Simple Layer Cake Recipe

This simple layer cake recipe is made from a jelly roll cake. It has thin layers coated with jelly filling and a creamy butter frosting on top.

Ingredients

Cake
5 egg yolks
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
5 egg whites
2/3 cup cake flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 Tablespoons melted butter

Filling
1 cup (more or less as desired) of your favorite jam or jelly

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
3-4 cups confectioners' sugar, SIFTED
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Up to 4 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
(Makes 2 1/2 cups frosting)

Directions

Cake

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Line a 10x15x1 inch cake pan with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper with butter and dust with flour.

Separate the egg whites and yolks into two mixing bowls.

Using an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks until thickened and light in color. Slowly beat in 1/3 cup of the sugar, the lemon juice and zest.

Using clean beaters, beat the egg white until they start to stiffen, then add the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar and beat until still peaks form.

Fold the yolk mixture into whites mixture.

In another mixing bowl, sift the cake flour, salt and baking soda together, then add to the egg mixture, folding it in. Fold in the melted butter. You don't want to over beat this batter.

Pour onto the prepared sheet and bake for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and place onto a cooling rack for 5 minutes then transfer the cake directly onto the cooling rack, inverting so you can remove the parchment paper. Let cool completely.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

In a mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat butter for a few minutes on medium speed.

Add 3 cups of confectioners' sugar and beat on low speed until the sugar is incorporated into the butter.

Increase mixer speed to medium and add the pure vanilla extract, salt, and 2 tablespoons of milk/cream and beat for 3 minutes.

If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add the remaining confectioners' sugar.

If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add remaining milk 1 tablespoons at a time.

Put the frosting into your piping bag.

Assembly

Cut the cake in half to create two layers and place the bottom one onto a serving platter.

Do a layer of jam, put the top layer of cake, spread another layer of jam, then pipe on the frosting.