Two-Tier Vanilla Cake (Print View)

Moist vanilla sponge layered with creamy buttercream and topped with playful balloon decorations for a festive touch.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vanilla Sponge Cakes

01 - 4.5 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 3.5 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 0.5 teaspoon salt
04 - 2.5 cups granulated sugar
05 - 1.5 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
06 - 8 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
08 - 2 cups whole milk, room temperature

→ Buttercream Frosting

09 - 2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
10 - 8 cups powdered sugar, sifted
11 - 0.5 cup whole milk or heavy cream
12 - 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
13 - Pinch of salt
14 - Gel food coloring, optional

→ Decoration

15 - Balloon cake toppers
16 - Edible confetti or sprinkles, optional

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans and two 6-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together using an electric mixer until light and fluffy, approximately 3 to 5 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time to the butter mixture, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract until fully combined.
05 - With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding the flour mixture and milk in three additions, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
06 - Divide batter evenly between the 8-inch and 6-inch pans. Tap pans gently on the counter to release air bubbles.
07 - Bake 8-inch cakes for 35 to 40 minutes and 6-inch cakes for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
08 - Allow cakes to cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
09 - Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract, salt, and milk or cream one tablespoon at a time until smooth and spreadable. Tint with food coloring if desired.
10 - Level cake tops if needed. Place one 8-inch layer on a cake board, spread a layer of buttercream, and top with the second 8-inch cake. Repeat for the 6-inch cakes.
11 - Apply a thin crumb coat of buttercream to each cake layer. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to set.
12 - Frost both cakes smoothly with remaining buttercream. Stack the 6-inch cake tier centered on top of the 8-inch tier, using dowels or straws for structural support.
13 - Arrange balloon toppers on the cake and add edible confetti or sprinkles as desired.

# Expert Insights:

01 -
  • The vanilla sponge stays impossibly moist for days, so you can bake ahead without stress.
  • Two-tier elegance that looks like you hired a bakery, but your hands made every layer.
  • Balloon toppers transform it from nice cake to party showstopper in literal seconds.
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients are not optional—cold eggs and butter will create a split or curdled batter that bakes up uneven and dense.
  • Don't overbake; a toothpick with a few moist crumbs is better than one that comes out completely dry, because carryover heat keeps cooking the cake for another minute or two after it leaves the oven.
  • The dowels in the bottom tier are essential for stability—without them, the frosting between layers will squish and your tiers will lean or sink.
03 -
  • Bake both cake sizes on the same rack in your oven if there's room—they'll bake more evenly than if you stack the racks, and you'll know they're both done at roughly the same time.
  • Freeze the unfrosted cake layers for up to three days before assembly, which actually makes them easier to handle and less prone to crumbling when you frost them.
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