Celebration Naked Cake

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.

Grease 2 x 20cm/8inch sandwich tins and line the bottom of the tins with a round of baking paper.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar until creamy and fluffy or until figure of 8 is achieved.

In a small bowl, combine the flour and baking powder.

Sieves the flour over the egg and sugar mixture and gently fold to combine.

Transfer evenly to the two prepared sandwich tins.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack. Allow to cool.

Next, prepare the butter cream. In a mixing bowl, beat the soft butter with the icing sugar and vanilla paste until light and fluffy.

First, using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand, cake turntable, or serving plate.

Spread some butter cream and add a few berries. Repeat the same step until the 4 cakes are staked together. Cover the top cake with a final layer of buttercream. Smooth well using a warm spatula making sure a keep the cake show-cased.

Decorate the cake with some sugar flowers or your preferred topping.

Keep aside until ready loosely covered with parchment or foil to allow the icing to create a lovely crust!

5 Tips for Homemade Naked Cakes

Make a plan. Think about what style of cake you want– naked or semi-naked– and any decorations or garnishes. This will determine how much frosting you need.

Prepare your cake pans appropriately. Use quality cake pans and grease them well so the cakes release easily– I always use nonstick spray. For even layers, ensure each pan has an equal amount of batter. The easiest and most accurate way to do this is to use a kitchen scale. Place your cake pan on top and begin pouring batter into the pan– repeat for all pans, making sure each pan weighs the same.

Level your cakes. Level off the top of each cake layer so both sides are flat. This is important because flat and even layers add stability to your finished cake. You can use a cake leveler or large serrated knife. I always use my serrated knife.

Keep it simple. Make it easy on yourself! My recipe and instructions are simple and straightforward– no complicated extra steps. I’ve seen many naked cake recipes that call for a soak in simple syrup to prevent it from drying out. You can absolutely take this route, especially if you’re making a true naked cake, but I don’t find the need to do this if your cake is moist to begin with. Instead of piping frosting between each cake layer, use a spatula to spread the icing.

The fridge is your best friend. Always chill your naked cake in the fridge for a few hours before slicing and serving. Why? This stabilizes all of your hard work! It helps the frosting adhere to the sides of the cake and in between the cake layers, as well as ensuring a neater slice. Then you can set the cake out at room temperature for your party or celebration.