Go Back
–+ servings

Homemade Wedding Cake

Carissa Erzen
Even if you're a beginner baker, you can totally make your own homemade wedding cake! Read all the pro tips and tricks from my own experience, plus the suggested timeline in the blog post. Plus you can use these same recipes to make cupcakes!
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Recipe Save
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 1 hour
Decorating 3 hours
Total Time 5 hours
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 24 people
Calories 562 kcal

Ingredients
  

Chocolate Cake (2 layers)

  • 1 scant cup milk
  • 2 teaspoon white vinegar
  • 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • ¾ cup strong, freshly brewed black coffee

Strawberry Cake (2 layers)

  • 1 cup freeze dried strawberries (turns into a scant half cup once blended into a powder)
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar
  • 1¾ cups cake flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ⅔ cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

  • 3 cups unsalted butter (6 sticks) softened to room temperature
  • 6 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

Make the Chocolate Cake Layers

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
    Grease two 8-inch round cake tins.
  • Pour the scant cup milk and two teaspoons of white vinegar in a bowl and let sit for 10 minutes at room temperature to curdle a bit & become homemade buttermilk.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.
  • In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the two eggs, vanilla extract, vegetable oil and the homemade buttermilk.
  • Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix it with a spatula until there is no dry mixture visible.
  • Add the hot strong coffee and whisk until the batter is smooth.
  • Divide the batter equally among the two cake tins.
    Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of each cake. (Be sure to check each cake for doneness, as they could finish baking at different times.)
  • Let the cakes cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then remove them from the pans and allow to cool to room temperature on a cooling rack.

Make the Strawberry Cake Layers

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
    Grease two 8-inch round cake tins.
  • Pulverize the freeze dried strawberries in a food processor, blender, or by smashing them with something heavy in a ziplock bag until it forms a fine powder. Set aside.
    The one cup of strawberries will turn into about a scant half cup pf powder.
  • Pour the scant cup milk and two teaspoons of white vinegar in a bowl and let sit for 10 minutes at room temperature to curdle a bit & become homemade buttermilk.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda and freeze dried strawberry powder. Set aside.
  • In a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar for about 3 minutes, until it is fluffy.
    Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.
    Add the vanilla extract, and mix again to combine.
  • In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the homemade buttermilk and Greek yogurt.
  • Add about one-third of the dry mixture to the butter and sugar. Mix until there's no dry flour visible.
    Add about one-third of the milk and yogurt mixture. Mix again until it's fully combined.
    Continue alternating between adding the dry and wet ingredients, mixing after each time.
  • Divide the batter equally among the two cake tins.
    Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of each cake. (Be sure to check each cake for doneness, as they could finish baking at different times.)
  • Let the cakes cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then remove them from the pans and allow to cool to room temperature on a cooling rack.

Make the Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

  • In a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, beat the softened butter for about 5 minutes, until it is soft and fluffy.
  • Add one cup of powdered sugar and beat it on a low speed until the sugar is incorporated.
    Continue beating in one cup of powdered sugar at a time until the frosting is smooth, fluffy and pale yellow.
  • Add the vanilla extract and salt and mix again until it's combined.
  • If you feel like your buttercream is still too stiff, add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time and beat that in to help loosen your buttercream. The frosting should be stiff enough to stick on the sides of your cake without sliding down.

Assemble the Wedding Cake

  • Use a serrated knife to trim the caramelized edges off the four cake layers. Trim the tops off the cakes so they are level and all the same size and height.
  • Spread a tablespoon of the buttercream frosting on a cake plate, then place the first cake layer in the center of the cake plate.
  • Spread out a few large dollops of the buttercream on top of the first layer, to make the frosting about ½-inch thick.
  • Place the second cake layer directly on top, and spread more frosting on top until it's a level ½-inch thick.
    Repeat with the third and fourth cake layers, alternating between chocolate and strawberry layers.
  • Spread small dollops of buttercream frosting on the sides of the cake. Use an offset spatula and a cake scraper to get the buttercream even and smooth on the top and the sides. This layer can be pretty thin, since you mainly want to create a "crumb coat" to lock in the cake crumbs.
  • Let it set it the fridge for at least 30 minutes so the frosting can harden a bit.
  • Spread the remaining buttercream frosting on the sides of the cake. Use an offset spatula and a cake scraper to get the buttercream even and smooth on the top and the sides.
  • Decorate your cake with extra piped frosting, if desired.
    Add any additional toppings like fresh fruit or fresh flowers on the morning of the wedding. Enjoy!!

Notes

  • You can bake the cake layers up to 3 months in advance of the wedding. Allow them to cool completely then wrap each layer individually in plastic cling wrap them in aluminum foil. Place them in the freezer in an single layer. Don't stack them until they're completely frozen.
  • Allow frozen cake layers to defrost overnight at room temperature the day before you plan to assemble and decorate the cake.
  • You can make the frosting up to 5 days in advance of the wedding. Store the frosting in airtight containers in the fridge.
  • You can frost the cake one day in advance of the wedding. Store it in the fridge, but wait to add any additional toppings like fresh fruit or flowers until the morning of the wedding.
  • Use these same cake and frosting recipes to create cupcakes. Use piping bags to pipe the frosting onto cupcakes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 562kcalCarbohydrates: 64gProtein: 5gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 99mgSodium: 349mgPotassium: 188mgFiber: 2gSugar: 47gVitamin A: 876IUVitamin C: 80mgCalcium: 58mgIron: 3mg
Keyword homemade wedding cake, how to make a wedding cake
Did you make this recipe?Leave a comment below - I love hearing from you!