this in two, but be sure to increase the baking time to 30-35 minutes.
Now, grab your ingredients and get ready to bake the ultimate vanilla cake that’s sure to be a hit at any celebration!
Layered Vanilla Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 ½ cups salted butter room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 4 eggs room temperature
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk room temperature
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp corn starch
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
For the frosting:
- 1 ½ cups salted butter room temperature
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup heavy cream room temperature
- ½ tsp kosher salt
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350° and grease 3 9 inch cake pans. In the bowl of a stand mixer beat together the butter, sugar and vanilla extract for 3-5 minutes on medium high speed. Scrape down the sides with a spatula and add eggs and buttermilk, mixing to incorporate. With the mixer on low add the flour, corn starch, salt, baking powder and baking soda and mix until just incorporated.
- Evenly distribute the batter between the 3 prepared pans. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the middles bounce back or a knife inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the pans before flipping onto a cookie rack to cool completely. Once cool and before frosting, chill the cakes in the freezer for 30 minutes.
For the frosting:
- Beat the butter, powdered sugar and vanilla on medium high speed for 3 minutes. Add in the heavy cream and salt and mix for 1 additional minute.
For assembly:
- Trim the dome of the cakes off and add about 1 cup of frosting between each layer. Add a thin base coat of frosting and return to the freezer for 20 minutes. Add about 1 cup of frosting to a piping bag fitted with a piping tip.
- Remove the cake from the freezer and spread on the rest of the buttercream, evenly smoothing the sides and top. Pipe on a border, slice and serve!
The cake batter was thick. Is that normal for this recipe? The cake was denser than expected.
Yes!
I have a request for Layered vanilla cake. Do you have a recipe like that in your recipe box or is there a way I can modify what you have?
Thank you