Description
Learn how to make a semi-naked cake in this super quick and easy tutorial! You can apply this technique to any of your favorite cake recipes- no matter what size. Today, we are decorating a three layer Vanilla Buttermilk Cake with Classic Vanilla Buttercream.
Ingredients
Scale
- ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened ( holds it shape but dents when pressed) This is equivalent of 1 ½ sticks butter.
- 2 cups (400g) sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 3 cups (342g) cake flour (spooned into measuring cup and leveled off) See Notes for substitution
- 2 teaspoons (8g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (3g) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (3g) salt
- 1 ¼ cups (296g) buttermilk See Notes for substitution
- ¼ cup (54g) vegetable oil
- 1 Tablespoon (12g) vanilla extract
Classic Vanilla Buttercream
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, slightly softened but cool to the touch and holding it’s shape
- 6 cups (690g) powdered sugar (adjust amount to your consistency preference)
- 2 tsp. (4g) vanilla extract (use clear imitation vanilla if you like a whiter frosting)
- ⅓ cup (72g) milk or cream, more if needed
- ½ teaspoon (3g) salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, grease and flour three 8×2 inch round pans.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt for 30 seconds. Set aside.
- In another bowl, add the buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your mixer, add the butter and mix at medium speed until smooth. Gradually add the sugar and continue to mix on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes until lightened in color and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time mixing until the yellow of the yolk disappears.
- With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients (3 additions of dry ingredients and 2 of liquid).
- After the last addition, mix just until combined. Be careful not to over-mix.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just few crumbs attached. Let cool 10 minutes and turn out.
For the Vanilla Buttercream
- Cream the (slightly softened) butter until smooth. Blend in the vanilla.Add half of the powdered sugar and most of the milk.
- Beat at medium speed until the powdered sugar is incorporated.Add remaining powdered sugar and milk and mix at medium speed another 3 to 4 minutes scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally.
- I slow down the mixer to very slow. (#2 on the Kitchenaid) for 1 to 2 minutes. This will help eliminate air pockets in the buttercream. The texture will become very smooth.
- Yields approximately 4 ½ cups of frosting. Enough to frost a two layer 8 or 9 inch cake. Can be frozen in air tight container for at least three months . Thaw on countertop. If your buttercream is too thin, add more sugar. If the consistency is too thick, add a bit more milk.
Semi-Naked Cake Design
- Place the first cake layer on the cake base or pedestal. Spread with vanilla buttercream. Repeat for the next cake layer. Top with the third cake layer.
- Fill in any remaining gaps between the layers with frosting. Apply a thin coat of frosting all over the cake. Use a bench scraper to remove desired amount of excess frosting, so that the frosting is thin enough (in some or all areas) to see through to the layers beneath.
- As an optional step, we added a layer of frosting on top of the cake. Smooth the frosting on top, then, while rotating the cake on a turntable, use an offset spatula to create a spiral impression on top. Start in the center and spiral outward with each rotation.
- Decorate however you like! We topped ours with a few small roses before serving. Fruit is a great option as well!
- Store in an airtight container. We like to refrigerate all of our cakes until within a few hours of serving. However, the cake would be fine at room temperature for 1-2 days.
Notes
Substitute for Buttermilk: No Buttermilk? Here is a substitution: To a measuring cup, add 1 Tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice. Add milk to the 1 ¼ mark, stir. Wait 5 minutes and it is ready to use.
Substitution for Cake Flour: Using all purpose flour (plain in UK) to make Cake Flour: For each cup of flour in a recipe, remove 2 Tablespoons of flour and replace with 2 Tablespoons cornstarch (cornflour in the UK). This recipe has 3 cups of flour so you will measure out 3 cups of all purpose flour, remove 6 Tablespoons and replace with 6 Tablespoons cornstarch, whisk to blend
Recipe makes 7 ½ cups batter
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 30
- Category: cake
- Cuisine: american
Nutrition
- Calories: 327
Keywords: Heavy cream, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, fresh Orange blossom water, corn, heavy cream, almond extract,