I used to be all about making layered cakes. Well, all about it once I learned how to make them. Before I bought the Wilton Layered Cake Set I thought it would be cool to make them in a regular cake pan. Have you ever tried that? It takes about 6x the batter, 4x the time, & 10x the effort. Not. Worth. It. This little savior has saved me tons of frustration & it’s under $20! Anyways, not sure why I went on a layered cake hiatus but they’re back & better than ever, people. In the past I’ve made layered cakes with cotton candy, dunkaroos, & a $h!+0N of candy so it only felt natural to have another throwback layered cake.
This throwback cake (as you can clearly see…) is topped with tons of circus cookies & basically looks like my 7th grade dream cake. Not much has changed because after one look & one bite, it’s still my dream cake. For you busy bees who don’t have time for a 9 step recipe (seriously one of the steps is turning on the oven..I think you can handle this) check out my no-bake circus cookie bars recipe. OK you should probably check that out anyways as it’s insanely good. Now I’m just dreaming of a circus cookie party. Cakes, cookie bars, the possibilities are endless.
- for cake:
- ½ cup salted butter, melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1½ tsp vanilla
- 1¾ cup cake flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- non pareils (about 1 tsp per layered cake)
- 1 drop of pink food coloring, per cake
- for frosting:
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp heavy whipping cream
- In large mixing bowl, combine all cake ingredients & whisk until smooth.
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Pour equal amounts of batter into each Wilton Cake Pan Set.
- Stir mixture in each pan & bake for 15 minutes or until toothpick is inserted & comes out clean.
- Place pans in freezer for 20 minutes or until completely cooled. In medium mixing bowl, combine all frosting ingredients until smooth.
- If cakes are domed shape, cut the tops off with a bread knife. Cake layers need to be as straight as possible.
- Place first layer of cake on rotating cake stand & top with frosting.
- Repeat previous step with other layers of cake until the top is covered with frosting. Place in freezer for 30 minutes.
- With an offset spatula, frost the side of the cakes until smooth. Decorate with circus cookies & enjoy!
wilton cake pan set
baking spray
whisk
toothpicks
medium mixing bowl
knife
rotating cake stand
offset spatula
spatula



Oh my, this looks dreamy – I’m a terrible baker but I’d love to give this a go! x
Viva Epernay ❤
Thanks so much, Sarah!! You’ll enjoy baking it–tons of fun! xo
Such a creative recipe! Thanks for sharing!
~Samantha
http://goldcoastgirlblog.com
Thanks so much, Samantha!! Have a wonderful day! xo
Totally worth the effort because it looks amazing!!
http://www.rdsobsessions.com
Right!! It’s so delicious & worth it! xo
This looks so beautiful and feminin – I love it – sadly I am such a bad baker – everything with cooking is ok but baking sadly never works the way I wanted it. However I am going to have another try with recipe thank you!
Love Katie
http://www.whatskatieupto.com
The Wilton set I mentioned early on in the post is super helpful when baking!! Good luck! xo
oh my gosh this looks so good and i love how it’s decorated!
http://www.avecdanielle.com
Thanks so much, Danielle!! Have a great day! xo
Your cake is so whimsical but still beautiful. And thank you for linking that cake pan set! I’ve always wanted to make a layered cake but thought it would be way too hard.
Mili
Thanks a ton, Mili!! The pan set is super helpful! xo
Great job decorating this. It looks adorable! ♡♡
xoxoBella | http://xoxobella.com
Thanks so much, Bella B!! Have a great day! xo
That is a precious and adorable cake. I once tried baking a sheet cake like it, and I found THAT hard… baking is not my thing, but I love to eat cake. Love your blog!!
xx, Elle
http://www.mydailycostume.com/blog
Thanks so much Elle!! Try using the Wilton Layered Cake set it’s super easy! xo
Wow! Looks so good! Will definitely order that layered cake set!
Awesome!! Enjoy it! xo
That cake looks delicious! x
http://machachu.blogspot.com
Thanks so much!! Have a great day! xo
This looks so delicious and pretty!
http://tickleyourvanity.com
Thanks so much Ramy!! Have a great weekend! xo
This cake looks extremely yummy!
xx from Bavaria/Germany, Rena
http://www.dressedwithsoul.com
It’s super yummy to eat too!! Enjoy! xo