Homemade Wedding Cake Recipe

Here you will find complete recipes and cake decorating tutorial videos for DIY homemade wedding cakes. This simple and elegant vanilla wedding cake has 2 levels and is equipped with complete assembly instructions. With the help of this carefully detailed post, this wedding cake recipe can be managed perfectly for home-based bread makers.

With the request of many readers, let me present a homemade recipe 2-level wedding cake. Adapted from a trusted vanilla cake and 6-inch cake recipe, this wedding dessert from the start is not only beautiful - it also tastes amazing.

(Isn't that what matters?)

Equipped with complete details and recipe instructions for making this unique dessert, you will amaze the bride, groom, and woman. This post has it all.

These Homemade Wedding Cakes Are:
Completely from the start
Can be managed for home bakers
Simple, yet elegant - rural style meets traditional
Complete with a complete list of useful kitchen tools
Perfect for small weddings (around 30-35 people)
Amazing for a bigger wedding if other dessert options are available

How to Make Homemade DIY Wedding Cakes
This is a 2 tier wedding cake. Both levels are buttery, soft and moist. Instead of traditional fondant, this homemade wedding cake recipe uses my vanilla buttercream, but in higher amounts. To avoid (1) flooding your mixer with excess cake mixture and (2) too much or less dough, make each cake separately.

Make each batch freeze separately too.
Unless you have an extra oven or oven room, prepare a dough cake and bake layer cakes one by one. Refrigerate the cake completely before assembling and decorating, which I discuss in a separate section below.
Same Material for Both Tiers
Both cakes use exactly the same ingredients and each has a special job, so I don't recommend replacing it. Use sugar, baking flour, eggs, extra egg whites, sour cream, whole milk, and proper room temperature butter. (Among several other ingredients.) If necessary, use this cake flour substitute. Here is a recipe that uses leftover egg yolk.

2-3 batches of lemon curd, which uses egg yolks, are best filled between the layers of the cake.
The bottom cake is my vanilla cake recipe, but I trade buttermilk for pure milk and sour cream. I do this so you don't need a material that varies for both levels. (Because the top-level uses whole milk and sour cream.) Sure, you can use buttermilk to replace all milk and sour cream in a 6-inch cake, but whole milk and sour cream are more readily available than most buttermilks.

INGREDIENTS
9-Inch Lower Levels

• 3 and 2/3 cup (420g) cake flour (spoon & flattened)
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 and 1/2 cup (3 sticks; 345 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 2 cups of granulated sugar (400g)
• 3 large eggs + 2 additional egg whites, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract (yes, Tbsp!)
• 3/4 cup (180g) full fatty acid cream, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk, at room temperature

6-Inch Top Tier

• 1 and 3/4 cup (200g) cake flour (spoon & flattened)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 cup (1 stick; 115g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg + 1 additional egg white, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (120g) full fatty acid cream, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk, at room temperature

9-inch Frosting for cakes & pipes

• 2 cups of unsalted butter (4 sticks; 460g), softened to room temperature
• 8 cups of sugar (960g)
• 6 spoonfuls of milk (90ml) whole milk or thick cream
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Frosting for a 6-inch cake

• 1 cup or two sticks or 230g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 4-5 cups (480-600g) confectioner's sugar
• 1/4 cup (60ml) thick cream or pure milk
• 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
• salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Before starting this recipe, watch the video tutorial above, read the entire blog post, read the recipe instructions, and review the recipe notes. Make sure you are ready with the special tools recommended, which are listed directly above this recipe.
2. Make each cake separately. Start with the bottom level (9-inch cake). Preheat the oven to 177. Marinate three 9 × 2-inch baking pan, parallel to parchment paper, then lubricate the parchment. Parchment paper helps the cake get out of the pan smoothly.
3. Mix cake flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together. Put aside. Using a handheld or stand mixer equipped with a paddle or shaker, shake the butter and sugar together at high speed until smooth and soft, about 3 minutes. Scrape the sides and rise to the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in 3 eggs, 2 egg whites, and vanilla extract at high speed until combined, about 2 minutes. (The mixture will look lumpy as a result of a combination of liquid egg and solid butter.) Beat in sour cream. Scrape the sides and rise to the bottom of the bowl as needed. With a mixer at low speed, add dry ingredients until they are evenly mixed. With the mixer still running low, pour the milk slowly until it is mixed. Don't over-mix. Shake everything by hand several times to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The dough will be a little thick. You will have 8-9 cups of cake batter. Pour the mixture into the baking pan. Weigh them to ensure accuracy, if desired. Bake about 23-26 minutes or until the cake is baked. To test for maturity, place a toothpick in the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it's finished. Let the cake cool completely in the pan placed on a wire rack. The cake must be completely cold before freezing and assembling.
4. Turn on the oven.
5. For the upper level (6-inch cake), prepare three 6 × 2-inch cake panes as you did with the 9-inch cake pan in step 2. (Polish the rounds of parchment paper.)
6. Prepare a 6-inch cake mixture in exactly the same way as the bottom layer. You will have about 4 cups of cake batter. The dough will be thinner than the bottom tier. Pour the mixture into the baking pan. Weigh them to ensure accuracy, if desired. Bake for about 18-22 minutes or until the cake is baked. To test for maturity, place a toothpick in the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it's finished. Let the cake cool completely in the pan placed on a wire rack. The cake must be completely cold before freezing and assembling.
7. Using a large serrated knife, cut a thin layer from the top of all the cakes to make a flat surface. This is called cake leveling. Discard the leveled pieces (or crushed on ice cream!).
8. Make frosting for a 9-inch cake (which is also sufficient for piping details): In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer equipped with paddle pads, whisk the butter at medium speed until creamed, about 2 minutes. Add sugar, milk, vanilla extract and salt with a low mixer. Increase to high speed then beat for 2 minutes. Add more sugar if the frosting is too thin, more milk if the frosting is too thick, or a little salt if the frosting is too sweet.
9. You can prepare the rest of the decoration now (step 11) if desired or start decorating the 9-inch level. Place your 9-10 inch cake board on the flip of your cake. Place 1 layer of cake on your cake board. Using a large icing spatula, cover evenly with a little 1 and 1/2 glass of frosting. Cover with a layer of 2nd cake and cover evenly with a little 1 and 1/2 glass of frosting. Top with the third cake layer. Using about 1-1 and 1/4 cup of frosting, spread it all over the top and sides in a thin layer, also called a crumb coat. Large icing spatulas and scraper bench are very helpful for applying feather crumbs. Set aside the remaining frosting at room temperature. If you gradually decorate this cake for 1-2 days, cover it and cool the rest of the ice.
10. Using the cake board to take the cake (careful, heavy), place the cake in the fridge to help set the crumb coat when you work at the top level.
11. Make frosting for 6-inch cakes, just like you prepare the first batch of frosting. (Step 8.) Before you add salt, taste the frosting first, add a pinch if desired. I always add a small pinch.
12. Place your 6-inch cake board above your cake turner. Place 1 layer of 6-inch cake on your cake board. Using a small icing spatula, cover the top evenly with a small 3/4 cup of frosting. Cover with the 2nd layer of cake and cover the top evenly with a little 3/4 cup of frosting. Top with the third cake layer. Using about 3/4 cup of frosting, spread it all over the top and sides in a thin layer, also called a crumb coat. A small icing spatula and scraper bench are very helpful for applying feather crumbs. Set aside the remaining frosting at room temperature. If you gradually decorate this cake for 1-2 days, cover and cool the remaining frosting.
13. Using the cake board to take a 6-inch cake, place the cake carefully in the fridge to help arrange layers of crumbs as you work on the frozen outer layer at the top level.
14. Remove the bottom level from the refrigerator (along with the cake board) and place it on top of the cake turner. Apply the remaining frosting to the bottom layer on the cake, leaving about 6-8 tablespoons for piping details. I recommend the large icing spatula and scraper bench to apply the outer layer of frosting. For textured frosting decoration like in the picture, see my video above. As shown in the video, use a small icing spatula and run around the cake while turning with the turner cake. You will love this look because it is very easy but resembles beautiful ruffles. Carefully lift the cake (with a cake board) and place it on a serving plate or cake holder.
15. Wash and dry 4 cake sticks. Measure the height of the cake below. Measure and cut the cake dowel to fit. Stay in a 6-inch circle diameter (you can use another 6-inch cake board to "embed" the 6-inch circle in the top center of the 9-inch cake), insert the dowel into the cake, give a distance of about 2 inches apart to form 4 square corners. Push the peg straight down until each of them touches the bottom cake board. Put aside.
16. Remove the top level from the refrigerator (along with the cake board) and place it on the cake turner. Decorate exactly as you did at the bottom level, including a messy texture decoration. I also rotate the cake on top of the turner and apply this disheveled appearance on the 6-inch cake too. This is optional. Along with the cake board, carefully lift the small cake and place it carefully in the middle of the lower level.
17. Piping: After placing a small tier on top, you can flatten the remaining frosting at the bottom. This covers all spaces or stains that may appear when adjusting the level above. I channel the freezing points with the end of the # 12 Wilton pipe between the levels and around the bottom of the whole cake. They resemble beautiful pearls. To smooth the pointed peaks at this "pearl", wet your fingertips with water and press gently on the top.
18. Add decorative pieces, such as artificial flowers.
19. The most delicious cake is enjoyed in 3 days. Chill the cake until it's ready to be served. After a few hours, the freezing will "arrange" and you can lightly cover it with plastic wrap.
20. Cover the remaining cake properly and chill for up to 1 week.

This recipe is inspired by sallysbakingaddiction

Note

For forwarding & Freezing Instructions: The most delicious homemade cakes are enjoyed in 3 days. Chill the homemade cake until it's ready to be served. After a few hours, the freezing will "arrange" and you can lightly cover it with plastic wrap until it is ready to be displayed and served. You can also make a cake before assembling it. The cake layer can be baked, cooled, and tightly closed at room temperature overnight. Likewise, frosting can be prepared then closed and cooled overnight. Let the frosting sit at room temperature slightly softened for 20 minutes before gathering and freezing. (You may need to beat freezing in the mixer for 1-2 minutes if it is very solid. Please add a tablespoon of milk or thick cream to soften it when mixed too.) A crumb-coated cake can be frozen for 2-3 months. Then cover using 2 layers of plastic wrap and then 1 layer of aluminum foil. Freeze. When ready, thaw overnight in the fridge. Non-frozen cake layers can also be frozen for 2-3 months. Melt overnight in the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature before decorating/serving. See How to freeze a cake for detailed instructions on frozen cake layers.

Cake Flour: If you cannot get cake flour, use this cake flour substitute.

More flavors, contents, sizes, and decorating ideas: See the blog post above. 

Why is everything at room temperature? All refrigerated items must be at room temperature so that the batter is mixed together easily and evenly.

Share this post