Spring Birthday Cake Pastel (Print Version)

Vanilla cake with creamy buttercream and pastel floral designs, perfect for a spring celebration.

# What You Need:

→ Cake

01 - 2½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon salt
04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
05 - 2 cups granulated sugar
06 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
08 - 1 cup whole milk, room temperature

→ Buttercream

09 - 1½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature
10 - 6 cups powdered sugar, sifted
11 - ¼ cup whole milk
12 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
13 - Pinch of salt
14 - Gel food coloring in pink, yellow, lavender, green, and blue

→ Decoration

15 - Edible flower petals
16 - Sprinkles

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract until fully combined.
05 - Alternately add the flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined without overmixing.
06 - Divide batter evenly among the prepared pans. Smooth the tops to ensure even baking.
07 - Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
08 - Let cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
09 - In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt. Beat until fluffy and smooth, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
10 - Divide buttercream into separate bowls. Tint each with desired pastel gel food coloring to achieve spring-inspired hues.
11 - Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread a layer of buttercream on top. Repeat with remaining layers.
12 - Apply a thin crumb coat of buttercream over the entire cake. Chill for 20 minutes to set.
13 - Decorate the cake with pastel buttercreams using piping bags fitted with various tips to create floral designs. Garnish with edible petals or sprinkles as desired.
14 - Chill for 15 to 20 minutes before serving to set the buttercream and stabilize decorations.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The vanilla cake stays impossibly tender and doesn't dry out, even after decorating takes longer than expected.
  • Pastel buttercream is forgiving enough for beginners but looks fancy enough to impress everyone at the table.
  • You can make this days ahead and decorate it fresh, which takes the stress out of party planning.
02 -
  • Overmixing the batter after you add the flour is the one mistake that will give you a dense, tough cake—stop as soon as everything is combined and walk away.
  • If you don't have three pans, you can bake in batches using two pans, letting the first batch cool completely and washing the pans before you reuse them; the cake will still be delicious.
03 -
  • Make the cake layers a day ahead and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap; they'll actually be easier to frost when they're fully settled and slightly firmer.
  • Keep your piping tips clean and organized by rubber banding them together in the order you'll use them, and dip them in hot water between colors to prevent muddy frosting.
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