Vanilla Rose Layer Cake

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Fall in love with this oh-so romantic and effortlessly gorgeous Vanilla Rose Layer Cake! A sweet and simple six inch vanilla cake that’s made with pantry staples, plus one secret ingredient…a splash of rose water! Every bite is moist, floral, perfectly, vanilla-y, and deliciously sweet. Then, each cake layer is frosted with the simplest and creamiest buttercream. It’s truly the perfect cake to bake for your loved ones this Valentine’s Day!

About The Recipe

Happy Friday, everyone!

We’re heading into the weekend with one of the cutest (and most delicious!) cakes we’ve ever baked. Inspired by Valentine’s, this cake is pretty much no-fuss, oh-so pretty, and tastes SO. GOOD.

I think we can all agree that Valentine’s Day is a great excuse to bake something sweet. Plus, whenever I think of valentine’s, I always think of red roses. I’m sure everyone does! But, that was a huge inspiration for this cake.

Whenever my mom and I go to the store to pick up things for the blog, Valentine’s Day decor is everywhere. So, we knew we wanted to do something a little more up-scale and pretty for the big day!

Which is where this cake comes in.

I absolutely love floral treats. Lavender, rose, chamomile…I love them all! So, this cake was also kind of me just…baking something I’ve been wanting to do for a while!

Every bite is perfectly floral and sweet, with just the right amount of vanilla.

I could not be happier with this cake! I could probably eat the whole thing in one sitting (it’s been very hard not to!).

Plus, when you finish the cake with fresh roses, it just adds a beautiful POP of color!

Whether you’re looking for the perfect romantic dessert to bake for your partner or simply just want to bake something special for friends (oh, hi galentine’s day!), this cake is sure to be the perfect treat.

Reasons You Will Love This Vanilla Rose Cake

• The cake itself is make in only one bowl!
• Super simple to make.
• Full of flavor!
• Effortlessly pretty.
• Perfect to make for Valentine’s Day or Galentine’s day!

Equipment Needed

• Mixing Bowls
• Whisk
• 6 Inch Cake Pans
• Cake Tester
• Wire Cooling Rack
• Stand Mixer
• Cake Stand
• Offset Spatula

Ingredients

(Full ingredient amounts and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post)

For The Cake:

• All-Purpose Flour – No need for fancy cake flours with this recipe! All-Purpose Flour gives this cake the perfect texture and crumb.
• Granulated Sugar – Perfectly sweetens this cake.
• Baking Powder – Leavening agents are super important in baking! This is what makes the cake so light and airy.
• Salt – A-must have for baking! This not only enhances the flavors, but also cuts the sweetness just a little.
• Whole Milk – Using whole fat milk makes this cake incredibly tender!
• Large Eggs – Remember to set your eggs out ahead of time to allow them to come to room temperature before mixing.
• Vegetable Oil – Using oil for the fat in this recipe really makes this cake incredibly moist and tender.
• Vanilla Extract – Adds a wonderful flavor to this cake.
• Rose Water – Just a small splash of rose water brings an intense floral flavor to this delicious cake!

For The Frosting:

• Salted Butter – Remember to set the butter out ahead of time to allow it to come to room temperature.
• Powdered Sugar – For the smoothest buttercream, sift your powdered sugar!
• Heavy Cream – A splash of heavy cream loosens the frosting to make it spreadable, but also keeps it light and fluffy.
• Vanilla Extract – Adds flavor to the frosting.
• Rose Water – A drop of rose water helps carry the rose flavor from the cake in every bite!

How To Make This Vanilla Rose Cake

Step 1: Prepare cake batter

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Add milk, eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla, and rose water. Whisk until smooth.

Step 2: Bake

Divide the batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cakes test done.

Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10-15 minutes before turning out onto cooling rack to finish cooling.

Step 3: Make frosting

With an electric mixer, beat butter until creamy.

Add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth.

Beat in cream, vanilla, and rose water.

Step 4: Assemble the cake

Level the cake layers, if needed.

Place one cake layer on cake plate and spread with a layer of frosting.

Repeat with second layer. Add the third layer.

Frost entire cake.

How To Achieve The Perfect Buttercream

There are are a few things you can do to make sure you get the creamiest, silkiest buttercream every single time! The first is making sure your butter is room temperature. This is super important! Another is sifting your powdered sugar. Lumps of powdered sugar = lumpy buttercream! Also, be sure to beat in the powdered sugar in small amounts rather than all at once. It really helps and makes a difference!

Decorating Ideas

Once this cake is assembled, it is a blank canvas! There are SO many things you can do with this cake, but here are a few ideas to help you get started.

• White Chocolate/Candy Melt Drips – Once the cake is assembled, you can use melted white chocolate or candy melts (I would recommend using white candy melts, as red may look more Halloween-esque) to create drips from the top of the cake. To do this, all you need to do is place the melted chocolate in a piping bag or spoon some onto the top edges of cake. If using a spoon, gently push the melted chocolate to the edge of the cake to allow it to drip. If using a piping bag, hold the piping bag to the edge of the cake and apply light pressure.
• Fresh Roses – Roses ad a POP of color to this cake and immediately lets you know the flavor inside the cake. If you are using roses, be sure to wrap the stems in plastic wrap and wash any petals that may touch the cake. Remember to discard the flowers before serving.
• Gold Leaf and/or Gold Dust – Adds a touch of elegance!
• Buttercream – Of course, you can always make more frosting to decorate this cake! From piping simple patterns or shapes onto the cake to coloring the frosting to create flowers.
• Fondant – You can make your own fondant or use store-bought fondant to create decorative elements for this cake! Making your own flowers/roses is always one of my favorite things to do.
• Sprinkles – I love to use the white pearl sprinkles on this cake!

How To Store

If there’s any leftover cake, you can store it in a covered cake plate for 1-2 days at room temperature. Though, the best way to store this cake in a covered cake plate and in the fridge for 5-6 days!

If needed, you can also freeze this cake. You can either freeze the individual layers before assembly or you can freeze individual slices of this cake for up to 2 months.

Looking for more recipes like this? Here are a few you may like: Chocolate and Strawberry Linzer Cookies, Chocolate Soufflés (For Two!), Flourless Red Velvet Cake, Easy Molten Lava Cakes, Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

Expert Tips

• If you’d like a little less rose-forward flavoring in this cake, use ⅛ teaspoon of rose water in the cake.
• Be careful to not over-mix the cake batter.
• When dividing the cake batter, it’s best to use a ladle and a scale to help ensure each cake layer is even!
• If you’re unsure if the cake is baked, you can use a cake tester or a toothpick to test the cakes. If it comes out clean, the cake is fully baked!
• Let the cake layers cool COMPLETELY before assembling the cake.
• Depending on how the cakes bake, you may or may not need to level the cake layers.
• If you’d like, when frosting this cake, you can do a crumb coat.

When you make this Vanilla Rose Layer Cake, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.

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