Smash Cakes
Super-moist vanilla cake wrapped in strawberry buttercream and topped with buttercream roses. This cake is delicious even if it isn't your child's birthday!
- Prep time
- 40 min
- Cook time
- 35 min
- Yield
- 12 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (426g)
- 2 cup granulated sugar (456g)
- 2 tsp baking powder (heaping 6g)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda (heaping 2g)
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cup butter (352g, unsalted, room temperature or melted)
- 1 cup whole milk (240ml, warm)
- 1 cup sour cream (240ml, room temperature)
- 2 tbsp vanilla extract (20g)
- 2 tbsp vanilla bean paste
- 6 egg whites (large)
- 2 lb confectioner's sugar (924g)
- 5 sticks unsalted butter (565g, room temperature)
- 2 tbsp strawberry preserve (strained)
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1 splash vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp matcha powder
- pink gel food coloring
Instructions
- 1
For the Cakes:
- 2
Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour four 6-inch cake pans. Soak baking strips in water.
- 3
Sift dry ingredients (including sugar). Whisk to combine.
- 4
In another bowl, whisk together wet ingredients.
- 5
Combine wet and dry mixtures. Whisk until combined. If the batter is lumpy, it’s okay!
- 6
Add damp baking strips to the cake pans.
- 7
Evenly distribute batter into pans. I like to use a kitchen scale for precision. This recipe makes enough batter for six layers. You can either use the extra batter for cupcakes or freeze the layers for another cake!
- 8
Bake for about 35 - 40 minutes or until the centers are set and springy to the touch.
- 9
For the American Buttercream:
- 10
In a stand mixer, cream the butter until fluffy.
- 11
Sift in half of the confectioners sugar. Mix, then add the rest.
- 12
Reserve about 1 cup of the white buttercream for the roses and green leaves.
- 13
Add in strained strawberry preserves to the remaining buttercream. Mix until combined.
- 14
Transfer the strawberry buttercream to a piping bag and snip off the tip.
- 15
Use food coloring to dye the buttercream different shades of pink for the flowers. Use matcha powder to dye some green for the leaves.
- 16
For the Flowers:
- 17
Cut a square of parchment paper. Use a tiny bit of buttercream to glue down the paper onto a piping nail.
- 18
For the roses, pipe a small cone of very thick buttercream in the middle of the square.
- 19
Use a 120 and 122 tip to make the petals.
- 20
For the Assembly:
- 21
Pipe the strawberry buttercream between each layer.
- 22
Crumb coat the cake and smooth with a scraper.
- 23
Pipe a thin layer of plain white buttercream on the outside of the cake. Even out with a hot scraper and offset spatula. Chill for about 30 minutes.
- 24
Pipe a ring of buttercream on the top of the cake.
- 25
Use scissors to transfer roses to the ring.
- 26
Pipe in leaves to create dimension.