Cream Cake is an easy to make frosted layer cake. Rich fluffy vanilla cake recipe made with heavy cream and no butter, Simple but decadent!
This easy cake recipe is similar to a Classic Vanilla Cake, but it swaps milk for heavy cream to make an ultra-soft cake that melts in your mouth with a rich creamy flavor. It’s a decadent yet simple Cake Recipe perfect for any occasion.
Table of contents
Sabrina’s Cream Cake Recipe
What makes this Cream Cake so special is it has a rich cream flavor yet it’s so light and tender. The secret is using heavy cream instead of milk and skipping the butter in the cake batter. A cake batter without butter might sound crazy, but trust me it works. And if you are missing the butter, don’t worry, the rich vanilla buttercream frosting has plenty of it!
Chef’s Note: Frosting Layer Cakes
A frosted layer cake might look intimidating, no matter how long you have been baking, but really it’s not that hard if you take your time. Personally, I like to bake my cake layers the night before so I know for sure they will be cooled all the way. Not only does this keep your frosting from melting (and the top layer from sliding off), but it is easier to trim a cool cake. It is less likely to break apart and you’ll have less crumbs overall. Speaking of crumbs, don’t skip the crumb coat. That’s a thin layer of frosting around the entire cake, then you chill it for about 30 minutes before adding the final layer of frosting. This will give you that perfectly smooth bakery-worthy finish!
Ingredients
- Eggs and Sugar: Most cake recipes call for unsalted butter. But for the cake base in this recipe, you’ll just beat together 3 large eggs and 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar. As you beat the ingredients in the electric mixer, the egg whites and yolks should combine into a smooth, slightly frothy mixture. Mixing them thoroughly with the sugar will add air to the recipe, making a light, silky cake batter.
- Vanilla: This is a very simple vanilla cake. Use 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract in the Cream Cake Batter and another teaspoon to flavor the classic buttercream frosting.
- Flour: You can make the batter with all-purpose flour, but the mixture will turn out lighter and less chewy, using cake flour instead. Whichever type of flour you use, sift the dry ingredients before adding them to the electric mixer. It is important to remove any extra lumps so you don’t have to overmix the recipe.
- Baking powder: Use 1 tablespoon baking powder in the dry ingredients. Baking powder is a leavening agent used to make the cream cake rise in the oven. Ensure the baking powder isn’t past its expiration date or won’t work.
- Heavy cream: To finish the simple cake batter, use 1 ½ cups heavy cream. The heavy cream adds fat and softens the dry ingredients to make a smooth, rich mixture. The white cake recipe turns out perfectly soft, moist, and chewy but not too dense as it bakes. Set aside another 2-4 tablespoons of heavy cream for the frosting.
- Butter: Although you don’t use butter in the cake batter, you’ll need 1 cup unsalted butter to make the vanilla buttercream frosting. Let the butter soften before beating it into a soft, fluffy consistency with the 6 cups of powdered sugar.
Kitchen Tools & Equipment
- 2 8-inch cake pans: An 8-inch cake pan is a round baking pan that is 8 inches in diameter.
- Stand Mixer: A stand mixer is stationary and features a large bowl on a base.
- Sifter: A sifter helps to ensure that the dry ingredients are evenly mixed, free of lumps, and properly aerated, which can improve the texture and consistency of baked goods.
- Cake Plate: Cake plates feature a raised base or pedestal that elevates the cake above the table or countertop, making it easier to frost.
How to Make
Time needed: 3 hours.
- Prep Work
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spray two 8-inch cake pans with non-stick cooking spray.
- Beat Eggs
Add the eggs and granulated sugar to your stand mixer and mix at medium speed for about 1 minute. Then, raise the mixer speed to high enough to beat for 3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and beat for 15 seconds.
- Sift Dry Ingredients
Then, sift the flour, baking powder, and kosher salt in a separate bowl.
- Combine into Cake Batter
Turn the stand mixer to its lowest speed. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and heavy cream to the mixing bowl until combined.
- Baking the Cake Layers
Spread the cake batter evenly into the prepared cake pans. Bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cakes cool before icing.
- Make the Frosting
Add softened butter to a clean stand mixer and mix at low speed to cream butter. Then, add the powdered sugar in ½ cup increments until thoroughly combined. After adding all the sugar, raise the mixer speed to medium-high for 2 minutes. Then add the vanilla extract and heavy cream and beat until light and fluffy for another minute.
- Prep the Cake Layers
Use a serrated knife to level the cakes so that you have flat cake layers. Then, brush excess crumbs off the surface of the cake and discard them with the excess cake strips.
- Frost the Bottom Layer
Add a spoonful of frosting to your cake stand or cake plate. Add the first layer of cool cake to your cake stand. Then top it off with 1 cup of frosting, and spread the dollops of frosting evenly.
- Add the Top Layer
Top with the second layer of cake, add a cup of frosting, then spread the frosting evenly.
- Crumb Coat and Chill
Add another cup of frosting to the outside of the cake to coat the edges. Then place the Cream Cake in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes to allow the frosting to harden
- Outer Frosting Layer
Remove the cake from the refrigerator and frost it with half the remaining frosting, using an offset spatula to spread the buttercream smoothly.
- Decorate
Transfer the remaining frosting to the piping bag and pipe it in swirly mounds over the top of the cake. Let the frosting set for a few minutes before slicing and serving the Cream Cake.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Cream Cake:
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 6 cups powdered sugar , about 2 pounds
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-4 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
Cream Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray two 8-inch cake pans with baking spray.
- Add eggs and sugar to your stand mixer on medium speed and beat for 1 minute.
- Raise speed to high and beat for 3 minutes.
- Add in the vanilla extract and beat for 15 seconds.
- Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
- Add to the stand mixer on the lowest speed, alternating with the heavy cream, beating until just combined.
- Spread evenly into cake pans and bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool completely before icing.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:
- To your stand mixer on low speed cream the butter then start adding in the powdered sugar in ½ cup increments until fully combined, then raise the speed to medium-high for 2 additional minutes.
- Add in the vanilla and heavy cream and beat until light and fluffy for an additional minute.
To Finish:
- To your cake stand add a spoonful of frosting.
- Level the cakes with a large serrated knife and discard the cake pieces.
- Brush off excess crumbs.
- Add the first layer of the cake to the cake stand.
- Top with 1 cup of frosting, spread evenly.
- Top with second layer of cake.
- Top with 1 cup of frosting, spread evenly.
- Add 1 cup of frosting, coating the outside of the cake.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow to harden.
- Frost the cake with half the remaining cream cheese frosting.
- Pipe swirly mounds onto the top of the cake.
Nutrition
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Can this be made ahead of time?
Absolutely! You can bake the cake layers and freeze them for up to 3 months ahead of time, or pop them in the fridge for a day or two before assembling the cake. Let the cake layers cool completely to room temperature then wrap them tightly in two layers of plastic wrap. The frosting can also be made up to 2 days in advance if you keep it in the fridge or up to 4 months in the freezer. When you are ready to assemble the cake, let the frosting come to room temperature so it’s easy to spread, but frost the cake layers while they are chilled to prevent excess crumbs.
Nutritional Facts
How to Store
- Serve: Let the cake set for a few minutes before slicing and serving this cake recipe. Don’t leave the cake in a warm room to keep it fresh.
- Store: Cover the cake in plastic wrap or transfer cake wedges to an airtight container in the fridge. The Cream Cake will stay in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
- Freeze: To keep the cake frozen, carefully wrap the cake in plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil, or place the cake in an airtight container to store in the freezer. It will keep well for 2-3 weeks in the freezer or up to 3 months if you store the cake before frosting it.
Topping & Filling Ideas for Cream Cake
- Toppings: To make a more elegant cake, you can always dress up the top layer with fresh berries, chocolate shavings, toasted coconut, or pecans. Flood the top with Caramel Sauce and let some of the sauce drip down the sides before adding the frosting swirls for a bakery-style decoration.
- Filling: Add a delicious filling to the center of your cake. Spread a thin layer of the vanilla buttercream over the first layer then pipe a ring of frosting around the top of the cake layer. Spread a filling like Strawberry Jam or Chocolate Ganache in the frosting ring. Chill the cake for 30 minutes to make the frosting more stable, then add the remaining cake layer and continue frosting as usual.
Frequent Questions
Decadent Cream Cheese Frosting would add a delicious, tangy flavor to the cake. If you want a combination of vanilla and chocolate cake flavor, you could use Chocolate Buttercream Frosting. During the holidays, try it with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting and add a pinch of cinnamon to the cake batter.
This Cream Cake uses heavy cream as the fat and liquid ingredient in the recipe. The heavy cream helps create a rich, creamy consistency. Another big difference is that it is made without butter, with the fat in the heavy cream replacing the fat in the butter.
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