Easy Four Layer Cake with Buttercream Frosting

Published on by carol lou

I rarely make a layer cake, not that I don’t like them, I need a crowd to consume one!  They are the perfect dessert when you are entertaining.  Many times I am always trying something new and forget about this wonderful dessert that everyone loves.  My mom was a terrific cake baker and her favorite cake was a Sunshine Cake (I will bake and post this family favorite using my mom’s recipe in the near future!)  However, this post is about her yellow cake and buttercream frosting.  As I have mentioned before, my mom never used a mix or canned frosting.  She was the queen of scratch baking and when you taste this cake, you will know why.  Delicious moist layers of cake, filled with your favorite jam (I used peach cobbler preserves) and covered with an easy buttercream frosting.   This is one dessert you must try – easy and delicious.

 

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Yellow Cake with Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

  • 2 sticks butter, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 3 cups cake flour
  • 1 cup milk

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease two 9-inch cake pans.  Beat butter, sugar, baking powder, salt and vanilla until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.  Add eggs, one at a time, beat well after adding each egg.  Mix in 1/2 of the flour, mix well.  Add milk, mix well.  Add the remaining flour.  Beat well until all combined.  Divide batter into the two prepared pans.  Bake 38 minutes, until center is firm and cake tester comes out clean.  Cool in pans for 15 minutes, remove from pan.  cool completely prior to frosting. 

    BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

    2 cups butter (4 sticks), room temperature

    2 teaspoons vanilla extract

    32 oz. powdered sugar

    Using a mixer, cream softened butter and vanilla, until smooth.  Add sugar gradually until well incorporated and fluffy.  

    CAKE ASSEMBLY - for four layers, cut each layer in half. Heat 1 cup of jam over low heat until thin, remove from heat and cool.  Spread each layer with a thin layer of frosting and top with 1/4 cup of jam. Spread jam to one inch from the each of the cake, this will prevent the jam from oozing over the edge when you are frosting the sides.  Top with second layer, repeat.  Spread icing over top and sides of cake.  I dusted the edges of my cake with finely chopped pecans.