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.
How can I make the bottom layer into a confetti cake?
Hi Patricia! You can use this Confetti Layer Cake as the bottom tier.
Would you recommend using the above recipe for confetti cake for the smaller top layer or the recipe for the cupcakes? Thanks much!
You could either add 1/2 cup sprinkles to the top-tier recipe above or use our Confetti Sprinkle Cupcakes recipe – they’re very similar. Either will work perfectly!
Can I use red velvet for the bottom layers? Would I have to increase your red velvet recipe by 1/3 to have sufficient batter? The bride requested red velvet and I am going to use the recipe here for the top tier.
Hi Elaine, absolutely. Use our red velvet cake recipe for the bottom tier. You can divide between 3 9-inch cake pans as instructed in the recipe notes. Happy baking!
I’m going to try your recipe for a small ceremony of 6 people. So thinking 2-3 layers of 9 inch but would like it moist. Should I use 6in recipe or 9 in. Prefer moist over dense.
Made this cake for my son’s small wedding celebration and everyone enjoyed it! I used seedless raspberry jam mixed with some of the buttercream frosting between the layers! Appreciated all your detailed instructions and look forward to making this again sometime!
Hi Sally,
I am going to use your recipe to make my first wedding cake for a friend. I am going with a 10″ bottom tier and a 6″ top tier. Would the recipe for the 3 layer 9″ bottom tier be enough to use for a two layer 10″?
Thank you!
Hi Dorothy, You can use the post on Cake Pan Sizes and Conversions to help you figure out exactly how much batter you would need for alternate pan sizes.
I made my very first wedding cake this past June using this recipe. It was a HIT! The best tasting wedding cake I have ever eaten and EVERYONE loved it! I have since checked SBA when looking for great recipes before looking elsewhere. SBA is the best!
Thank you! I was only making the 6 inch cake as a test run a couple of times for my daughter’s wedding next spring. So I didn’t read the instructions for the 9 inch and did not see the temperature. Thank you for pointing it out.
I have another question. I have made the 6 inch cakes twice now and my batter is thick more like spackle then pancake batter. And so the baked cake comes out dense. And I’m not sure why. I have triple check the recipe I don’t see that I’ve missed anything or got the amounts wrong. Any advice?
Thank you!
Hi Brenda, If your batter is too thick I wonder if you have too much flour. Be sure you are measuring properly – you want to spoon and level the flour instead of scooping it.
I have made the recipe for the 6 inch cake twice now and both times my batteries thick it is not thin and I’m wondering what is wrong. I’ve gone through the recipe and done it exactly as it says in the amounts are all correct. Both times it’s dense and heavy. I noted that the 9 inch cake has three sticks of butter but the 6 inch cake only has one stick of butter, could this be the difference? Thank you
Hi Brenda, that’s correct– the 6 inch cake calls for just 1 stick (1/2 cup) of butter. I wonder how the batter could be thick with the ingredients and mixing methods listed. Does it look like the 6 inch cake batter pictured above? Are you sure to add the additional egg white? Here’s a post I wrote about preventing dense cakes if you want to review it. I added a lot of helpful information for troubleshooting.
Thank you for your reply! Yes I added the extra egg white. I was very careful to follow the recipe exactly. And I have made it twice. And it is thick, not like a cake batter as in your picture of the two different batters for the 9 inch and the 6 inch. I’m not sure why it would be thicker.
Hi there, I am researching making a wedding cake for a friend and I have had much success with your recipes so this is my go to start. I need to serve about 70 people, small slices would be fine, but I will need larger tiers to accomplish this. I was thinking about a 12 inch base and going up three tiers. What logistical issues are there with more tiers? Alternatively I may just make cupcakes in addition to the cake and serve them on a tiered display. thanks in advance for your help.
Hi Virginia, shouldn’t be any issue if you increase the volume of batter and use cake dowels & boards for support. I’m unsure of the exact amount of batter you will need, but 1.5x each batter will give you plenty to work with.
Hi Sally, I love all your recipes so much ♥️. It’s my daughter’s birthday tomorrow and I would like to make this cake , but I don’t have sour cream , so can I replace milk+ sour cream with butter milk with the same measure? 180g+180g ?
Thanks in advance 🙂
Can this cake sit out on the counter overnight before being served the following day? I’d like to bake this tomorrow (Saturday) for someone’s birthday on Sunday. It’s too big to fit in my fridge. Thank you!
Hi Joey, After decorating anything with buttercream or cream cheese frosting, it’s fine for 1 day at room temperature. After that, I would definitely refrigerate it. But, use your best judgment and whatever you are comfortable with- We’ve never had any problems leaving frosted desserts at room temperature for a day
Hi! I was wondering, can I use swiss meringue buttercream as frosting for this tiered cake but with a semi naked design? Is it stable enough? Also, is creamcheese frosting stable for a tiered semi naked cake?
Hi Faye, Either Swiss meringue or cream cheese frosting would work to cover the outside of this cake this as a semi naked cake. Enjoy!
Hi Sally,
I am happy to report the cake came out amazing! My husband and I made this for our wedding day. For each tier, we used Raspberry filling (made from scratch) and lemon curd (Sally’s recipe) Alternatively between the layers. We put in a thin layer of frosting as Sally advised and then the filling. We 3/4th of the buttercream frosting from the Recipe and needed a little less than that amount.
We were very nervous about the assembly and frosting, as we have never done it before, but it came out beautiful (if not perfect). We decorated with autumn themed flowers that were the same as my bridal bouquet.
Although we didn’t have guests for the wedding day itself, we managed to share it with some family three days after we made it, and it was still yummy.
We can’t thank you enough, Sally!
If I want to use a different icing recipe – how much should i look for it to yield for both cakes?
Hi Hope, I’d say at least 8 cups of frosting.
Good day Sally, can I use put a chocolate cake for the top layer ?
Hi Monique, You can make the top tier chocolate by following the recipe for Super Moist Chocolate Cupcakes and the baking instructions for 6 Inch Cakes.
Hey Sally,
I’m planning to make this cake for my wedding so I did a practice run, and it looked beautiful! The flavor was great but the cakes turned out a little dry, do you have any tips to prevent that? The only thing I can think of that could cause it is I refrigerated the layers overnight before I assembled the cake.
Hi Erica, If you just need to keep the layers overnight they will be fine at room temperature for a day if you think the refrigerator is what dried them out. You can take a look at the post How to Prevent a Dry or Dense Cake for more tips.
I’m wanting to do a 12” bottom would you make a 9” and 6” recipe to do that?
Hi Danielle, For different size pans you can use the post Cake Pan Sizes & Conversions to calculate how much batter you would need. Happy baking!
Hi Sally, I would like to make this. Could I use a strawberry cake for the top? If so, should I half your strawberry cake recipe and how long should I bake?
Hi Emily, For the top tier, follow the recipe for these strawberry cupcakes. The batter fits perfectly into three 6 inch pans. Follow the baking directions in the post 6 Inch Cakes. Enjoy!
This cake was amazing! I made this for my grandparents 50th anniversary and it was so good! I was a little nervous about making a two tiered cake (this was my first time), but your instructions made it so easy! Thanks so much!
Hi Sally,
I am so glad to have found this recipe. We are having a simple court house ceremony with no guests, yet want to commemorate the day with some tradition. Since we both love to bake, we thought making our wedding cake would be an amazing way to make our day special.
We still have hardly anyone to share the cake with, so were wondering how we could proportionately reduce the recipe so that the total servings come down to max 15.
We were thinking of using a 7 inch pan for the bottom tier and a 4 inch pan for the top tier, and halving the recipe (this would need us to halve eggs, and we thought we could measure it out). Do you think this would work?
Also any harm if we were to use springform pans instead of round pans?
Hi Nabeela, How special to make your cake together! For alternate size cake pans you can use this post on Cake Pan Sizes & Conversions to help calculate how much batter you will need. If you need to use half of an egg, simply crack it into a separate bowl, mix it, and then measure out half of it to use. Happy baking!
Hi sally, so excited to make this cake! I am looking for a less sweet frosting. Would you recommend using your Swiss Meringue Buttercream frosting? Would it be stable enough for the decoration? Any other frosting that is less sweet you would recommend? Thanks!
The bride I’m baking a wedding cake for wants marble flavor and I’ll need 3 layers. Will your zebra cake work for this wedding cake and adding an 11 or 12 underneath work?
A clarification to my question, I want to add a 11” or 12” cake layer under the 9” to feed 150 guests.
Hi Anne, yes the zebra cake has a crumb that’s strong enough to support a top tier, no matter what size cake you make.
Hi Sally! What would you recommend for the timeline? Should this be baked the day before? Could it be started 2 days before? Thank you!
Hey Sally,
I am a BIG fan! Can I use this recipe for cupcakes? That’s what we’re having at our wedding. Do you have a diff recipe that would work better?
Thanx so much!@
Hi Pam! You can use these cake batters for cupcakes, yes! I’m unsure how many this amount of batter would yield though. They are similar to my vanilla cupcakes. Feel free to browse my cupcake recipes section for more ideas.
Hi Sally, I am making my niece’s wedding cake, tiered with 8″, 6″ and 4* layers. I read that you don’t have a chocolate cake tested the bottom layer so I will make that white . I have a couple of questions.
1. Would I use this white cake recipe or your other favorite vanilla cake recipe
2. If the cake will be in an air conditioned home for display, will the buttercream frosting be OK or should I use something with the shortening? Really want to use straight buttercream…
3, Chocolate ganache filling…….if I use this does the cake need to be refrigerated? I know I can refrigerate after I get the cake frosted but once I have the cake tiers assembled it will be sitting out. Will this be OK?
4 For the chocolate 6″ and 4″ tiers, can I use the chocolate cake that has the coffee/boiling water recipe? (Can’t remember the name of the recipe) Will this be OK for the tiers or can you suggest a really fabulous chocolate cake recipe that would work?
So appreciate your time and answers.
So appreciate your time!
Hi Pamela, The bottom cake here is the same as The Best Vanilla Cake recipe, but we swapped buttermilk for whole milk and sour cream. This is simply so you don’t need any varying ingredients for both tiers – but since you are making a different flavor top then you can use either method.
After decorating anything with buttercream, it’s fine for 1 day at room temperature. We’ve never had any problems leaving frosted desserts at room temperature for a day. The ganache filling will be ok for one day at room temperature also.
This is the chocolate cake recipe I think you are referring to. I suggest following the sour cream version found in the recipe notes so that it’s a little more sturdy.
Hi Sally my cake layers are pretty thin and I followed your recipe..What could have happened?
Hi Sally I am making this cake for a friend’s wedding but they want a chocolate filling instead would a whipped ganache be stable enough?thank you
Hi Karissa, Yes! A whipped ganache would be wonderful between the layers if you don’t want to use a sweeter chocolate buttercream.
Hi- I’m wondering how to make this into a chocolate cake ?
Hi Becky, The flavors listed above are the only flavors we’ve tested with tiers. At this time, we don’t have a sturdy enough chocolate version to use as the bottom tier. You can however make the top tier chocolate by following the recipe for Super Moist Chocolate Cupcakes and the baking instructions for 6 Inch Cakes.
Hi sally,
I am just wondering if your Burnt Butter Caramel Cake would work as the bottom tier for this? Would it be sturdy enough?
Also, is it okay to add jam/compote between layers of the vanilla cake or will it leak/soak into the cake if left overnight?
Many thanks!!
Hi Lindsay, Yes the burnt caramel cake would work as the bottom tier. To layer jam or compote between the layers of the cake, first put down a thin layer of frosting, then the fruit filling. The small amount of frosting will stop the fruit from soaking into the cake. Enjoy!
Thank you so much for such a quick response!
Should I just times the burnt sugar cake recipe by 1.5 to be able to fill 3x 9inch cake tins?
Absolutely amazing.the cake turned out superb.,and moist.i used raspberry compote and pastry cream filling and buttercream frosting for lower tier using the vanilla cake.top tier i used the chocolate cupcake recipe that’s mentioned along with dulcedeleche filling and vanilla buttercream to frost both the cakes.everyone loved it
Hi Sally!
I am planning to make this cake, is it possible to make the bottom tier 2 layers instead of 3 and the same with the top tier? And i was thinking of making it a snicker-doodle cake as well using your recipe, do you recommend using 1/2 batch of the cinnamon swirl for the top tier?
Hi Azalea, to convert these recipes into 2 layer cakes, you’ll have to reduce the ingredients by 1/3. For best success, I recommend following the recipe as written. The snickerdoodle cake (as written) would be excellent on the bottom. A half batch of the cinnamon swirl would be plenty for the 6 inch top tier.
I made this beauty this past weekend. I selected the lemon cake for both tiers. I also used raspberry jam (boiled and put through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds) between each layer. We surprised our friends that were married the day before via WebEx. This was my first wedding cake and two tier cake. It was a lot of fun to make. I had lots of leftover buttercream, so another lemon cake with raspberry, but only the six inch version, and gave to our neighbors. It was amazing and will make it again. Thank you!