LAYERED VANILLA CAKE WITH BUTTERCREAM

Make Mother’s Day (or any celebration) special with a Layered Vanilla Cake with Buttercream Icing. Cheat and use a box cake mix and then make your own, super simple but decedent and lush icing. Then decorate with, sprinkles, sparkles, fresh flowers or chocolate – whatever takes your fancy really. I like to keep things fairly simple. So either decorations on the side or the top. Not both.

The decorations I bought on Amazon. Here’s the link. Cake decorating stores will also have them. Or your local supermarket sells a selection of various sprinkles and such.

I started this recipe making a vanilla cake from scratch. Just a simple, dense sponge using a Donna Hay recipe. The cake failed miserably even though I followed it exactly. It’s not the first time one of her cake recipes has ended up in the garbage. For a tall, layered cake, it’s more about the decoration and those layers with the buttercream icing. The cake is merely holding it all together which is why I have no qualms using a box cake. At least I know a box cake works and they’re pretty forgiving.

Celebrate your mum this Sunday. Pamper her a little, be kind to her and tell her you love her. For all those mums out there, Happy Mother’s Day. I hope you have a special day. My mum won’t get to read this but I’m sending her lots of love anyway. I love and miss you mum; you’re always on my mind, Lots of love, Voni xo

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LAYERED VANILLA CAKE WITH BUTTERCREAM ICING

Whether you’re celebrating for Mother’s Day, someone’s birthday, an anniversary or a bridal shower, this is the perfect cake to make. Change the coloring of the icing to suit the occasion. Use a box cake mix as I did or if you feel like reaching higher, then make a simple butter cake from scratch. If you don’t have two, deep, 8-inch pans, then you’ll have to make one then another. I find it better to make the cakes the day before I need to ice them.

Prep Time40 mins

Cook Time2 hrs

cooling4 hrs

Total Time6 hrs 12 mins

Course: Baking

Servings: 12

Author: Lovoni

Equipment

• 2, deep 8-inch round baking pans
• long serrated knife

Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

• 2 x 15.25 oz boxes vanilla or white cake mix, plus ingredients listed on the box to make the cake
• 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• A few drops of pink food coloring
• 8 oz cake decorating sprinkles or other whimsical cake decorations

Instructions

• Preheat the oven according to cake box directions. Grease and line the base and side of two, deep, 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper. Make the cakes according to the directions on the box and using the ingredients specified. Once cooked, let the cakes stand in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a parchment paper-lined wire rack to cool completely.
• Using a long, serrated knife, cut each cake evenly in half horizontally through the middle. Once you've cut both cake in half, you'll have 4 cakes. If the cakes have domed on top slice those off as well.
• Cut strips of parchment paper and place around the edge of a cake stand or serving platter. This is so you don’t get icing all over your serving plate. Place the cake stand on a baking sheet, this is to help catch most of the sprinkles. Place one cake on the cake stand.
• Using an electric mixer fitted with a balloon whisk, whisk together the sugar, butter, cream and vanilla. Beat on low speed until all the ingredients are combined. Then beat on medium for 5 to 7 minutes until the icing is fluffy and pale. Add a few drop of food coloring; beat until well combined and the icing is the desired color.
• Spread some icing over the top of the first cake layer. Add another cake layer and spread with icing. Repeat with cake layers and icing, ensuring you leave plenty of icing for the top and side of the cake.
• Place the sprinkles into a shallow bowl. Place some sprinkles in the palm of your hand and press onto the side of the cake. Continue until the side is covered and decorated how you like. Use a pastry brush to remove the excess sprinkles on the serving plate. Then carefully remove the strips of parchment paper. Brush away any excess sprinkles around the edge of the plate. Cut into 12 wedges to serve.

You mum might also enjoy One Bowl Banana Cake or Orange, Ricotta and Almond Cake – both pretty straightforward.