Simple Naked Birthday Cake
Moist, fluffy, and perfectly sweetened – this Simple Naked Birthday Cake is a vanilla layer cake filled with fluffy chocolate frosting and topped with natural sprinkles for an organic cake that's perfect for any occasion, even beyond birthdays!
If you’re looking for more naked cake recipes, check out Banana Bread Semi Naked Cake, Honey Apple Carrot Cake, Chocolate Cherry Whipped Cream Cake, Cookie Dough Layer Cake, or Orange Ginger Carrot Cake.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Simple Naked Birthday Cake
- Ready In: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Makes: 3 layer 6-inch cake
- Main Ingredients: cane sugar, cake flour, powdered sugar, Dutch cocoa
- Flavor Profile: sweet, tender vanilla cake with velvety chocolate frosting
- Dietary Info: gluten free swap option
- Difficulty: Medium
- Why You’ll Love It: Celebrate good times with a cake that’s as joyful as it is simple
Summarize & Save This Content On
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Perfect for Any Occasion: This is a simple naked birthday cake recipe, but it goes beyond birthdays! Easter, New Year’s, long weekends – this naked cake can be enjoyed anytime!
- Moist & Fluffy: This classic vanilla cake is moist and fluffy and it’s filled with a smooth and creamy chocolate buttercream frosting. I top this with my favorite plant based nonpareil sprinkles for a simple naked birthday cake that everyone will love.
- Easy Cake: Because I frost this cake naked, and use a piping bag with a tip, this cake does not require a cake spinner to make it look perfect. So, that makes this an incredibly easy naked birthday cake recipe, especially if you are new to baking! So, if you don’t have a cake spinner, this is a great cake to bake that is just as easy to make without needing extra tools! Even if you don’t have the piping tip, you can definitely go without it!
- Organic Cake: This organic cake is free of artificial colors, while still making a festive birthday cake. Skip the super market bakery section and make this homemade birthday cake instead!
Ingredients
- Canola Oil: I use organic canola oil as the base for this organic cake. Canola oil is a neutral oil, making it perfect for vanilla cake. If you don't want to use this if you're avoiding seed oils, you can swap it for avocado or extra virgin olive oil but these will have a little more savory flavor in your cake.
- Buttermilk: I use organic buttermilk in the cake for flavor. You can use store bought or you can make your own with my Organic Buttermilk Recipe.
- Cake Flour: I use Homemade Organic Cake Flour, but store bought also works. Don't use all purpose flour as cake flour has a lower protein content, creating a more delicate and tender crumb.
- Baking Powder: Make sure to use baking powder as this is a slow rise bake. Check out my post the Difference Between Baking Soda and Baking Powder for more info on leavening agents.
- Dutch Cocoa Powder: I use NuNaturals Organic Dutch Cocoa Powder for a rich and creamy chocolate frosting.
- Dark Chocolate: I use organic mini dark chocolate chips in the frosting. You can also use a chopped up chocolate bar as well.
- Natural Sprinkles: I use ColorKitchen Foods Nonpareil Sprinkles for plant based sprinkles that are free of artificial colors.
*For a full list of ingredients and measurements, visit the recipe card below.
Baker's Tips for Simple Naked Birthday Cake
- Always weigh ingredients for the best results.
- You can make the cake batter with a hand mixer or stand mixer too, that also works if you prefer.
- If you don't have cake flour, you can easily make your own with my Homemade Organic Cake Flour recipe!
- If you don't have the piping bag or tip, you can just spread out frosting on each layer using a spatula. It will look more like a rust naked cake, but will be quick, easy and still beautiful!
- If you want to frost the entire cake, you can also do that. Check out How to Crumb Coat a Cake for a tutorial on crumb coating and then you can just finish it with frosting.
- While I top this with naturally colored nonpareils, you can also use any other toppings you like such as fresh fruit, nuts, caramel sauce and more.
- Make sure to store this cake under a cake dome if you make ahead of time as the sides are exposed, so it can dry out easily.
- Gluten Free — Replace the cake flour with 425 grams (heaping 2 ⅔ cups) gluten free flour blend.
How to Make a Simple Naked Birthday Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line three 6-inch baking pans with parchment paper. To make the batter: In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, (or alternatively, using a hand mixer, or large bowl with a whisk) add the cane sugar, canola oil, milk, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla extract.
- Whisk together.
- Add in the cake flour, baking powder, and sea salt in that order. Mix on low until combined into a smooth batter.
- Transfer to the prepared baking pans evenly, about 400 grams each.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the pan. (If you're baking at high altitude, be sure to check the Notes at the bottom of the recipe for high altitude baking instructions).
- To make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer) add the butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and melted chocolate.
- Mix on low until combined, then speed up to high and mix for 2 to 3 minutes or until light and fluffy.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag with Ateco tip #827.
- On a plate or cake stand, add a small dollop of frosting and place the first cake layer on it. This helps to prevent the cake from sliding. Pipe a circle of frosting around the outer edge of the cake and spiral into the middle. Top with rainbow sprinkles.
- Top with the second cake layer and repeat this process with the other two cake layers.
- Top the cake with nonpareil sprinkles.
Topping Ideas
- Fresh Strawberries or Raspberries
- Chocolate Sprinkles
- Nuts (almonds, pecans, or peanuts would all be delicious!)
- Homeamde Caramel True Sauce
- Chocolate Chips
- Brown Butter Butterscotch Sauce
- Homemade Chocolate Ganache
Recipe FAQ's
Yes, if you prefer to use coconut oil you can do that, jus be sure to melt it. You can also use avocado oil or olive oil, but those will bring a more savory flavor to this cake. That’s why I use canola oil as it has the most neutral flavor.
No, you don’t need a stand mixer for this recipe, but you do need at least a hand mixer for the frosting. This cake is an easy one bowl cake, meaning you can make it one bowl with a whisk! But the frosting will need to be whipped. So, you’ll need a stand mixer or hand mixer to do that.
You can make your own buttermilk with my Organic Buttermilk Recipe recipe! But, even if you don’t have buttermilk or don’t want to make it, you can still make this cake. You can sub the buttermilk for regular milk if you prefer. But the buttermilk gives this cake a really good flavor!
Yes, of course! You can use coconut milk, almond milk, pistachio milk, or oat milk in place of the milk and buttermilk if you are dairy free!
Ideally, yes. Cake is always so much easier to remove from pans if you use parchment paper. This makes your cake baking experience easier and less stressful as you’re not worried about breaking your cake when you remove it. But, if you don’t have parchment paper, you can grease and flour the pans really well. To do this, be sure to grease first using canola oil on the bottom and sides, and then sprinkle flour all over it.
If you want it to look like the photos, then yes. But, if you want a more rustic naked cake, you can just top the cake with frosting using a cake spatula as well, totally up to you! You can even use a piping bag with no tip for a more rounded frosting look on the sides. Or, you can even use a large zip bag as well.
I add all natural Nonpareil Sprinkles on top of this cake. But, if you want to add something else you can do chocolate chips, fresh strawberries, fresh raspberries, coconut, nuts – all of these would be delicious as well! This simple Yellow Naked Cake with Chocolate Frosting goes well with so many things!
More Birthday Cake Recipes
We Love Organic Feedback!
Thanks a waffle lot for stopping by 🧇 If you loved this recipe, sprinkle some love by leaving a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review — it really helps me organically reach dog loving foodies like you! I personally read and appreciate every message!
Also, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and join John John and me in the kitchen for step by step recipe videos! And subscribe to our newsletter for new and seasonal recipes!
Simple Naked Birthday Cake
Equipment
- Digital Food Scale
- Stand Mixer
- Piping Bag
- Ateco Tip #827
Ingredients
Batter
- 340 grams cane sugar
- ¾ cup canola oil
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 425 grams cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
Frosting
- 170 grams salted butter (softened)
- 170 grams cream cheese
- 454 grams powdered sugar (sifted)
- 28 grams Dutch cocoa powder (sifted)
- 85 grams dark chocolate (melted)
Topping
- All Natural Nonpareil Sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line three 6-inch baking pans with parchment paper.
- To make the batter: In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, (or alternatively, using a hand mixer, or large bowl with a whisk) add the cane sugar, canola oil, milk, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk together.
- Add in the cake flour, baking powder, and sea salt in that order. Mix on low until combined into a smooth batter.
- Transfer to the prepared baking pans evenly, about 400 grams each.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the pan.
- To make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer) add the butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and melted chocolate. Mix on low until combined, then speed up to high and mix for 2 to 3 minutes or until light and fluffy.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag with Ateco tip #827.
- On a plate or cake stand, add a small dollop of frosting and place the first cake layer on it. This helps to prevent the cake from sliding.
- Pipe a circle of frosting around the outer edge of the cake and spiral into the middle. Top with rainbow sprinkles.
- Top with the second cake layer. Repeat this process with the other two cake layers.
- Top the cake with nonpareil sprinkles.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Video
Notes
- Always weigh ingredients for the best results.
- You can make the cake batter with a hand mixer or stand mixer too, that also works if you prefer.
- If you don't have cake flour, you can easily make your own with my Homemade Organic Cake Flour recipe!
- If you don't have the piping bag or tip, you can just spread out frosting on each layer using a spatula. It will look more like a rust naked cake, but will be quick, easy and still beautiful!
- If you want to frost the entire cake, you can also do that. Check out How to Crumb Coat a Cake for a tutorial on crumb coating and then you can just finish it with frosting.
- While I top this with naturally colored nonpareils, you can also use any other toppings you like such as fresh fruit, nuts, caramel sauce and more.
- Make sure to store this cake under a cake dome if you make ahead of time as the sides are exposed, so it can dry out easily.
- Gluten Free — Replace the cake flour with 425 grams (heaping 2 ⅔ cups) gluten free flour blend.
- High Altitude — Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Nutrition
The Bake Shop
Visit The Bake Shop for foodie inspired tees, sweatshirts, and accessories. Find my favorite kitchen tools (with discounts!) in the Kitchen Shop. And shop our collection of food inspired dog accessories too!
My go to birthday cake recipe!
Amazing! My favorite cake recipe. Kids are obsessed! This is my go to for birthday cake.
Thanks Teresa!
Holy Moly! Sooo good! This recipe is unreal and it is a huge crowd favorite!