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Easy Pastel Garden Cake | Spring Birthday Dessert

Pastel Garden Cake

A soft vanilla layer cake tinted in pastel shades and topped with simple piped buttercream flowers, perfect for a spring birthday table.
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Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 28 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened (for the cake)
  • 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • Gel food coloring in pink lavender, mint, and yellow
  • 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter softened (for the frosting)
  • 4 cups powdered sugar sifted
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for the frosting)

Method
 

  1. Prep pans and oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease two 8-inch round cake pans, lining the bottoms with parchment paper for easy release.
  2. Cream butter and sugar: Beat 1 cup softened butter with the granulated sugar for about 3 minutes, until the mixture turns pale and fluffy and no longer looks grainy.
  3. Add eggs and vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing just until each is incorporated, then stir in 1 tablespoon vanilla extract.
  4. Mix dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.
  5. Alternate dry and wet: Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with flour, mixing on low until just combined.
  6. Divide and tint batter: Split the batter evenly among four bowls and tint each a soft pastel shade with gel food coloring, stirring gently to avoid overmixing.
  7. Layer batter in pans: Spoon dollops of the different colors into the two prepared pans in a random pattern, dividing the batter evenly between the pans.
  8. Bake the layers: Bake for 24 to 28 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the tops spring back when lightly pressed.
  9. Cool completely: Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool fully before frosting, about 1 hour.
  10. Make the buttercream: Beat the 1 1/2 cups softened butter until smooth, then gradually add the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and remaining vanilla extract, beating until light and spreadable.
  11. Stack and crumb coat: Place one cake layer on a serving plate, spread a thin layer of buttercream on top, stack the second layer, then coat the whole cake in a thin layer of frosting and chill for 15 minutes.
  12. Tint the piping frosting: Divide the remaining buttercream into small bowls and tint each a pastel shade to match your batter colors.
  13. Pipe the flowers: Using a petal tip, pipe overlapping half-moon strokes in a circle to form roses, then fill gaps with small dabs of frosting using a star tip for leaves.
  14. Chill before slicing: Refrigerate the finished cake for 20 minutes to set the piping, then slice with a warm knife for clean edges.