Spring Birthday Cake Pastel (Printable)

A tender vanilla cake layered with smooth pastel floral buttercream for festive spring celebrations.

# What You Need:

→ Cake

01 - 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 ½ 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 - 1 ½ 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 in pink, yellow, lavender, green, and blue

→ Decoration

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

# How-To:

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 on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 3 to 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; do not overmix.
06 - Divide batter evenly among prepared pans and smooth the tops.
07 - Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
08 - Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a 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 to 4 minutes.
10 - Divide buttercream into separate bowls and tint each with desired pastel gel food coloring.
11 - Place one cake layer on a serving plate, spread buttercream on top, and repeat with remaining layers.
12 - Apply a thin crumb coat of buttercream over the entire cake and 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 to 20 minutes before serving to set the buttercream.

# Insider Tips:

01 -
  • The cake stays impossibly moist and tender no matter how long it sits, thanks to the milk in the batter that keeps everything soft.
  • Pastel buttercream is forgiving enough for beginners but beautiful enough to impress, and once you nail this technique, you can adapt it to any occasion.
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients are non-negotiable here because cold butter won't cream properly and cold eggs won't blend smoothly into the batter, leaving you with a grainy mess.
  • Gel food coloring changed everything for me the first time I used it because liquid coloring waters down buttercream and turns it thin and impossible to pipe.
03 -
  • Invest in a turntable for decorating because spinning the cake smoothly as you pipe means your designs come out more even and your hand doesn't get tired.
  • Chill the cake between the crumb coat and final decoration because a cold cake is easier to decorate and the frosting stays in place instead of sliding around.
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