I really need to preface this tutorial with... I am sorry. I am SURE there are easier ways to do a Vertical Layer Cake.
But I was being a brat for my birthday.
I wanted real cake, and not sponge cake.
I wanted two different flavors. (that might be a pregnancy thing)
I wanted massive amounts of frosting. (that might be a pregnancy thing too)
Hence, I bucked every traditional mold I had seen for a vertical layer cake and made my own.
Sorry.
The second time making the cake I was surprised by how quickly everything went. Its amazing how much smoother life is with a plan.
Huh. I gotta remember that.
Anywho... I made two cakes. One red velvet and one white cake. I made them in 8in pans and used these methods for creating a level cake.
Here is an important step... IMMEDIATELY out of the oven, like say within five minutes at most, I removed the cakes from their pans and cut of the top crusty layer of cake of both 8in cakes.
I then placed the cut parts together. (It should look like a two layer cake here, except without frosting) Then put it in the freezer for no less then five hours.
The reason I do this is:
1. I want the height of a two layer cake. (four or five inches)
2. I do not want a frosting seam.
3. This helps to meld the layers together so they appear one complete layer.
If you have a 5in deep cake pan and can successfully bake a 5in cake then just do that! (lots easier BTW)
Now! Once the cakes have firmed up nicely (after a good five hours, but give it six if you can!) you can remove them from the freezer.
We will begin to cut out our layers!
I simply used a cardboard cake round as my guide. I traced out three evenly (ha! I am so not a perfectionist, so bear with me) spaced concentric circles.
I am now going to cut off the outside circle.
Place the template back on the cake. Now I need to carve around that circle! Its important to try and get your knife at a 90 degree angle... you want a very straight up and down cut.
Follow the template as close as you can. A sharp knife here is a great idea!!
You are going to do this with BOTH cakes.
Now I cut off another circle and started the process again.
Do this to both cakes.
Then cut off another circle so you are left with the center portion. (FYI, if you want to do another circle, therefore making your center smaller, you certainly can!)
You are now left with two cakes that have concentric circles cut in each.
The next step might go against everything you know about cake... but just do it anyway.
Wow that was bossy.
Take a nice big sharp knife and cut from the OUTSIDE of the center circle through the cake.
You are going to gently separate the layers into individual sections. This is why it is SO important to have a very chilled if not frozen cake!
Choose which center you want to start with. (I choose the white cake)
Take the next larger layer of the other cake and place it around the center.
Keep doing this... alternating the layers... until you have a complete cake assembled again!
And there you go! Easy right?
Now... were you worried about the layers not staying together? I fixed that with three easy steps.
1. Pour a simple syrup over the re-assembled cakes. (not too much!!)
2. Place a wax paper "belt" around the cake and bind it together with a cord or towel scrap.
3. Place it back in the freezer for a bit!
A couple hours before you are ready to decorate, place the cakes in the fridge so they can "thaw" without sweating.
(I wouldnt recommend decorating a frozen cake.)
Now... please forgive me but I didn't decorate the outside with the roses.
I just did a smooth layer of frosting then wrote out a romantic quote I found from Shakespeare.
Its nothing fancy, but it was easy. You weren't here for the outside right?
"When I saw you I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew."
And there are the vertical layers!
If you make this cake please let me know, I would love to see! And of course, love to know if you came up with an easier way. :)
Amanda, you are seriously the smartest baker I know. Even when you were halfway through your explanation I couldn't figure out where you were going with it...this is genius! :)
Posted by: megan @ whatmegansmaking | Feb 11, 2011 at 07:47 AM
What a great tutorial, Amanda. I think I'll leave the pretty cake making up to you, but if you need any eaters, I'm all for that!
Posted by: Kristen | Feb 11, 2011 at 11:09 AM
Beautiful! I'm going to bake this on Sunday and bring to work for Valentine's Day on Monday! Hope it turns out 1/2 as good as yours :)
Posted by: Candace | Feb 11, 2011 at 02:51 PM
Awesome, great work. Thanks a lot!
Posted by: Pixelbot | Feb 11, 2011 at 03:18 PM
I just made this cake! I used your recipes for white and chocolate cake. Ended up with an extra 9-inch chocolate cake, but that's another story. The main problem was that the two layers that were supposed to stick together, didn't exactly do that, especially the chocolate cake. I assembled the cakes a few minutes ago and froze them until tomorrow morning and then I'll decide if I want to keep the outmost layer. If not, I'll just have two smaller, but beautiful cakes. I just want it to look perfect, lol.
Posted by: Tanja | Feb 11, 2011 at 04:58 PM
Love this idea!! I have to try it. Have you ever posted about how you get your buttercream so incredibly smooth? That's the tutorial I need. I LOVE me some buttercream, but it always looks like my 5 year old frosted the cake when I get done! I can do a pretty good job of decorating a cake with fondant, but me and buttercream do not get along!
Posted by: Rose A | Feb 11, 2011 at 08:35 PM
You are so talented and creative! And I love how detailed your tutorials are. Can't thank you enough for sharing this amazing technique!!
Posted by: Account Deleted | Feb 12, 2011 at 12:16 AM
I made it!! it's a little lopsided (my tiny NYC oven is apparently not level in the slightest) but it was super easy - thank you for the inspiration!!
Posted by: ryan | Feb 12, 2011 at 04:37 PM
I'm trying this tomorrow! Where should I send pictures if it's successful?
Posted by: Kelsey | Feb 12, 2011 at 05:40 PM
You could totally do this in rainbow! love it!
Posted by: Jessica P. | Feb 12, 2011 at 06:07 PM
Absolutely gorgeous. I can't wait for my husband to come back so I'll have someone to make this for! :) You make it look so easy!
Posted by: MeechiChan | Feb 12, 2011 at 08:13 PM
So much work, but so, so gorgeous. Thanks for telling us the secret!
Posted by: Sophistimom | Feb 12, 2011 at 08:34 PM
I wonder if someone could make a circular (press) slicer...bear with me.
It would be the size (dimensions) of the cake, deep enough to cut through two layers. Just like your templet, but with blades that go down through the layers. Take away the need for precise cutting with a knife. Just an idea......
Posted by: Karen Tucker | Feb 13, 2011 at 10:25 AM
This is so beautiful. Have you ever made a checker-board cake? My Grandmother made them for me when I was a child.
Thank you for sharing this with us.
Posted by: Shirley | Feb 13, 2011 at 10:44 AM
that is one cool cake!! i love your handwriting and i love your tutorials. keep it up!
Posted by: Joyce | Feb 13, 2011 at 08:05 PM
Love it! Love it so much that I made it this weekend with chocolate and strawberry cake!
Posted by: Amanda | Feb 13, 2011 at 08:44 PM
Oh wow, your photos are stunning. I love the idea of the piped rings! My friend said that he was going to propose to me... with an onion ring.
Posted by: Pudding Pie Lane | Feb 13, 2011 at 09:17 PM
Made this last night! Turned out super-fab! My kiddos were upset that I had baked and delivered two cakes over the weekend that were not for them to eat, so I made your verticle layers cake for our family! I topped it with the roses in a pale, antique pink and left the sides smooth and white (using IMBC). I only did one, 3 inch layer or each flavor as I only had my little family to feed. Also, I cut and reassembled the cakes unfrozen and felt that they held up nice. One cake was even still a tad warm when I pulled the rings apart. I find that if you defrost a frozen cake and leave the plastic wrap on the entire time, once it's fully defrosted the sweating issue is not a problem. I always defrost on the counter top!
Talk about amazing! My layers were chocolate (I'm a bit of a chocoholic) and pink vanilla cake.
Used your method and it worked like a dream! Thanks so much!
Posted by: MammaDucky | Feb 14, 2011 at 01:49 PM
I tried this cake yesterday and it came out great. Your steps were so nicely done, made it super easy to follow. Thank you!
Posted by: Kristina M | Feb 14, 2011 at 02:23 PM
Saw this recipe on aol 2/15/11
Posted by: Sharon | Feb 15, 2011 at 09:46 AM
Making this! At least I will be next week for a wedding shower I'm throwing. Two cakes with the roses (one pink, one green - the wedding colors). I'm looking forward to 'wow'-ing people with another one of your awesome cakes! I'll definitely at least blog pics =o)
Posted by: Joy | Feb 15, 2011 at 02:34 PM
Oooohhhh ... that's incredible! My friend loves your blog and now I know why. I'll be back for more. Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Andrea B | Feb 15, 2011 at 09:40 PM
Amazingly beautiful! wow so creative love it and love your blog
Posted by: Rowaida Flayhan | Feb 16, 2011 at 02:43 PM
I really have to stop checking out your site. It costs me lots of money and hours of frustration :)
Your work is absolutely fantastic! I was going to try the rose cake this weekend but now I'm considering this layer cake. I wonder if I should just combine the two.
You are a star!
Thanks!
Mechelle
Posted by: Mechelle | Feb 16, 2011 at 03:22 PM
Very Cool! So talented
Posted by: Amy | Feb 17, 2011 at 10:34 PM
there's actually a cake pan I found at Michaels that allows you to bake the layers together. if you do multiple layers of the vertical layer cake you get this really cool checker board pattern when you cut into it.
Posted by: steph | Feb 18, 2011 at 08:56 PM
I made this cake last weekend! I used a chocolate cake and a vanilla cake, and chocolate buttercream. I sorta hate sweet things (I know!) so I just added lots of chocolate powder to the buttercream until it was the same colour as the chocolate cake, then used that between each ring of cake to stick it together instead of the syrup. Also I didn't freeze my cakes, it was difficult but still worked fine! I then just covered it in more chocolate buttercream, put it in the fridge, did another layer, and then melted some chocolate and put it in a disposable piping bag, then piped a squiggly flower pattern on top!
Posted by: Sara | Feb 21, 2011 at 07:39 AM
I keep finding your site on foodgawker. Your recipes and pictures and everything are gorgeous! One little thing though, that quote is not actually Shakespeare though it is often attributed to him. It is actually by Arrigo Boito.
Cheers! I can't wait to see what you come up with next.
Posted by: Dorothy | Feb 22, 2011 at 10:15 AM
Beautiful! Wonderful job!
I was just thinking you could do a checkerboard really easily with this method, by swapping the layers before the first freeze. (white on bottom, red on top, and vice versa) Better than buying the specialty pans.
Posted by: Sara L. | Feb 22, 2011 at 10:19 AM
I made this cake this past weekend for an 'Alter Ego' party! Mine turned out to be a 'Vertical checkered' cake, but it was a fun process! Thanks so much for all your inspiration!
http://eatitupwithus.blogspot.com/2011/02/coming-soon.html
Posted by: becca | Feb 22, 2011 at 01:19 PM
This is AMAZING! Thanks for being a sweetie and sharing how you made this vertical cake. It is awesome. I cannot wait to make one.
Posted by: jules p | Feb 23, 2011 at 09:19 AM
loved this! made it for an Alter Ego party last week, and it was a hit! I did accidentally make it into a checker-cake (which i see results from not aligning the layers properly!). Can't wait to try another one of your cakes! thanks, we are always your fans :)
Posted by: Eatitupwithus.blogspot.com | Feb 23, 2011 at 09:38 PM
Thanks for such a great tutorial! I LOVE your blog and am amazed at your creativity and ability to make my mouth water just from looking at your pictures! I made this cake and while my decorating skills need some major improvement and mine didn't turn out nearly as pretty as yours, I'm happy with the results!
http://twinmommas.blogspot.com/2011/02/birthday-and-valentines-day-cakes.html
Thanks again :)
Posted by: Ali Hedrick | Feb 23, 2011 at 10:52 PM
I'm trying it today. Hope it goes well. :-) Thanks for sharing yourself with us.
Posted by: Brandi | Feb 24, 2011 at 11:11 AM
Love this! The only thing I might consider adding would be frosting between each layer. I like a little cake with my frosting - aka just eat the frosting kind of girl. :)
Posted by: Emily | Feb 24, 2011 at 12:06 PM
next cake will be done your way :o)
Posted by: Malgorzata | Feb 24, 2011 at 01:37 PM
My granddaughter will be soo happy and I CAN make her wedding cake thank you so much
Posted by: Martha Howard | Feb 24, 2011 at 09:15 PM
Can I just say that I love your site! You are a true inspiration! I've thought about doing vertical layers before when I saw a post by Brittany
She uses large circle cookie cutters to separate the cake layers/flavors/colors.
Any who! I love the cake both times around! I'm totally using your roses for a wedding cake I'm making this summer!
Thanks!
Megan
Posted by: Megan Curtis | Feb 28, 2011 at 07:34 AM
I'm a new follower of your blog (found it via Bakingdom's blog on the vertical layers). I made a vertical layer cake with the 1M roses this weekend for my cake decorating class. It was a huge hit and it was so easy. I couldn't get my circle template to cooperate so I just winged it with they layers and they still came out ok. Next time I'll get more technical with it. LOVE this idea!! Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Jessica McCoy | Feb 28, 2011 at 11:45 AM
Hi!! I have to admit this cake looked so complicated but it is awesome!! Can I do this cake with some box cake mix? Or the recipe is just only for this kind of cake?
I can´t wait to make it!! Thank you a lot for share this.
Regards from Guatemala, C.A.
Gaby
Posted by: Gaby Galindo | Mar 01, 2011 at 10:02 AM
Love this... :0)
Posted by: Meesh | Mar 03, 2011 at 10:43 PM
good gravy, you are awesome! found your blog through pw, instant fave! thanks for the inspiration, i will have to try this slightly terrifying vertical layer cake thing. it's gorgeous!
Posted by: Carly | Mar 04, 2011 at 09:08 AM
You are completely nuts but this is absolutely extraordinary. Also you make it seem peculiarly easy. I am astounded. Keep going!
Posted by: Olivia | Mar 10, 2011 at 07:27 PM
Fantastic cake. It's a marvel. Now I want to try this for my one birthday. :D
Something to think about - using a somewhat thick crumb coat, then coating it in fondant. Pourable fondant. *mmm...* Or, heck, using the coating you did for that chocolate cake you did (the one with the cordial cherries in the middle).
Posted by: Joey B. | Mar 17, 2011 at 01:03 PM
I tried to make this cake and blogged about it, http://somegoodlookincookin.blogspot.com/2011/03/vertical-layer-cake-fail.html
Your directions were easy, I'm just not as skilled as you. :(
Posted by: Somegoodlookincookin.blogspot.com | Mar 19, 2011 at 07:09 PM
Amazing cake, you're so creative. Would love to try this someday.
Posted by: millie | Mar 20, 2011 at 12:17 PM
Simply amazing!
Carmen
Posted by: Baking is my Zen | Mar 25, 2011 at 05:47 PM
I came across your website and everything on it is simply stunning! I could only hope to be able to AT LEAST copy the things you make one day!!
This cake must have taken such skill and creativity to make, and I would like to share with you a cake pan that my mother has that does this same thing, but without the cutting and engineering! My mother and I use it to make Checkerboard Cake (we use 2 of the pans, one for each layer of the cake)...I'm not sure if you are familiar with this type of cake, but in the picture you can see the type of cake it produces and on the right side of the picture it shows the tool you pop into your standard circle pan to make the magic happen.
Here is a link to what I'm talking about:
http://cn1.kaboodle.com/hi/img/2/0/0/41/1/AAAAAgGc0c4AAAAAAEETsQ.jpg?v=1176617294000
You simply put the tool into the pan and in the different circles alternate the batter! I'm quite new at baking so I'm not 100% sure if this is the same effect you were looking for, but the picture of all the cut pieces together from your post seems to be identical to the Checkerboard Cakes me and my mother make!
-Peace & Light (:
Posted by: Jessie | Mar 29, 2011 at 08:21 PM
This tutorial is amazing! I WILL try this soon - as soon as I can at least. I'm kind of ridiculous jealous of your talent. (that's normal right?)
Posted by: Rachel Smith | Apr 04, 2011 at 10:36 PM
Like Yosha, I'd use the checkerboard cake pans and just make the rings in each pan match. That way you could have up to a 3 layer vertical striped cake.
Posted by: Oklahoma Granny | Apr 05, 2011 at 05:36 PM