Spring Birthday Cake Pastel (Printable)

Tender vanilla layers topped with creamy pastel floral buttercream and delicate edible petals.

# What You'll 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: pink, yellow, lavender, green, blue

→ Decoration

15 - Edible flower petals, optional
16 - Sprinkles, optional

# Step-by-Step Guide:

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.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 3-4 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
05 - Alternately add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
06 - Divide batter evenly among prepared pans and smooth the tops.
07 - Bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
08 - Allow cakes to cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to 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 3-4 minutes.
10 - Divide buttercream into separate bowls and tint each with desired pastel gel food coloring.
11 - Place one cake layer on serving plate and spread buttercream on top. Repeat with remaining layers.
12 - Apply thin layer of buttercream over entire cake. Chill for 20 minutes.
13 - Decorate cake with pastel buttercreams using piping bags fitted with various tips to create floral designs. Garnish with edible petals or sprinkles if desired.
14 - Chill for 15-20 minutes before serving to set the buttercream.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The vanilla cake stays impossibly tender because the flour and milk are added alternately, creating a crumb so delicate it practically melts.
  • Pastel buttercream is more forgiving than you think, and once you master the basic technique, you'll find yourself piping flowers on everything.
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients aren't optional—they're the difference between a velvety cake and one that's dense or has an odd, broken texture.
  • Don't skip the crumb coat; it traps loose cake crumbs so your final frosting looks professionally smooth instead of speckled.
03 -
  • Invest in gel food coloring if you plan to make frosted cakes; liquid coloring will thin your buttercream and ruin your texture.
  • If you only have two pans, bake the third layer separately while the others cool, and stack them once everything is at room temperature.
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