Martha Stewart simple layer cake with vanilla frosting is easy from scratch, with cream cheese folded into the buttercream so it stays creamy, not cloying. A birthday party or Sunday dinner crowd pleaser built from butter, eggs, whole milk, and basic pantry flour.
Serve it on a cake stand for a potluck or holiday table, since the cream cheese frosting holds its shape and travels well. Let the layers cool completely before you frost, because warm cake melts the buttercream.
Martha Stewart Simple Layer Cake With Vanilla Frosting
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy12
servings30
minutes35
minutes565
kcalGolden and tender with a fine, even crumb, topped with a thick layer of cream cheese buttercream that holds soft peaks and never slides.
Ingredients
- For the Cake:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened, plus more for cake pans and parchment
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- For the Frosting:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
5 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions
- Prep the pans and mix the batter: 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.
- Bake the layers: 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.
- Make the frosting: 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.
- Store the frosting: 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.
- Frost and serve: 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.
FAQs
Can I make this layer cake ahead of time?
The frosted cake stores in the fridge up to 1 day under a cake dome, and the frosting alone keeps in an airtight container up to 1 week. Make the frosting first and refrigerate it, then bake the layers the day you plan to serve. Bring both to room temperature before frosting and serving, since cold buttercream is stiff and hard to spread.
What makes the cream cheese frosting different from regular buttercream?
Martha adds 4 ounces of cream cheese to the butter base, which cuts the sweetness of 5 cups of confectioner’s sugar. Regular American buttercream can taste like pure sugar, but the tang from cream cheese keeps the frosting balanced. Use full-fat cream cheese, not the whipped kind, because the extra moisture in whipped tubs makes the frosting too thin.
Can I use a different pan size for this vanilla cake?
A 9-inch round pan works if you reduce the bake time by about 5 minutes, since the batter spreads thinner. Check with a toothpick at 28 minutes. For cupcakes, fill liners two-thirds full and bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes, and this batter also works in a 9-by-13-inch pan for a single-layer sheet cake at about 30 minutes.
Why did my cake dome in the middle?
Doming usually means the oven ran too hot or the batter had too much leavening. Check your oven temperature with a basic oven thermometer, since most ovens run 10 to 25 degrees off. If the cake still domes, level each layer with a long serrated knife before you frost it.
How do I store leftover layer cake with cream cheese frosting?
Cover the cut side with plastic wrap pressed against the exposed crumb, then keep it in the fridge up to 3 days. The cream cheese in the frosting means you should not leave it out at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Pull each slice out 20 to 30 minutes before eating, because cold cake tastes dense and muted.
