Best 7 Basic Butter Layer Cake Recipes

BUTTER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking pan. Line bottom with parchment or wax paper, or dust lightly with flour.
• Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder.
• Beat butter and white sugar until fluffy and light in color. Gradually add eggs, beating well after each addition; stir in vanilla. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk. Stir until just blended (see Cook's Note for Blueberry Cake variation). Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for until cake springs back when lightly touched, about 30 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto wire rack to cool completely.

GOLDEN BUTTER CAKE LAYERS RECIPE

Steps:

• Place flour in a sifter.
• Add sugar.
• Add baking soda.
• Add baking powder.
• Add salt.
• Sift dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Set aside for now.
• Place eggs in another medium sized mixing bowl.
• Add vanilla extract.
• Add sour cream.
• Add milk.
• Add butter.
• Beat the wet ingredients together.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
• Whisk ingredients just until combined.
• Butter and flour your cake pans.
• Divide batter evenly between the cake pans.
• Bake at 350F degrees for 20-30 minutes or until done.
• Remove from oven and place pans on wire rack. Let rest for 10 minutes.
• Flip layers out of pans and onto wire rack to completely cool.
• Enjoy!

YELLOW LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition., Pour into two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. , Spread frosting between layers and over the top and sides of cake.

BASIC BUTTER LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Set oven to 350 degrees.
• Set oven rack to second-lowest position.
• Lightly butter or use cooking spray on the sides and bottom two 9-inch round cake pans then line with parchment paper, then lightly butter once again.
• On medium-high speed of an electric mixer beat butter and sugar until pale and yellow (about 5 minutes).
• Add in the eggs and egg yolks; beat until thoroughly combined, then beat in vanilla until blended.
• In a small bowl sift together cake flour, baking powder and salt; at low speed add in the flour mixture into the creamed mixture alternating with the milk.
• Divide the batter equally between the two cake pans and spread to level.
• Bake for about 30 minutes or until cakes test done.
• Cool in pans for about 10 minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool completely before frosting.

PEANUT BUTTER LAYER CAKE WITH PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

Steps:

• For the cake: Position an oven rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans, and line the bottom of each with a round piece of parchment. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda together onto a piece of parchment or into a large bowl.
• Beat the butter, brown sugar, peanut butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and creamy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the side of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until the mixture is light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low, and add the flour mixture in 3 additions and the milk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat until just combined.
• Evenly divide the batter among the prepared cake pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pans for a few minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Invert each onto a cooling rack, and remove the parchment. (The cakes can be stored at room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap, for 1 day.)
• For the buttercream: Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a saucepan large enough to hold the heatproof bowl of a stand mixer above the water.
• Whisk together the granulated sugar, egg whites and salt in the stand mixer bowl. Set the bowl above the boiling water, and whisk until the mixture is warm to the touch and the sugar has completely dissolved. Transfer the bowl to the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat at medium-high speed until cool and the whites hold stiff peaks, about 5 minutes. Beat in 3/4 cup of the peanut butter until smooth. Beat in a couple of chunks of butter at a time, making sure the pieces are incorporated before adding more. Continue beating on medium-high speed until the buttercream thickens into stiff peaks. (The mixture at some point may appear to be very liquidy, but continue to beat.) Beat in the vanilla.
• To assemble: Slice each cake in half, for a total of 4 cake rounds. Spread the remaining 1/2 cup peanut butter on 3 of the rounds, dividing evenly. Put 1 round, peanut butter-side up, on a cake stand or serving platter, and spread about 3/4 cup of the buttercream on top, leaving about a 1/2-inch border all around. Repeat with 2 more layers of peanut-buttered cake and buttercream. Place the last cake round (without the peanut butter) on top. Frost the outside of the cake with the remaining buttercream. Refrigerate the cake until it sets up (this makes it possible to cut neat slices), at least 4 hours up to overnight. Sprinkle the top with peanut brittle before serving. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

BASIC WHITE TWO-LAYER CAKE AND WHITE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and make sure that the rack is in the center of your oven. Spray two 8" round cake pans very generously with non-stick cooking spray (I used Baker's Joy ).
• In a large bowl, mix together cake flour, salt, and baking powder; set bowl aside.
• In another large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed for about 2 minutes, or until it's light and fluffy (you can use a standing mixer or an electric hand mixer).
• In a large measuring cup, combine the milk, vanilla, and almond extract.
• Now it's time to add them all together! Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and blend on a low speed for about 30 seconds. Add about 1/2 of the milk mixture and blend again. Add in half of what's left of the flour mixture and blend again. Add in the rest of the milk mixture, blend for a couple of seconds, then the remaining flour mixture and blend at a low speed until the ingredients are barely mixed together (don't over mix!).
• In a separate bowl (or in your stand mixer using the whisk attachment), beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until they reach "firm peak stage" (a.k.a. when the whisk is held sideways, the peaks will hold and the ridges will be distinct - this took about five minutes of whisking for me!). Fold the egg whites into the cake batter.
• Pour the cake batter evenly into the two prepared pans and bake them for 20-26 minutes (mine were done at 25), or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool for about 10 minutes, then carefully remove the cakes and let them finish cooling on wire racks.
• Combine the shortening, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl (you can use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer). Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, alternating with the milk or heavy cream, and mix it together until you have used it all. If the frosting is too thick, add more milk. If the frosting is too thin, add more sugar.
• Place one of your cooled, leveled cake layers on your cake stand . Using an offset spatula, place about 1/2 cup of frosting in the middle of the cake. Using your spatula, push the frosting out to the edges until the frosting is about 1/4"-1/2" thick (if you have a rotating cake stand, this step is really easy, but you can do it without it).
• Place the second layer of cake on top. You will now create the crumb coat (a thin layer of frosting that seals in all the crumbs to make it easy to decorate). Using the offset spatula, spread the frosting that has spilled out from between the layers smoothly over the surface. Add more frosting as needed, just keep the layer thin and smooth.
• Place about 1/2 cup of frosting on the top of the cake, pushing the frosting out to the edges until it's a smooth, flat surface.
• Now place the spatula against the edges of the cake and smooth out the excess frosting pushed over from the top of the cake.
• To help the cake firm up, stick it in the freezer for about 1-2 hours.
• From here, drop 1/2 cup frosting on the center of the cake and push it out to the edges as you did before, making the surface nice and smooth.
• Continue adding frosting to the top and edges of the cake until it's the smoothness and thickness you want. (Amanda says that the best way to get smooth frosting is to practice!)
• From there, continue to add more frosting to the top and sides of the cake until it's completely covered. I topped mine off with sprinkles, but you could get fancy and add some frosting decorations

SIMPLE LAYER CAKE WITH VANILLA FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment; butter parchment as well. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat together butter and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium speed until combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Add eggs and beat well, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture, beating until combined. Add milk and vanilla and beat until just combined.
• Divide batter between pans; smooth tops with an offset spatula. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, 33 to 35 minutes. Let cakes cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Turn out cakes onto racks to cool completely.
• Beat together butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to medium. Add confectioner's sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Add salt, milk, and vanilla and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. If not using immediately, cover surface of frosting with plastic wrap. Frosting can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 week. Before using, bring to room temperature, then beat on low speed until smooth.
• Place 1 cake layer on a cake plate and spread 1 cup frosting on top. Place remaining cake layer on top. Spread top and sides of cake with remaining frosting, swirling to coat in a decorative fashion. (If frosting becomes too soft, refrigerate to firm up.) Cake can be covered with a cake dome and refrigerated overnight. Bring cake to room temperature before serving.