– 8 oz (226g) package cream cheese, softened – 1 ½ sticks (168g) unsalted butter – 2 cups (400g) sugar – 4 large eggs room temperature – 3 cups (342g) cake flour – 2 teaspoons (8g) baking powder – ½ teaspoon (3g) baking soda – ½ teaspoon (3g) salt – 1 cup (242g) buttermilk – ¼ cup (54g) vegetable oil – 1 Tablespoon (12g) vanilla extract – 3 sticks (339g) unsalted butter, softened. – 7 cups (690-805 grams) powdered sugar – 2 tsp. (8g) vanilla extract 8 grams – ⅓ cup (72g) whole milk – ½ teaspoon (3g) salt
Start with a 325-degree oven. Grease and flour three 8-inch pans and line the bottoms with parchment or wax paper.Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt for 30 seconds in a medium bowl and set aside.
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Add buttermilk, oil, and vanilla to another bowl. Set aside.Add butter and cream cheese to the mixer bowl and mix on medium speed until smooth.
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Add sugar slowly and mix on medium for 2-3 minutes.Turn each room-temperature egg yolk colourless.Start and finish with the flour mixture alternating with the milk mixture in the mixer on low speed.
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Combine the batter without overmixing. Divide batter among three pans.Bake at 325 degrees F for 25–28 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean or with crumbs.
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Let pans cool 5-10 minutes on wire racks before turning out.This recipe yields 7 ½ cups of batter. Cupcakes work too (but no dome).Smoothen the somewhat softened butter. Mix in vanilla.Add half the powdered sugar and most the milk.
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Mix powdered sugar medium-fast.For 3–4 minutes, mix remaining powdered sugar and milk on medium speed, scraping bowl sides regularly. I reduce mixer speed. 1- 2 minutes. Reduced buttercream air pockets. It will smooth.
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Double or halve this recipe.Makes around 4 ½-5 cups of frosting. Can frost a 3-layer 8-inch or 2-layer 9-inch cake.Buttercream is too thin? Add sugar. Add milk if too thick.
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Put first cake layer on plate or pedestal. Spread buttercream on top and repeat with two more cake layers.Fill spaces between cake layers with buttercream and apply crumb coat (thin icing).
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I prefer to freeze my crumb-coated cake for 10–15 minutes (or longer in the fridge) to stiffen up the icing. Decoration of a cold cake is optional, but I do it.Apply another icing coat.
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Smoothing the frosted cake using a bench scraper or spatula on a turntable is my preference.
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I fashioned ribbon roses with piping tip 104 and a bead border with a small circular piping tip 3. I piped roses on a rose nail with a waxed paper square attached and rotated.
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