Here you’ll find a full recipe and cake decorating video tutorial for a DIY homemade wedding cake. This simply decorated and elegant vanilla wedding cake has 2 tiers and comes with full assembly instructions. With the help of this carefully detailed post, this wedding cake recipe is perfectly manageable for any home baker.
By the request of many readers, let me present you with a homemade 2 tier wedding cake recipe. Adapted from my trusted vanilla cake and 6 inch cake recipes, this from-scratch wedding dessert is not only beautiful—it tastes remarkable, too.
(Isn’t that what counts?)
Fully equipped with complete details and recipe instructions to make this one-of-a-kind dessert, you will wow the happy couple and wedding guests alike. This post has it all.
This DIY Homemade Wedding Cake Is:
- Completely from-scratch
- Manageable for any home baker
- Simple, yet elegant—rustic chic meets traditional
- Complete with a full list of helpful kitchen tools
- Perfect for a small wedding (approximately 30-35 people)
- Wonderful for a larger wedding if other dessert options are available
How to Make a DIY Homemade Wedding Cake
This is a 2 tier wedding cake. Both tiers are buttery, soft, and moist. In lieu of traditional fondant, this homemade wedding cake recipe uses my vanilla buttercream, but in a higher quantity. To avoid (1) overwhelming your mixer with excess cake batter and (2) over-mixing or under-mixing the batter, make each cake separately.
- Make each batch of frosting separately too.
Unless you have extra oven(s) or oven space, prepare the cake batters and bake the layer cakes one at a time. Cool the cakes completely before assembling and decorating, which I cover in a separate section below.
Same Ingredients for Both Tiers
Both cakes use the same exact ingredients and each has a special job, so I do not recommend substitutions. Use sugar, cake flour, egg(s), extra egg whites, sour cream, whole milk, and proper room temperature butter. (Among a few other ingredients.) If needed, use this cake flour substitute. Here are recipes that use leftover egg yolks.
- 2-3 batches of lemon curd, which uses egg yolks, would be fantastic as a filling between these cake layers.
The bottom cake is my vanilla cake recipe, but I swap buttermilk for whole milk and sour cream. I do this so you don’t need any varying ingredients for both tiers. (Because the top tier uses whole milk and sour cream.) Sure, you could use buttermilk to replace both the whole milk and sour cream in the 6 inch cake, but whole milk and sour cream are more readily available to most than buttermilk.
Other Flavor Options
This is vanilla flavored, which is a classic choice to please a variety of wedding guests. You can have fun with frostings, fillings, and flavorings. Here are 5 other cake flavor options:
- Carrot Cake: Use my carrot cake recipe for the bottom tier and make a half batch of the batter for the top tier. Use the same 6 inch cake baking instructions described below.
- Red Velvet Cake: Use my red velvet cake recipe for the bottom tier. You can divide between 3 9-inch cake pans as instructed in the recipe notes. Use my red velvet cupcakes batter for the 6 inch cake. Use the same 6 inch cake baking instructions described below.
- Lemon Cake: Use my lemon cake recipe for the bottom tier. Use my lemon cupcakes batter for the 6 inch cake. Use the same 6 inch cake baking instructions described below.
- Marble Cake: Use my zebra cake for the bottom tier. Use my smaller zebra cake recipe (see this 1st birthday cake) for the 6 inch cake on top.
- Chocolate Chip: After adding the milk in both batters, fold 1 and 1/2 cups (270g) mini chocolate chips into the 9-inch vanilla cake batter and 1 cup (180g) of mini chocolate chips into the 6-inch vanilla cake batter. Regular size chocolate chips would be fine, but mini chocolate chips mean more in each bite.
*These are the only flavors I’ve tested with tiers. At this time, I don’t have a sturdy enough chocolate version to use as the bottom tier.
Want to mix and match flavors? Stick with the vanilla cake on the bottom (or other flavors listed above) and use any cupcake recipes listed in my 6 inch cakes post for the top tier. As explained in that post, cupcake batter yielding between 12-15 cupcakes makes the perfect 3 layer 6 inch cake.
Filling ideas: The filling in my cake is vanilla buttercream, but feel free to use other frosting flavors if desired. You can add extracts to the frosting such as almond, lemon, orange, or coconut. (Start with 1 teaspoon, taste, then add more to taste.) You can even mix a few Tablespoons of raspberry jam into the vanilla buttercream for the filling or use raspberry cake filling.
The 6-inch cake batter (left above) is light and creamy. The 9-inch cake batter (right above) is thicker because the bottom tier is a bit denser (for extra support).
Prepare the Wedding Cake Pans
Always line your round pans with parchment paper rounds before adding the batter. Begin by lightly spraying the bottoms and sides of each with nonstick spray or greasing with butter. Add a parchment paper round, then grease the round as well. Parchment paper rounds aren’t something special you need to buy. Simply trace the bottom of your cake pan on regular parchment paper and cut into rounds. Parchment paper rounds guarantee the cooled cakes will seamlessly release from the pans.
See my 10 Cake Baking Tips post for all my advice on baking the BEST cakes.
Other Cake Pan Sizes
This recipe uses one 9-inch 3 layer cake and one 6-inch 3 layer cake. The 9-inch cake is 8-9 cups of batter and the 6-inch cake is 4 cups of batter. If you need to substitute other size cake pans, see my Cake Pan Sizes & Conversions post to determine the appropriate amount of batter you need for your desired cake pans.
Wedding Cake Video Tutorial (Decorating)
Give the video a few seconds to load right below this text. It’s a faded horizontal image of the cake. Click on the play button in the center to play it. Make sure any ad blockers are temporarily paused on your browser.
How to Assemble & Decorate a Homemade Wedding Cake
Assembling
You are literally making 2 completely separate cakes and placing one on top of the other. For guaranteed support and stability, place 4 cake dowels in the bottom tier. Cake dowels are sticks that will support the top tier. You’ll have to measure and cut the dowels so they are flush with the surface of the bottom cake. Place the small tier on top. A 6-inch cake board, which I describe next, is crucial between the tiers for added support.
*As shown in the video tutorial, crumb coat and decorate both cakes separately before layering the tiers. Decorating instructions are next.
Decorating
Decorate both tiers on cake boards. You can remove the cake board from the bottom tier, if desired, before placing the cake onto a serving platter or cake stand. (This can be tricky!) However, I usually just leave it. A piped frosting border around the bottom of the cake hides it. Do not remove the cake board from the bottom of the top tier. The cake board sits between both tiers for added support and stability and ensures that when you cut into the top tier, the whole cake doesn’t sink down.
A wedding cake is literally the dessert of a lifetime, so it shouldn’t only taste great—it should look stunning, too. To reduce the possibility of flaws or mistakes, stick with simple decorating. A crumb coat on both tiers is necessary to protect the outer layer of frosting from catching any crumbs.
- What is a crumb coat? It’s basically a very thin layer of frosting around the cake before the beautiful exterior frosting is applied. You can see me crumb coating the cakes (as shown in the video tutorial, photos, and described in the recipe below), refrigerate the cakes to help “set” the crumb coat.
As you can see in the video tutorial above, it’s helpful to use a bench scraper to apply the crumb coat and exterior frosting layer. In fact, I use a bench scraper for decorating all layer cakes. I also like to use an icing spatula for the top of the cakes. (I use a small icing spatula for the small cake and a large icing spatula for the large cake.)
After crumb coating the cakes, they must be refrigerated to help “set” the crumb coat. This is another reason why cake boards are necessary—to help transfer/transport the cakes around.
The textured look of the exterior frosting is very easy. (A big shoutout to my assistant, Stephanie, for suggesting this look!) As shown in my video, use a small icing spatula and run it around the cakes while spinning with the cake turner. You will love this look because it’s very easy, but resembles beautiful ruffles.
Piping
After placing the small tier on top, you can pipe frosting around the bottom of it. This covers up any spaces or smears that may have appeared when arranging the top tier. I pipe dots of frosting with a round piping tip between the tiers as well as around the bottom of the whole cake. They resemble pretty pearls. To smooth any peaks on these “pearls,” moisten your fingertip with water and gently press down on the peak.
More Decorating Inspiration
- Naked Cake style with flowers and berries
- Buttercream Flowers
- Two-Toned Frosting Roses
We’ll use my vanilla buttercream recipe (an increased amount, of course) for the decoration. Make two separate batches of frosting, 1 batch for each tier. There’s too much frosting for 1 batch—it will overwhelm your mixer.
You need at least 8-9 cups of frosting total which includes the filling, crumb coat, exterior ruffled frosting, and piping. If you desire other flavors of frosting, be sure to find a recipe that yields or adjust to yield 8-9 cups.
How to Keep Air Bubbles Out of Your Buttercream
Over-whipping vanilla buttercream creates air bubbles. The taste is no different, but the buttercream is no longer smooth and velvety.
Here’s how to get rid of air bubbles in your frosting: Ditch the mixer. Grab a wooden or metal spoon and begin stirring the buttercream by hand. Mash the frosting up against the side of the bowl to “pop” the bubbles. Do this until most of the air bubbles pop, about 1-2 minutes. This trick requires a lot of arm muscle!
Recommended Special Tools
(Affiliate links)
- Mixer (Handheld or Stand Mixer)
- Egg Separator
- 3 9×2 inch Round Cake Pans
- 3 6×2 inch Round Cake Pans
- Cake Boards (I use 1 6 inch and 1 10 inch. A 9 inch board works for the bottom cake, too. Or purchase this set which also includes cake dowels.)
- Cake Dowels (You need 4. You can use plastic cake dowels too. Plastic dowels are easier to cut.)
- Large Icing Spatula (for large cake)
- Small Icing Spatula (for small cake and for ruffled edge)
- Bench Scraper
- Cake Turner
- Piping Bag (disposable or reusable)
- Round Piping Tip
- Artificial Flower Decor (I used “Cozy Blush” color. Love these!)
- Large Serving Platter or Cake Stand (Pictured is a wooden cake stand I found at Target last year. You can see some of my other favorite cake stands in my list of Gift Ideas for Bakers.)
Simple Homemade Wedding Cake Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 hours (includes baking, cooling, decorating)
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 6 hours
- Yield: 30-35 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This is a recipe for a completely homemade 2 tier wedding cake. For best taste and texture, and to avoid overwhelming your mixer, make each tier (cake) and each batch of frosting separately.
Ingredients
9-Inch Bottom Tier
- 3 and 2/3 cups (433g) cake flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 and 1/2 cups (340g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs + 2 additional egg whites, at room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract (yes, Tbsp!)
- 3/4 cup (180g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk, at room temperature
6-Inch Top Tier
- 1 and 3/4 cups (207g) cake flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 additional egg white, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk, at room temperature
Frosting for 9 inch cake & piping
- 2 cups (452g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 8 cups (960g) confectioners’ sugar
- 6 Tablespoons (90ml) whole milk or heavy cream
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Frosting for 6 inch cake
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 – 5 cups (480-600g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream or whole milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Before beginning this recipe, watch the video tutorial above, read the entire blog post, read the recipe instructions, and review the recipe notes. Make sure you’re prepared with the recommended special tools, which are listed right above this recipe and in the recipe Notes section.
- Make each cake separately. Start with the bottom tier (9-inch cake). Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease three 9×2 inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. (If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes video & post.)
- Whisk the cake flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together. Set aside. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Beat in the 3 eggs, 2 egg whites, and vanilla extract on high speed until combined, about 2 minutes. (Mixture will look curdled as a result of the egg liquid and solid butter combining.) Beat in the sour cream. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients until just incorporated. With the mixer still running on low, slowly pour in the milk until combined. Do not over-mix. Whisk it all by hand a few times to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick. You’ll have 8-9 cups of cake batter. Pour batter evenly into cake pans. Weigh them to ensure accuracy, if desired. Bake for around 23-26 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done. Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire cooling rack. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.
- Keep the oven on.
- For the top tier (6-inch cake) prepare three 6×2 inch round cake pans just as you did with the 9-inch cake pans in step 2. (Greasing with parchment paper rounds.)
- Prepare the 6-inch cake batter the same exact way as the bottom tier. You’ll have about 4 cups of cake batter. The batter will be thinner than the bottom tier’s cake batter. Pour batter evenly into cake pans. Weigh them to ensure accuracy, if desired. Bake for around 18-22 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done. Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.
- Using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops of all the cakes to create a flat surface. This is called leveling off the cakes. Discard the leveled off piece (or crumble over ice cream!).
- Make the frosting for the 9-inch cake (which is enough for the piping detail, too): In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and salt with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. Add more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin, more milk if frosting is too thick, or an extra pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet.
- You can prepare the rest of the frosting now (step 11), if desired, or begin decorating the 9-inch tier. Place your 9-10 inch cake board on your cake turner. Place 1 cake layer on your cake board. Using a large icing spatula, evenly cover the top with a scant 1 and 1/2 cups of frosting. Top with 2nd cake layer and evenly cover the top with a scant 1 and 1/2 cups of frosting. Top with the third cake layer. Using about 1-1 and 1/4 cups of frosting, spread it all over the top and sides in a thin layer, also called a crumb coat. A large icing spatula and bench scraper are helpful for applying the crumb coat. Set leftover frosting aside at room temperature. If you are decorating this cake in stages over 1-2 days, cover and refrigerate this leftover frosting.
- Using the cake board to pick up the cake (be careful, it’s heavy), place the cake in the refrigerator to help set the crumb coat as you work on the top tier.
- Make the frosting for the 6-inch cake, just as you prepared the 1st batch of frosting. (Step 8.) Before adding any salt, taste the frosting, then add a pinch if desired. I always add a small pinch.
- Place your 6-inch cake board on your cake turner. Place 1 6-inch cake layer on your cake board. Using a small icing spatula, evenly cover the top with a scant 3/4 cup of frosting. Top with 2nd cake layer and evenly cover the top with a scant 3/4 cup of frosting. Top with the third cake layer. Using about 3/4 cup of frosting, spread it all over the top and sides in a thin layer, also called a crumb coat. A small icing spatula and bench scraper are helpful for applying the crumb coat. Set leftover frosting aside at room temperature. If you are decorating this cake in stages over 1-2 days, cover and refrigerate this leftover frosting.
- Using the cake board to pick up the 6-inch cake, carefully place the cake in the refrigerator to help set the crumb coat as you work on the exterior frosting on the top tier.
- Remove the bottom tier from the refrigerator (along with the cake board) and place on the cake turner. Apply the remaining frosting for the bottom tier on the cake, reserving about 6-8 Tablespoons for piping detail. I recommend a large icing spatula and bench scraper to apply the outer layer of frosting. For the decorative textured frosting as pictured, see my video above. As shown in the video, use a small icing spatula and run it around the cake while spinning with the cake turner. You will love this look because it’s very easy, but resembles beautiful ruffles. Carefully lift the cake (with the cake board) and place on your serving platter or cake stand.
- Wash and dry 4 cake dowels. Measure the height of the bottom cake. Measure and cut the cake dowels to match. Staying within a 6 inch circle diameter (you can use another 6 inch cake board to “imprint” a 6-inch circle in the very center of the top of the 9-inch cake), insert the dowels into the cake, spacing them about 2 inches apart to form 4 corners of a square. Push the dowels straight down until each touches the bottom cake board. Set aside.
- Remove the top tier from the refrigerator (along with the cake board) and place on the cake turner. Decorate just as you did the bottom tier, including the ruffled textured frosting. I also turn the cake on the cake turner and apply this ruffled look on top of the 6-inch cake, too. This is optional. Along with the cake board, carefully lift the small cake and gently place it in the very center of the bottom tier.
- Piping: After placing the small tier on top, you can pipe leftover frosting around the bottom of it. This covers up any spaces or smears that may have appeared when arranging the top tier. I pipe dots of frosting with Wilton piping tip #12 between the tiers as well as around the bottom of the whole cake. They resemble pretty pearls. To smooth down pointy peaks on these “pearls,” moisten your fingertip with water and gently press down on the peak.
- Add any decorative pieces, such as artificial flowers.
- Cake is best enjoyed within 3 days. Refrigerate cake until ready to serve. After a few hours, the frosting will “set” and you can lightly cover with plastic wrap.
- Cover any leftover cake tightly and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Assembled cake is best enjoyed within 3 days. Refrigerate assembled cake until ready to serve. After a few hours, the frosting will “set” and you can lightly cover with plastic wrap until ready to display and serve. You can make the cake ahead of time before assembling it, too. The cake layers can be baked, cooled, and covered tightly at room temperature overnight. Likewise, the frosting can be prepared then covered and refrigerated overnight. Let the frosting sit at room temperature to slightly soften for 20 minutes before assembling and frosting. (You may need to beat the refrigerated frosting in the mixer for 1-2 minutes if it’s particularly solid. Feel free to add a Tablespoon of milk or heavy cream to soften it up as it mixes, too.) Crumb-coated cakes can be frozen up to 2-3 months. Cover with 2 layers of plastic wrap and 1 layer of aluminum foil. Freeze. When ready, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Unfrosted cake layers can also be frozen up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before decorating/serving. See how to freeze cakes for detailed instructions on freezing cake layers.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9-inch Round Cake Pans | 6-inch Round Cake Pans | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Egg Separator | Kitchen Scale (optional) | Cooling Rack | Cake Boards (1 6 inch and 1 10 inch, or this set which also includes cake dowels) | Wooden Cake Dowels or Plastic Cake Dowels | Cake Turner | Large Icing Spatula | Small Icing Spatula | Bench Scraper | Piping Bag (Disposable or Reusable) | Wilton #12 Round Piping Tip | Artificial Flower Decor
- Cake Flour: If you can’t get your hands on cake flour, use this cake flour substitute.
- More flavors, fillings, sizes, decoration ideas, and special tools: See blog post above.
- Why is everything at room temperature? All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batters mix together easily and evenly. Read here for more information about the importance of room temperature ingredients.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I am making this for my best friend’s elopement party! Around 15-20 attendees. Would you recommend a smaller recipe? Or cutting down one layer on each tier? I love the look of the cake but don’t want us drowning in cake. What do you think?
Hi Caroline, It’s really up to you! You can make all three layers of each cake and freeze one of each for later if you want to make each tier only two layers. Any leftovers can be frozen also.
Wonderful, thank you! I’m also thinking of adding elderflower syrup to the frosting and putting the lemon curd in as a filling. Do you think the frosting will be altered at all by adding some elderflower flavor?
Hi Sally,
Is it too crazy if I made my own wedding cake? (Lol) … your recipe looks delicious. Would it be best to make the cake the day before the wedding?
Hi Lili, many bakers have used this recipe to make their own wedding cakes! See recipe Notes section for our recommended make ahead instructions. Let us know if you do give it a try!
This is definitely on my to-bake list! If I only have 1 of each size pan, would it be ok to use those, and just increase the baking time? (I’m hoping I should then be able to slice them into 3 layers). Would this work for this method? Thank you!
Hi Dianne! There is too much batter to make it all in just one pan; as a best practice, we fill our baking pans no more than half way to make sure they have enough room to rise and bake properly without risking overflow. Instead, you can bake the cake in batches, leaving the remaining batter covered at room temperature while waiting for the current layer to bake and cool. Hope this helps!
This looks beautiful and tasty and I’d like to try this for an upcoming wedding. Just one question -is there enough icing to double fill the layers if I want a slightly taller cake (I am thinking of encasing a fruit compote within the fill)? I also want to pipe 2 or 3 icing flowers around the top and bottom and was just wondering if I need to double the icing quantity? Thank you!
Hi Diane, you could try making 1.5 times the icing, but to be extra safe, feel free to go ahead and double it. Hope it turns out great!
I am making a wedding cake for my brother next weekend. I love all your recipes and thought I would try this. They want lemon, so I am doing as the post says and using the lemon cake and cupcake recipes. My questions are; they want 3 tiers 10, 8 and 6 inches. How would I increase the recipe for the 10” cakes. Also would I use the cupcake for the 8 and 6”?
Hi Sierra, we would use the lemon cupcake recipe for the 6-inch layer and the lemon cake recipe for the 8-inch layer. You can use this cake pan sizes and conversions guide to scale up the lemon cake batter for your 10-inch pans. Hope this helps and that the cake is a hit!
Hello! Do you have a pumpkin cake recipe that would work well for the base?
Hi Julia, we’d worry that a pumpkin cake would be too soft to work for as a base, but you could try making it the top layer.
My cake is full of wholes. I’ve made this recipe before with great results but for whatever reason it isn’t working now. The cake taste great but when I level the cake they are wholes all over. I used cake flour and room temperature ingredients, sifted my dry ingredients and mixed by hand after adding the dry ingredients. Any idea what could be causing the wholes in my cakes?
Hi Carrie, Some small bubbles in cakes are normal, but if you have larger bubbles or holes in your cakes it could be from any number of reasons. Some common causes of air bubbles are over-mixing the batter, using too much leavener, or or not evenly mixing in the baking soda and baking powder.
I made this for my son’s wedding. It was so moist and tender! I added your chocolate mousse for a filling and it was perfection! Thank you for making the two separate ingredient list for each layer. It made the whole
Process so simple! (Is there a way to attach a photo?)
Hi. I’ve made this recipe many times and it turns out great. I have a request for a coconut cake. How do you think I could best adapt this recipe to include coconut. Just extract? Or could I use coconut milk in place of the milk? Add cream of coconut? Thanks.
Hi Carol! Here’s our coconut cake recipe you can reference – we don’t recommend that cake as the bottom tier of this wedding cake because, assembled, it isn’t quite sturdy enough, but you can use it as a guide for adapting this recipe to be a coconut cake!
So approx 2 and 2/3 to 3 cups per layer. Is that right?
Hi Diane, that is correct, for the bottom tier.
Hello!I was wondering for the eggs, can i use 5 large egg whites? I want the cake to be a little more white instead of yellowish.
Hi Yanely, we don’t recommend it, as the crumb for this particular cake needs the structure provided by the egg yolks. The cake layers are still incredibly soft and quite white in color. We hope you enjoy it!
me again! How many cups of batter does this 9″ cake recipe make please?
Hi Diane, This 9-inch cake recipe yields 8-9 cups of batter.
Hi there, how tall is the assembled cake? I need to order the correct size box for transportation. Thanks
Hi Diane! We haven’t measured its height before. When we make it again, we’ll be sure to add it in the recipe notes. Sorry we can’t help more!
I want to use the recipe for a wedding cake I’m making in August, but it needs to be gluten free. Would the gluten free flour be a 1:1 substitution for regular flour?
Hi Cortni, We don’t have much experience with gluten free baking, but please let us know what you try!
Tried making this tonight with my husband for fun and maybe I just am not a fan of plain wedding cake. I’m not sure but the flavor wasn’t sweet enough for me. Honestly it tasted about as sweet as southern cornbread comes out and that’s about it. The frosting was amazing. And the thing is I’m not a total amateur when it comes to cakes. I’ve made several delicious cake recipes that have come out nearly perfect! I saved the extra frosting I had to put on a different cake. The frosting saved it for me but I wouldn’t make the cake itself again.
Can I make 7” cakes instead of 6” cakes?
Or will 7” cakes be too heavy as the top tier?
Will 7” cakes even look good?
Hi Diane, you will find this post on Cake Pan Sizes and Conversions helpful to scale the recipe to a different size.
I thought this cake and system were great– I’m making it for a wedding in a couple of weeks!! My only issue is that personally it’s a tad sweet. Do you think I can reduce the sugar more than 10% without compromising the texture?
Thank you!!
Hi Maureen! Thanks so much; I’m thrilled you’re making this cake for a wedding! Reducing the sugar by more than 10% can affect the texture and structure since sugar helps keep the cake tender and moist. If you want it less sweet, try cutting back by JUST 10%. I’m uncertain exactly how the cake layers will taste. They may be a bit drier and denser. Let me know how it goes.
Hello, I have been asked to make this cake for a co worker. I’ve made cakes before using the whole egg / egg white process but the results are sometimes gummy and the cake a little flat.
Can you give me any tips to ensure my results are not gummy and flat please?! I’m nervous – this is my first wedding cake.
I appreciate all of your feed back.
Hi Diane! That’s so exciting! Your first wedding cake! I totally understand the nerves. A gummy or flat texture is usually from over-mixing or too much moisture. The extra egg whites help produce a lighter, fluffier cake. A few quick tips: Use room temperature ingredients, don’t over-mix once the dry ingredients go in, double-check flour measurement (spoon & level or use a scale), and make sure your leaveners are fresh.
You’ve got this! Let me know how it goes!
THANKS!
This is great Sally, is this wedding cake recipe strong enough for fondant?
Yes, absolutely!
Hi! Is your Red Velvet recipe for 2tier wedding cake dense enough for fondant ? The happy couple are insisting on it!
Hi Lori, yes, you can cover our red velvet cake with fondant. Hope it’s a hit!
Made your wonderful cake for a wedding this weekend with 100 people. I added a third layer and everybody loved it! Wish I could send you a photo to show you how your tutorial paid off. Thanks for all your great recipes!
I need 45 to 50 servings would this recipe still work or does it need adjusted?
Hi Shaye, this recipe yields 30-35 generous servings, but you can certainly cut smaller pieces if you wish.
Hey Sally! Can’t tell you how many of your recipes I have made. Thank you for all that you do!
I was planning on making a 2-tiered cake for my son’s 1st birthday. Would there be any issue with adding sprinkles to this recipe to make it a funfetti cake? Or should I use your Confetti Layer Cake recipe instead?
Hi Betsy, You can definitely add sprinkles. We would add 1/2 cup to the top tier and 1 cup to the bottom tier. Hope it’s a hit!
If you were to make a 3 layer 8 inch, is it the same amount of batter for the 9 inch cake?
Hi Shaye, the bottom tier cake can be baked in three 8 inch pans, yes. The bake time will be a little longer. We hope it’s a hit for your son’s birthday!
Hi Sally,
Would you happen to know how tall will this cake be so I can order a cake box for packaging because I want to make this cake for a birthday party. Thank you so much!
Hi Liz! We haven’t measured its height before. When we make it again, we’ll be sure to add it in the recipe notes. Sorry we can’t help more!
Hi Sally and thanks for a great recipe. My daughter -in-law to be, would like me to make this same cake as a red velvet cake with cream cheese icing. I read your instructions on how to do this. I’m stuck on how much cream cheese frosting I would need for the filling and icing for the whole cake. Help!!
Hi Rosemarie, You need at least 8-9 cups of frosting total which includes the filling, crumb coat, exterior ruffled frosting, and piping. See recipe instructions for details on how much frosting to use between each layer. For reference, our cream cheese frosting makes about 3 cups of frosting per batch. Hope it’s a hit!
How could I make this as a strawberry tiered cake ?
Hi Tonya, you could use our strawberry cake for a bottom tier and then these strawberry cupcakes for a top tier (using the batter for a 6-inch cake). Hope it’s a hit!
I need my bottom layer to be 14 inches. How can I adjust the recipe to fit (3) 14 inch cakes?
Hi Tyra! Here is everything you need to know about converting recipes to different Cake Pan Sizes.
This cake is delicious. down here at sea level the cake rises perfectly. Do I need to alter the recipe for high altitude?
So glad you loved this cake, Denise! I wish we could help, but have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
Hi!
I really want to make this recipe, but only have one pan of each size and can’t afford to get anymore right now.
Is there a way I can do it by making each tier 2 cakes instead of 3? And baking them one at a time?
Thank you so much! I’ve learned loads from your work already!
Hi Eloise, there is too much batter as written for only 2 layers per tier. Your best bet would be to bake in batches; so bake one layer at a time, leaving the remaining batter covered at room temperature. Once the current layer has baked and cooled, remove the cake and bake the next layer. Hope this helps!
Is there a way to scale the lemon cake recipe for three 9 inch cake pans? I want to still do the two tier. Thanks for your help.
Hi Jill, our lemon layer cake can be baked in three 9 inch pans (the layers will be a little thinner in 9 inch pans).