Naked Flower Cake

Name: Naked Flower Cake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 28 min
Ingredients: ¾ cup butter (softened); 1 ½ cup sugar; 2 cups flour; 2 tsp baking powder; ½ tsp salt; 6 large egg whites; 2 tsp vanilla; ¾ cup milk; 2 cups heavy whipping cream; 1 cup powdered sugar; 1 tsp vanilla; edible, fresh or artificial flowers

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Naked flower cake is a delicious, beautiful dessert that's easy to make and so pretty! A naked cake decorated with flowers that are made of frosting or edible looks so fancy and tastes so yummy!

Closeup shot of slice of naked flower cake on plate

I love naked cakes. They have the perfect ratio of frosting to cake if you ask me. This particular recipe even keeps the decorations simple with edible flowers or flowers made of frosting.

Naked Cake with Flowers

This was inspired by another recipe on this site and makes a great dessert after a simple meal of burgers.

Ingredients

A recipe this simple only takes simple baking ingredients to make. You'll have most of them in your kitchen already!

For the Cake

Softened butter
Sugar
Flour
Baking powder
Salt
Egg whites
Vanilla
Milk

For the Frosting

Heavy whipping cream
Powdered sugar
Vanilla

For the Decorations

Edible flowers, artificial flowers, or frosting flowers

See the recipe card at the end of the post for exact quantities.

Instructions

This cake uses simple ingredients and simple steps to make something simply delicious. You'll be in and out of the kitchen in no time.

Step 1: Prep

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray three 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Then, lightly flour them.

Step 2: Cream the Butter and Sugar

Sugar and butter inside a large mixing bowl.

Cream the butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.

Step 3: Combine the Dry Ingredients

Flour, baking powder, and salt inside a mixing bowl.

Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together in another bowl.

Step 4: Combine the Wet Ingredients

Pouring milk into a bowl with egg whites and vanilla.

Beat the egg whites, vanilla, and milk together until combined in another bowl.

Step 5: Make the Batter

Adding a third of the flour to the butter mixture inside the large mixing bowl.

Pouring a third of the egg white mixture into the butter mixture.

Add one-third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat well. Then, add ⅓ of the egg mixture to the butter mixture and beat well. Continue alternating and mixing until the batter is fully combined.

Step 6: Bake

Cake batter separated into three equal sized baking tins.

Baked layer of cake resting cooling inside a cake tin.

Add the batter evenly to all three cake pans and bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out cleanly.

Step 7: Cool

Let the cakes cool for 15 minutes in the pans and then flip them out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Use a knife or spatula to gently separated them from the pans if needed.

Step 8: Make the Frosting

Powdered sugar and vanilla added to the heavy whipping cream.

Whisked heavy whipping cream inside a medium mixing bowl.

Beat the heavy cream in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer for 3 to 5 minutes or until peaks being to form. Then, add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until the frosting is whipped and spreadable.

Step 9: Assemble the Cake

Cake is assembled by placing frosting between each layer and at the top of the cake.

Place a cake layer onto a cake stand. Then top it with frosting. Repeat with the other two layers, finishing by applying frosting to the top of the cake. Then, decorate the edges with your desired flowers. Slice and serve.

Hint: Be sure the cake layers are completely cooled so the frosting doesn't melt when added to them.

Closeup shot of naked flower cake with flowers on plate

Substitutions

Don't have the correct ingredients on hand or want to change something up? Here are some helpful tips for you to change this naked cake with flowers.

Frosting - If you don't have the ingredients for frosting or just don't want to make it, you can use store-bought frosting.
Decorative Frosting - If you don't have flowers of any sort and aren't sure if you can pipe frosting to look like flowers, just add a little decorative frosting ridge around the top of the cake.

Variations

Want to personalize this naked flower cake recipe? Here are some of my tried and true tips for changing up this recipe.

Any Cake Flavor - You can make your cake any flavor you like.
Any Frosting Flavor - Flavor your buttercream frosting with any extract you like.

If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy this naked carrot cake.

Equipment

It only takes a few basic pieces of equipment to make this recipe.

Measuring cups and spoons
Mixing bowls
Hand mixer
Cake pans
Frosting knife

Storage

This cake is best when eaten within 2 to 3 days. With no frosting on the sides, it will dry out faster than a normal cake.

Tips

This recipe uses a simple cake and frosting mixture, but there are still a few tips to keep in mind to make it the best it can possibly be.

Be sure your butter is fully softened for the best creaming and cake texture.
Mix your batter until just combined to ensure your cake is nice and tender.
Let your cake cool completely before frosting.

Closeup shot of naked flower cake on plate

FAQ

Do you have questions about naked flower cake? Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about naked cake with flowers.

Who invented naked cake?

It was invented by Christina Tosi of Milk Bar in 2014.

Why does naked cake dry out faster than regular cake?

The frosting on a traditional cake creates a barrier between the cake and the air, allowing the moisture of the cake to remain inside it. Naked cakes have no frosting on the outside, so they dry out more quickly.

Can you freeze naked cake?

You can. Open-air freeze it and then wrap it in a double layer of clingwrap and another layer of foil.

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