Simple, rustic and a flair of elegance is how I would describe a naked or almost naked cake. This Vanilla Naked Cake Challenge was presented by my baking guru, and I promise it will give you confidence when tackling your next layered cake.
I know what you’re thinking, baking guru? I talk about Sally from Sally’s Baking Addiction like she was a close friend. I’ve followed Sally’s Baking Addiction blog for some time now and find inspiration in everything she sends my way. Twelve times a year she offers her followers a baking challenge, and this month it was a Vanilla Naked Cake. I couldn’t resist this one, and I took the challenge! My love for naked cakes continues to grow, and when I saw Sally’s email, I was all over it. Believe me; a naked cake is something we can all conquer. Your creation will have you smiling from ear to ear, and the whisperings will be, yes, I can make a beautiful layered cake!
Vanilla Naked Cake Challenge
What do I love about naked cakes? Well, first of all, there is an element of imperfection. At first glance, you think; I can do that. You don’t see beautifully piped flowers and swirls on top of a seamless coating of icing. Instead, you see sides exposed or barely covered and in this case, fruit popping out along the edge. If you want to embellish with decorations, just use your imagination.
I won’t be listing the recipe in this post because I followed Sally’s recipe word for word, so I will send you to her site. What I will give you is a few comments from this experiences and cake baking in general.
- LIning the cake pans: I made Sally’s recipe twice and lined the pans on one of the bakes and not the other. I had no problem removing the cake in either case. My Wilton cake pans are still relatively new.
- I’ve included a picture of the cake batter because it is light but not as thin as a typical cake mix batter. In Sally’s directions, she gives you the amount of cake batter that should be in each pan. This helps in getting even layers.
- If you are using three eight inch pans, two cake mixes will work.
- Sally’s Buttercream Icing is delicious!
- I needed more than one recipe for icing, so I halved the recipe to fill in.
- I would suggest making the icing the same day you ice the cake. When it’s fresh, it’s easier to spread. I made the cake and the icing the day before I assembled. I had to bring the icing to room temperature and add additional cream to thin for spreading.
- In the picture, it looks like there is a huge layer of icing, but it’s not. There are approximately 1 1/2 cups of icing per layer.
- I used a 12-ounce container of raspberries. I placed the raspberries just around the edge of the first layer and the same on the second layer and filled in the center of the second layer with what was left. I love how the fruit is slightly exposed around the edge.
I have to throw in a few comments about the tools that are used in Sally’s post. I’ve been gradually adding to my kitchen tools, and the only one I had was the straight spatula. I used a chair cushion that swivels (a Christmas gift), instead of a rotating cake stand and a wide edge scaper for counters instead of a bench scraper. Now I know my cake doesn’t look exactly like Sally’s, but it’s a beginning. Right? I did go out and buy a cake stand that had more of a rustic look to it. I’m going to ask my cousin Bob, about the possibilities of making a wooden cake stand. It’s the rage.
So, what do you think? I would love to hear your opinions about naked cakes. Last summer I made one in the post My First Experience Baking With Duck Eggs. and I’ve been hooked ever since. Do you make layered cakes and how do you like to decorate them. Please consider leaving a message for the Sock Box 10 community.
Here is the link to Sally’s Baking Addiction, it’s also listed above and is highlighted. Thanks, Sally, for being such an inspiration!
Thanks for stopping by, Rose