Vibrant School Colors Layer Cake
A quick and easy 3-layer celebration cake featuring bright, vibrant school colors with a moist texture and creamy buttercream frosting. Perfect for birthdays, school events, and festive gatherings.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 tablespoon (15g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (3g) salt
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (10ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk, room temperature
- Gel food coloring, assorted colors
- For the Buttercream Frosting:
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
- 2–3 tablespoons (30-45ml) heavy cream
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease three 8-inch cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
- Reduce mixer speed to low. Add dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with milk, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Mix just until combined.
- Divide batter evenly into three bowls. Add gel food coloring to each and stir gently until fully blended.
- Pour each colored batter into prepared pans and smooth tops. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto cooling racks. Remove parchment and cool completely.
- For the buttercream, beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and heavy cream until fluffy and spreadable.
- Assemble cake by layering each colored cake with buttercream between layers. Frost entire cake smoothly with remaining buttercream. Chill for 20 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Use gel food coloring to prevent bleeding and maintain vibrant colors. Let batter rest 10 minutes before baking to reduce air bubbles. Chill cake between frosting layers for sharp edges. For dairy-free, substitute butter and milk with plant-based alternatives. For gluten-free, use 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12 of cak
- Calories: 400
- Fat: 18
- Carbohydrates: 55
- Protein: 4
Keywords: layer cake, school colors cake, celebration cake, buttercream frosting, colorful cake, easy cake recipe, birthday cake, party cake