In this world of ready mixes and canned frosting, baking and decorating layer cakes from scratch often seems like a lost art. But there’s hardly a cooking craft more satisfying: not only does it fill your house with that heady aroma, but by the time you finish assembling and decorating the cake, you feel like an architectural genius.

And once you know how to make one layer cake, you know how to make hundreds. All you need is an arsenal of a few reliable components—chocolate and vanilla cake bases, a fluffy whipped-cream filling, and a smooth buttercream (each with multiple flavoring options) and nearly endless options for decorating, from fresh berries to elegant chocolate curls.

Choose your cake style

这re are two basic styles here: a stacked, “naked” cake with berries and whipped-cream filling and frosting on, or a cake filled and frosted with homemade buttercream. If you’re running short on time, opt for a whipped-cream-filled cake. Making it is a cinch, and the cake looks spectacular with whipped cream and berries oozing between the layers. But don’t be afraid of buttercream cakes: they won’t bog you down for endless hours—they require just a little more time and focus. If you want to work ahead, consider that buttercream cakes can be assembled the night before and refrigerated, while whipped cream cakes should be assembled shortly before serving.

奶油和磨砂蛋糕

Whipped-cream-filled, “naked” stacked cake

Bake your cake

Both recipes make two 9-inch round cakes, which will be split into four layers. TheVanilla Butter Cake是嫩的，不是过于甜美，并且是各种填充口味的完美中性背景。这Chocolate Sour Cream Cakeis deep, intense, and exceptionally moist. The vanilla cake requires about half as much baking time as the chocolate. No matter which cake you choose, let it cool completely before beginning the assembly process.

Choose a cake flavor

Vanilla Butter Cake

Sour Cream Chocolate Cake

Vanilla	覆盆子	Strawberry
Lemon	Orange	Chocolate
Coffee/mocha	Liqueur (Frangelico, Grand Marnier, etc): buttercream frosting only

水平和cakes

If the tops of the cakes have mounded unevenly, level them by removing the top crust with a long serrated knife.

Slice each cake into two layers: start by tracing a line around the middle of the cake with a long serrated knife. Then slowly rotate the cake while following that line with the knife and cut through the cake toward the center. After a few rotations you will have sliced the cake in two.

如果您没有直接切割，请在分开之前，将牙签放在每一层，一个直接在另一层上方，这样您可以在组装蛋糕时再次对其进行排列。（（Watch the videoto see how.) This will prevent your finished cake from tilting.

Fill and stack the cakes

If you’ve chosen a whipped cream-frosted cake, adding berries between the layers not only tastes great but helps the delicate whipped cream support the cake. If you’ve chosen a buttercream-frosted cake, you can add an additional layer of flavor by spreading liqueur-thinned jam mixed with 3 Tbs. of liquer on the underside of each cake layer.

Place the bottom layer on a flat serving platter or a cake stand lined with strips of waxed paper to keep it clean while assembling the cake. Top the layer with a scant1-1/2 cups buttercream要么whipped cream frosting, spreading it evenly with a metal cake spatula almost to the cake’s edge for buttercream, or right up to the edge for whipped cream.

For a whipped cream cake, top with1-1/2 cups berries（（see options below), making sure some of the berries are around the edges of the cake so you can see them between the layers. Repeat with the next two layers.

Strawberries	黑莓
Raspberries	Blueberries

Buttercream cake: Choose a jam filling (optional)

覆盆子jam

Apricot jam

Orange marmalade

Frost the cake (buttercream only)

第一次涂一些糖霜(称为碎屑coating) to seal the cake crumbs in: Spoon about 1/2 cup buttercream into a small bowl. Spread it in a very thin layer over the entire cake with a small metal cake spatula. You should be able to see the cake layers through the frosting. Chill the cake for about 20 minutes or until the frosting is firm.

Spread the remaining frosting thickly and evenly over the entire cake with a large metal cake spatula. Don’t worry about getting a smooth, perfect finish; just make sure the cake is completely covered and the frosting is spread uniformly. You shouldn’t be able to see the layers underneath the buttercream.

Chocolate shavings
Sliced almonds, toasted	Large unsweetened coconut flakes, toasted

Chocolate-covered espresso beans	Fresh berries	Lemon slices
Orange zest curls	Orange slices	Fresh mint leaves
Shaved chocolate curls	Toasted whole hazelnuts