5 Layer Birthday Cake

Beautiful layers of vanilla cake with creamy chocolate buttercream frosting. This cake is fun to make, nice to look at, and tastes deliciously sweet. It is the perfect celebration cake for a birthday!

When I was a kid, birthdays were always a big celebration with lots of desserts especially cakes. My father would go to the local bakery and purchase a 7-layer vanilla cake with a chocolate buttercream frosting. I wanted to re-create that 7 layer cake that I use to eat as a kid. Unfortunately, like many baking experiments, they don't turn out as you planned so this ended up being a 5 layer cake and it still tasted delicious! This is a classic vanilla cake layered with creamy sweet chocolate buttercream.

I made this cake for a birthday celebration and it was so fun to make. I made the cake in 3 hours because I was working quickly but it can take up to 5 hours depending on your pace. I was surprised at how easy the layers baked. I add sprinkles to the cake to give it a celebratory look. You can also add caramel to the top for a beautiful final touch.

A few tips:

• Working with egg batter - Rinse your cake batter bowl in the water right away because the egg yolk-enriched batter will dry quickly and be harder to clean off later. These cakes bake in 5 minutes so it is easy to bake multiple layers.

• Sizing - this cake comes in many size options. I chose to use 9-inch rounds because I had 4 of those cake pans in my kitchen and then cut the cake into a square. If you are going to make 7 layers instead of 5 this batter quantity should make it. I would recommend measuring out each layer to get even cakes. You can make 14 layers with 6-inch cake pans. You can also make 12 layers with 4x8 inch cakes by using 4 quarter sheet pans, divided into thirds. There are many variations you can make with this cake.

• Chocolate buttercream - the chocolate buttercream recipe makes a small quantity for very thin layers of frosting. If you like a higher frosting to cake ratio, you can double the recipe.

• Storage - the cake last for 4-5 days in the fridge so you can make the cake ahead of time.

5 Layer Vanilla Birthday Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Serving size: 8-12

Total Time: 3-5 hours

Source: Adapted from smitten kitchen

Cake:

• 7 large eggs, separated

• 3 large egg yolks

• 3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Frosting and filling:

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into chunks

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 3 large egg yolks

• 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Step 1: Prepare 9 inch round cake pans. I had four cake pans so I had to make the layers in batches. Cut out round circles of parchment paper to place at the bottom of the pans. Add baking spray with butter and flour. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Step 2: In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat 10 egg yolks for a few minutes at high speed, until pale colored. Reduce speed and add sugar, then increase the speed and beat the yolks and sugar until thick and glossy. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Reduce speed again and add flour and salt. With the flour and salt added, increase speed for 5 minutes more, then mix in lemon juice. Set this aside.

Step 3: In a separate bowl with cleaned beaters, beat the 7 egg whites with a whisk attachment until they hold stiff peaks. Once the egg whites are ready, stir a few large spoonfuls of the whites into the batter to loosen the mixture, before folding in the rest of the whites in three additions. When you’re done, your batter will a spreadable and foamy consistency.

Step 4: Spread your batter into the prepared pans. I would pre-measure out the batter so you have an even amount for all 5 pans. Spread the batter evenly to the edges and be careful to not leave any holes. Bake each layer for 5 minutes, or until golden with some dark brown spots. Thicker layers may take up to 2 additional minutes. When the layer is baked, remove it from the oven and flip it out onto a cooling rack. Gently remove parchment paper then flip the cake back onto another cooling rack to finish cooling. It’s best to cool the layers right side up because the tops are the stickiest part. Repeat with the remaining layers.

Step 5: To make the frosting: In a microwave or over stovetop melt chocolate until smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature, but not so cool that it hardens again. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter until soft and smooth. Add vanilla and 3 egg yolks. Add sugar and cooled chocolate, beating until thoroughly mixed and frosting forms.

Step 6: To assemble the cakes, place a dollop of frosting on the plate to keep the cake from moving, and then place the first layer of the cake on the plate. Spread chocolate on top and to edges with an offset spatula or flat knife. The filling will be spread fairly thinly to have enough for all layers and the outsides of the cake. Continue this process for all the layers and then spread chocolate on the outside of the cake. You can serve immediately or place the cake in the fridge to set the chocolate.

#cake #birthdaycake #chocolate #chocolatebuttercream