What could be more exciting than a first birthday? Two first birthdays!! My twins turned one and you know I went all out for their smash cakes!
Full Disclosure
OK so I actually have no idea what most smash cakes look like but I heard that they should be two layer six inch cakes and that’s what I made! They’re covered in buttercream roses I piped with my new 120 and 122 tips but otherwise it’s a very straight-forward naked cake.
The boys loved the experience and taste, not sure they appreciated the design but all in all I’d call it a success!
A Few Pointers
- If you find cake decorating to be a bit intimidating then check out my How to Decorate a Cake post, it has lots of helpful tips and a full how to video.
- If you’re not using 6-inch pans, double the recipe for 8-inch pans or triple the recipe for 9-inch pans.
- See little clumps of butter after you mix the wet ingredients? Don’t panic, it all works out by the time you mix in the dry ingredients. You can even use melted butter and warm the milk and sour cream up a bit if you like.
- You can substitute whole milk yogurt for the sour cream if desired, I do it all the time and can’t really tell the difference.
- To get FLAT layers that are moist inside and out try using cake strips! You can buy a set on the shop page or make your own from foil and paper towels at home. I made a whole blog post on it so check it out if you’re interested!
- Buttercream flowers are so lovely but I know they can be difficult when you’re just starting out. Check out my buttercream flower tutorial here!
- By the way, you could make this recipe as a single three layer eight inch cake instead of two smaller six inch cakes.
Steps to Make This Cake
- Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour four 6-inch cake pans. Soak baking strips in water. Sift dry ingredients (including sugar). Whisk to combine.
- In another bowl, whisk together wet ingredients.
- Combine wet and dry mixtures. Whisk until combined. If the batter is lumpy, it’s okay! Add damp baking strips to the cake pans. Evenly distribute batter into pans. This recipe makes enough batter for six layers. You can either use the extra batter for cupcakes, save the extra layers for another cake! I like to use a kitchen scale for precision. Bake for about 35 – 40 minutes or until the centers are set and springy to the touch.
- In a stand mixer, cream the butter until fluffy. Sift in half of the confectioners sugar. Mix, then add the rest. Reserve about 1 cup of the white buttercream for the roses and green leaves. Add in strained strawberry preserves to the remaining buttercream. Mix until combined. Transfer the strawberry buttercream to a piping bag and snip off the tip. Use food coloring to dye the buttercream different shades of pink for the flowers. Use matcha powder to dye some green for the leaves.
- Pipe the strawberry buttercream between each layer.
- Crumb coat the cake.
- Smooth with a bench scraper.
- Even out with an offset spatula.
- For the roses, pipe a small cone of very thick buttercream in the middle of the square.
- Use a 120 and 122 tip to make the petals.
- Pipe pink and white petals.
- Pipe a ring of buttercream on the top of the cake. Use scissors to transfer roses to the ring. Pipe in leaves to create dimension.
If you’ve tried this cake then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
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!
Print Recipe
Servings 12
Calories 280kcal
Video
Ingredients
For the Cakes:
- 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
For the American Buttercream:
- 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
For the Cakes:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour four 6-inch cake pans. Soak baking strips in water.
- Sift dry ingredients (including sugar). Whisk to combine.
- In another bowl, whisk together wet ingredients.
- Combine wet and dry mixtures. Whisk until combined. If the batter is lumpy, it’s okay!
- Add damp baking strips to the cake pans.
- 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!
- Bake for about 35 - 40 minutes or until the centers are set and springy to the touch.
For the American Buttercream:
- In a stand mixer, cream the butter until fluffy.
- Sift in half of the confectioners sugar. Mix, then add the rest.
- Reserve about 1 cup of the white buttercream for the roses and green leaves.
- Add in strained strawberry preserves to the remaining buttercream. Mix until combined.
- Transfer the strawberry buttercream to a piping bag and snip off the tip.
- Use food coloring to dye the buttercream different shades of pink for the flowers. Use matcha powder to dye some green for the leaves.
For the Flowers:
- Cut a square of parchment paper. Use a tiny bit of buttercream to glue down the paper onto a piping nail.
- For the roses, pipe a small cone of very thick buttercream in the middle of the square.
- Use a 120 and 122 tip to make the petals.
For the Assembly:
- Pipe the strawberry buttercream between each layer.
- Crumb coat the cake and smooth with a scraper.
- 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.
- Pipe a ring of buttercream on the top of the cake.
- Use scissors to transfer roses to the ring.
- Pipe in leaves to create dimension.
Notes
- If you find cake decorating to be a bit intimidating then check out my How to Decorate a Cake post, it has lots of helpful tips and a full how to video.
- If you’re not using 6-inch pans, double the recipe for 8-inch pans or triple the recipe for 9-inch pans.
- See little clumps of butter after you mix the wet ingredients? Don’t panic, it all works out by the time you mix in the dry ingredients. You can even use melted butter and warm the milk and sour cream up a bit if you like.
- To get FLAT layers that are moist inside and out try using cake strips! You can buy a set online, or make your own from foil and paper towels at home. I made a whole blog post on it so check it out if you’re interested!
- Buttercream flowers are so lovely but I know they can be difficult when you're just starting out. Check out my buttercream flower tutorial here!
- You could make this recipe as a single three layer eight inch cake instead of two smaller six inch cakes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 280kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 121mg | Potassium: 21mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 100IU | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 2.2mg
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Jesryn says
Hi John, what can I use to substitute the vanilla bean paste if I don’t have it
John K. says
Jesryn,
Just skip the step! Hope you enjoy the cakes!
John
kemala hayati says
please reply my question thankssss
E says
Can little ones eat Swiss merengue buttercream, or should I stick with the american buttercream?
John K. says
E,
Swiss meringue buttercream is safe for children to eat! Hope you enjoy!
John
Valery says
Hi there !
Beautiful cakes !
Can you tell me, please, what food colors did you mix for roses and leafs ? Thank you
John K. says
Valery,
I used pink gel food coloring for the roses and match powder for the leaves! Hope you enjoy!
John
Valery says
Thank you , John !
Green powder for the leaves?? It looks like it’s food coloring ..
kemala hayati says
can i just cut the recipe in half? i wanna make it for 1 cake pan? and cut it into two? if yes how about your another cake recipe, i’d like to do the same thing, please reply thanks
Lorin says
where did you get the cake strips. they look like they have a design on them.
John K. says
Lorin,
I use wilton baking strips! They’re magical !!
John
Ellen says
Your work is amazing and you are a very good teacher! Are you self-taught?
John K. says
Ellen,
Thank you very much! I’m mom taught and self taught! Hope you enjoy
John
Jane says
I’m definitely going to try this recipe looks great but I am confused – 1 cup isn’t 120 mls it’s more like 1/2 cup. Can you please clarify for me.
John K. says
Jane,
Use 1 cup or 240ml for the sour cream and milk! Hope you enjoy!
John
Dee Dee says
Those are just too pretty to smash?Happy birthday to the twins and congrats to you for surviving year 1!
John K. says
Dee Dee,
Thank you so much! You’re too sweet!
John
Gina says
The recipe says to prep three 6 inch cake pans… Should it be four? I really want to use this recipe for my twin nephews “Gotcha” Party on Memorial Day.
Brianna says
I’m curious as well! My twins birthdays are right around the corner and I would love to make their smash cakes.
Does the cake recipe only fill three 6″ cake pans? Or should it be able to fill four?
John K. says
Brianna,
This recipe is for two layer cakes! You’ll be able to fill six 6-inch cake pans with batter! Happy birthday and I hope you enjoy!
John
Tina says
John,
I am so confused! Why would the batter fill 6 pans? In your video you have three cake strips, and you made an extra one from foil. Total should be 4! Why would it be six? Please explain in detail so I can make this recipe!!
P.S.
LOVE LOVE your video and cakes, can’t wait to try them!
John K. says
Tina,
This recipe makes six 6-inch layers in total (It’s my regular vanilla cake recipe doubled)! I used four out of the six layers for these cakes and froze the other two! The extra could also be used for cupcakes instead of more layers if you want. I’m so sorry not making that more transparent in the text!! Hope that helps!
John
Tina says
Now THAT makes sense!! Thank you so much ??!!