Learn how to make a beautiful naked cake with fresh berries and vanilla buttercream. This chic cake decorating style is much simpler than it looks. Follow my success tips and watch the helpful video tutorial to create your own naked cake.
Today we’re baking, designing, and styling naked cakes. I’m sharing my tips for decorating a naked cake, a video showing you how, the vanilla cake recipe I used, plus plenty of inspiration for you to get started. There’s a lot of ground to cover, so let’s get right to it!
What Is a Naked Cake?
Naked cakes, with zero to minimal frosting on the outside, expose the cake layers and filling. This rustic-chic cake presentation has been popping up everywhere on the wedding, baby shower, bridal shower, and party scenes. Milk Bar owner Christina Tosi is credited with starting the trend back in 2013 when she began highlighting the cake layers, instead of just the frosting. Now naked cakes are a bakery staple!
A stunning addition to any celebration, naked cakes are perfect for Easter, Mother’s Day, small weddings, showers, and birthdays. What I love about the style is that you have creative control. You can decorate the naked cake in your own unique way, which makes this recipe 100x more fun. If interested in making a tiered cake, try my simple homemade wedding cake!
Two Types of Naked Cakes
There are 2 types of naked cakes. The cake in today’s photos is called a semi-naked or “half dressed” cake. There’s a minimal amount of frosting swiped around the sides. So in other words, a semi-naked cake is a crumb-coated cake. Or you can simplify the design even further with a true naked cake. This means the sides of the cake are bare like my fresh berry cream cake. Both styles are simple, approachable, and beautiful.
Overview: How to Make a Vanilla Semi-Naked Cake
Let’s focus on a semi-naked cake because that’s how I decorated the cake in today’s photos and video.
- Make the cake. To begin, you’ll need a layer cake. You can use any of my layer cake recipes, the vanilla layer cake recipe below, or any layer cake recipe you love. The vanilla cake recipe I include below is similar to my vanilla cake recipe, but it has more structure to support the naked cake decorating style. Cake recipes that yield three or four layers provide enough height to work with, but you can easily decorate a two layer cake this way. Tiered cakes are great too—like my homemade wedding cake.
- Add berries. I dotted fresh raspberries between my cake layers. Admittedly, I only dotted them around the edges because I ran out of raspberries. Oops! But I love how they peek out the sides. The fresh raspberries also provide a lovely texture variation. If you decide to do this as well, be warned that the raspberries will leak some juice around the edges after a day or so. I would leave the berries out if you’re making this cake in advance for a party or celebration.
- Frost the cake. Vanilla buttercream is my favorite for the half-dressed cake style. It’s simple and shows off the semi-exposed cake layers as well as the cake’s decorative pieces. The frosting recipe below is similar to my vanilla buttercream recipe, only with a higher ratio of ingredients to make a larger amount of frosting.
Vanilla Naked Cake Video Tutorial
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. 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 it necessary if your cake is moist to begin with (like my vanilla cake below). Instead of piping frosting between each cake layer, use an icing spatula to spread the frosting—another timesaver and simplified step. The frosting recipe below yields about 4.5 cups. Use 1.5 cups between each layer and 1.5 cups on top & around the sides.
- The refrigerator is your best friend. Always chill your naked cake in the refrigerator 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, as well as ensures a neater slice. Then you can set the cake out at room temperature for your party or celebration.
3 Helpful Tools for Decorating
Here are a few tools I find especially helpful for decorating a semi-naked cake.
- Straight spatula: A lot of cake decorators use an offset spatula to apply frosting on a cake, but I prefer a straight spatula. Maybe it’s the way my hands work, but it’s just easier for me to use.
- Bench scraper: Use this for running around the sides of the cake to smooth out the frosting.
- Cake turntable: This is optional. Many of you told me I needed one because it makes the job easier. And you were right! I did NOT use it for the cake pictured today, but you can watch me use it in the video tutorial. Transfer your decorated cake to a cake stand by using these cake circles—I use one in the video.
Mix and Match Cake and Frosting Recipes
Mix and match the below cake flavors and frostings to create your own unique naked cake.
Cake Flavors
These cakes are all pretty moist, so I wouldn’t worry about them drying out—especially if you choose the semi-naked/crumb coat look.
- Vanilla cake (below)
- Chocolate cake
- German chocolate cake
- Strawberry cake
- Banana layer cake
- Lemon cake
- Carrot cake
- Red velvet cake
- Spice cake (see recipe note for layer cake)
- Pumpkin cake (see recipe note for layer cake)
Frosting Flavors
- Vanilla buttercream (below)
- Cream cheese frosting
- Chocolate buttercream
- Strawberry buttercream
- Lemon buttercream
- Peanut butter frosting
- Rainbow chip frosting
Helpful tip: Freeze any leftover frosting for up to 3 months and thaw in the refrigerator for next time.
Naked Cake Decoration Ideas
I recommend starting simple, then adding from there. The possibilities are endless! Here are some of my favorite decorations to use:
- Fresh flowers. Use flowers that haven’t been sprayed with pesticides. Avoid strong-smelling flowers as the smell may linger on the cake. And if you can find edible flowers, that’s even better.
- Fresh berries or any fruit.
- Smaller sweet treats like candies, cookies, meringues, and chocolates
- Candied citrus
- Nuts or seeds
- Fresh herbs
- Cinnamon sticks
- Sprinkles
Of course you’ll need a cake stand to show off your stunning masterpiece! Here are a few I love: wood slice cake stand (similar to what I have), white cake stand, and marble cake stand.
Get creative, let your inner cake artist shine, and most of all… have fun!
See Your Vanilla Naked Cakes!
Many readers tried this recipe as part of a baking challenge! Feel free to email or share your recipe photos with us on social media. 🙂
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Vanilla Naked Cake
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 6 hours
- Yield: 12 servings
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This naked cake is simply stunning with fresh berries, vanilla cake, and vanilla buttercream.
Ingredients
- 3 and 3/4 cups (443g) sifted all-purpose flour* (spooned & leveled)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/2 cups (340g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract (yes, Tbsp!)
- 1 and 3/4 cups (420ml) buttermilk, at room temperature*
- optional: 1-2 cups fresh raspberries (or other berry, see note)
Vanilla Buttercream
- 1 and 1/2 cups (340g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 5–6 cups (600-720g) confectioners’ sugar
- 5–6 Tablespoons (75-90ml) heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- finishing decorations (see post above for inspiration!)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease three 9-inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. (If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes video & post.)
- Make the cake: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. On medium-high speed, add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, and mixing each addition just until incorporated. Do not overmix this batter. The batter will be smooth, velvety, and slightly thick.
- There is about 8 cups of batter total, so each layer will be 2 and 2/3 cups. Pour/spread batter evenly into prepared cake pans. If you’re worried about uneven cake layers, you can use a kitchen scale and weigh the cake pans for accuracy. (The weight of just the batter in my cake pans was about 1 lb 6 ounces.)
- Bake for around 25-26 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it is done. Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy—about 2 minutes. Add 5 and 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, 5 Tablespoons heavy cream, the vanilla extract, and salt with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 full minutes. Add 1/2 cup more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin, 1 more Tablespoon cream if frosting is too thick, or a pinch more of salt if frosting is way too sweet. Yields about 4.5 cups of frosting.
- Assemble and decorate the cake: Watch the video above for a tutorial on assembling and decorating this naked cake. First, using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. Discard (or crumble over ice cream!). Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand, cake turntable, or serving plate. Spread 1 and 1/2 cups of frosting evenly on top. If using, dot half of the raspberries around the rim. Flatten them down into the frosting as best you can so the cake layer on top is sturdy. Top with 2nd cake layer and evenly cover the top with another 1 and 1/2 cups of frosting and more (flattened!) raspberries around the rim. You can sprinkle a few leftover raspberries in the center, too. (Like I did in the video.) Top with the third cake layer. Spread the remaining frosting on top and all around the sides using an icing spatula. Use a bench scraper to smooth out the frosting on the sides of the cake. If you’re making a full naked cake, just spread the remaining frosting on top of the cake. If you have leftover frosting, you can freeze it for up to 3 months and thaw in the refrigerator for next time.
- Decorate the cake with garnishes.
- Refrigerate the cake for 2-3 hours or up to 1 day before slicing and serving. If chilling for more than a few hours, loosely cover with plastic wrap after 1 hour of refrigeration. (The frosting will “set” after about 1 hour and the plastic wrap won’t really ruin your frosting at that point.) And if you’re chilling for more than a few hours, I suggest decorating with garnishes right before serving (so as not to wilt the flowers, etc).
- Cover and store leftover cake at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: The cake layers can be baked, cooled, and covered tightly at room temperature overnight. Likewise, the frosting can be prepared then covered and refrigerated overnight. Assemble and frost the cake the next day when you are ready to serve. The frosted cake can be refrigerated for up to 1 day—see step 8. The frosted cake can also be frozen up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | 9-inch Round Cake Pans | Icing Spatula | Bench Scraper | Cake Turntable | Cake Carrier (for storage)
- Flour: Sift flour before measuring.
- Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a DIY buttermilk substitute. Add 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough whole milk to the same measuring cup until it reaches 1 and 3/4 cups. (In a pinch, lower fat or nondairy milks work for this soured milk, but the cake won’t taste as moist or rich.) Stir it around and let sit for 5 minutes. The homemade “buttermilk” will be somewhat curdled and ready to use in the recipe.
- Raspberries: The raspberries will leak some juice around the edges after a day or so. I would leave the berries out if you’re making this cake in advance for a party or celebration.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. Learn more about why room temperature ingredients are important.
- I used this cake recipe for my checkerboard cake. The cake layers are slightly thicker here because this cake is 3 layers instead of 4. If you want to make the naked cake as a 4 layer cake, use 2 cups of batter for each cake layer and bake for 23-24 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Love your recipes! My cake doesn’t seem very sturdy coming out of the pan. Any ideas where I might have messed up?
Hi Hanpow, does it seem dry and crumbly? If so, the cake may have been over baked, or there may have been too much flour that caused the cake to dry out (be sure to spoon and level or use a kitchen scale for accuracy). Or was it overly moist and slightly sunken in the middle? If so, it’s possible that the cake was slightly underbaked and needed a few extra minutes in the oven. Hope you enjoy the cake!
Hi,
Hi! Can we use three 8 inch pans for the same recipe/ qty of ingredients?
Hi Tanu, Yes you can divide the batter between three 8 inch pans instead. The bake time may be a minute longer since your cakes will be thicker, but use a toothpick to test for doneness. If the toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake, it is done.
Thanks! Hope to try it out.
I made this cake for my stepson’s wedding. Very doable for a home baker. Thank you! Where can I submit my picture? I am so proud of it!
Hi Joyce, we’re so glad this was a hit! Feel free to send us a photo at sally@sallysbakingaddiction.com — we’d love to see it!
Hello! If I was to use this recipe for a 13 1/2 x 9 1/2 baking tray would that be okay? Should I put all mixture in at once or do two batches? For either, would I vary cooking time? Thanks so much!
Hi Anna, for a 9×13-inch vanilla cake, we recommend using this vanilla sheet cake recipe instead.
Oh no. I don’t have all the ingredients for the vanilla sheet cake recipe and I need to bake tonight (I am in Australia!). Will this recipe not work at all in the larger rectangle?
Hi Anna, if needed, you can use this recipe for a 9×13-inch pan, but it is too much batter as written. Fill you pan about half way and use any leftover batter for a few cupcakes on the side.
This recipe was AMAZING. I decided to make it for Sunday dinner and it turned out perfectly. It is the first tiered cake I’ve made, but everything was so simply explained, I had no problem making it. Everyone loved it! I did add 2 Tablespoons of fresh lemon juice to the frosting, and that was pretty yummy.
So I made this cake for a big family event and it came out SO SO WELL. Looked gorgeous, tasted divine. Absolutely loved it. The layers each took me exactly 26 minutes to bake and I refrigerated the cake the night before the event so the frosting would set and the cake wouldn’t fall apart in the car on the ride. 10/10!
Hey, my daughter would love this for her birthday (10 and doesn’t like lots of icing but loves fruit, so perfect!) but really wants chocolate sponge layers would this work? And if so have you got a recipe link to a good chocolate sponge I always mess mine up thank you
Hi Faye, yes, you can use our chocolate cake recipe instead! See recipe notes there if you’d like to make 3 layers instead of 2.
I made this cake for a wedding and it turned out awesome!! It was delicious, It wasn’t too sweet, and it wasn’t too not sweet!! I will Definitely be making this again!!!
Can I use plain flour instead of All purpose flour?
Hi Jayne, they’re exactly the same, so yes!
Hi Sally, If I make this recipe in a cupcake version, how many cupcakes would this recipe make?
Thanks!
Hi Clare, about 2-3 dozen.
Can I freeze the layers? Unfrosted, just baked?
Hi Sam, Sure can. Here is how to freeze cake layers.
I would like to make this for a two-tiered wedding cake (6″ and 8″). I will need to leave the berries out of the layers because I will have to assemble the cake the day before. Will this still hold up?
Also, how long in advance can I decorate with the fresh berries on top and some on the bottom layer as well. I don’t want the berries to bleed onto the frosting if the cake sits out for most of the day. Thank you for any advice you can give about decorating with berries in advance.
Hi Robyn, yes, the cake will still hold up nicely without the berries. We’d recommend waiting until as close to presentation time as possible to add the berries. As you mention, they can easily bleed their colors, especially if they will be out for most of the day. Hope it’s a hit!
Hi Sally, I want to make this for my mom’s birthday but we wouldn’t be able to finish it. If I cut the recipe in half how long would the bake time be for 4-5 inch cake pans?
Hi Annie, we’re unsure of the exact bake time for 5-inch cake rounds. Keep a close eye on them and use a toothpick to test for doneness.