Easy Textured Buttercream Cake (decorated with artificial roses)

Easy Textured Buttercream Cake

If you spend much time on Pinterest or Instagram...

...at least in the cake/baking sections....you’ve almost definitely seen this textured icing style before!

I've done wedding cakes, birthday cakes, and graduation cakes in this style. It's decorative but simple - which makes it a great fit for almost any occasion!

I used flowers for the cake in the photos / video, but decorations are up to you. Honestly, if the cake looked halfway decent with those cheap-o Dollar Tree flowers I put on top, you can get away with ANYTHING! Decorate with fresh flowers, sprinkles, frosting swirls, cake toppers, figurines - whatever you want!

This super-easy cake is

  1. First - delicious. It's a classic rich and (::censor for my m-word haters::) very NOT dry vanilla cake with Magnolia bakery-inspired frosting. Can you ever go wrong with that combo?
  2. Second - insanely easy to decorate. You really don't even have to bother smoothing the sides! 
  3. 3) decorative and fun! A handful of silk or nontoxic flowers, a sprinkle mix (or two), or even just a cake topper finishes out the look beautifully!  

I've made this recipe several times now - by repeated request - and it's been a hit every time. If you want to, you can even scale (1.5x) the recipe and make a 8-inch / 6-inch tiered cake with this recipe. I've done this before for a wedding cake. It was easy, but looked elegant and perfect with the rest of the wedding table decor. 

 

Here are my favorite recipes + tips and tricks for an easy textured buttercream cake! Makes a rich vanilla cake with beautifully-textured sides! I've included supply links in case you need them! Happy baking!

(Disclosure: As an Amazon associate I may earn from qualifying purchases, and my posts often contain affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you!) 

Easy Textured Buttercream Cake (decorated with artificial roses)

Easy Textured Buttercream Cake

Want to decorate a beautiful buttercream cake - and not worry about smoothing the sides? Make this Easy Textured Buttercream Cake!
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 37 minutes
Decorating time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 52 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 16 servings
Calories 782 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

Cake Layers

  • 3 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter (or 2 sticks room temperature)
  • 5 eggs
  • 1 ½ cups buttermilk (room temperature)
  • 2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract

Magnolia Bakery’s Buttercream Vanilla Icing

Instructions
 

Cake Layers

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare three 8-inch round pans with baker's floured spray (or grease and line with parchment rounds).
  • Mix together all dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt) in a stand mixer with a paddle (or mixing bowl with a hand mixer or whisk)  until fully combined.
  • Mix bits of room-temperature butter slowly into the dry mix, on a low speed. Continue to mix until no large chunks of butter remain, and the mixture becomes crumbly.
  • Pour in eggs and mix on low until just incorporated. Mix in the buttermilk slowly, on a low speed. Add in vanilla, and mix at a low speed until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then beat on medium speed for about 30 seconds.
  • Divide batter evenly between the prepared cake pans (I find a kitchen scale helpful for this part). This guarantees your layers will bake to be the same height.
  • Bake for 34-37 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean). Allow cake layers to cool for 10-15 minutes on a wire cooling rack before removing from pans. Cool completely before frosting - set in the fridge or freezer to accelerate the cooling process if desired.
  • Once the layers have fully cooled, they can be leveled and any caramelized bits can be trimmed from the sides / top of the cake using a serrated knife if desired. Be sure the layers are completely cooled or chilled before trimming so they don't crumble or break. (Meanwhile, make your frosting!)

Magnolia Bakery’s Buttercream Vanilla Icing

  • (I don't always like the sweetness of plain buttercream icing, but this time I wanted the smooth silky texture of Magnolia Bakery’s Buttercream Vanilla Icing!)
  • Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, until the icing is thick enough to spread. (Leftover icing freezes well for up to two months.)

Assembly

  • Place a smear of frosting on your cake circle (to keep the cake from sliding while you decorate it) and center your first cake layer in the center of the circle. Spread the layer with frosting. Repeat the process with your remaining cake layers.
  • Now you're ready to crumb-coat . If you're unfamiliar with crumb-coating, it's just what it sounds like – spreading a thin layer of frosting over the entire outside of the cake to keep crumbs out of your final layer.
  • Once your crumb coat has set (this takes about 5-10 minutes in the fridge), add your final layer of frosting and smooth – I didn’t spend a ton of time getting it super smooth; there’s no point if you're going to texture it!
  • Now for that texturing – I found this the easiest to do with a warm offset spatula; it helps keep the edges of the ridges from getting too torn and rough. Heat a mug of water in the microwave for 45-60 seconds, until fairly warm to touch. I found it easiest to begin at the base of the cake and work upwards. Drag the tip of the spatula around the outer edge of the cake, working your way up a layer at a time. I found that stopping every half-turn or so to scrape and re-warm my spatula gave me the best results!
  • Top with leaves and flowers if you’d like – I kept the cake in the fridge to make sure the texturing on the outside of the cake stayed in place.

Video

Notes

(Please note nutrition information is an estimate, and may not be exactly accurate.) 

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 782kcalCarbohydrates: 101gProtein: 9gFat: 38g
Keyword Buttercream Cakes for beginners, Easy Buttercream Cake, Easy to decorate Cakes, Textured buttercream cake
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