Birthday Cake Recipe

Prepare oven and pans

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease four 4-inch round cake pans or four 8-ounce ramekins and line the bottoms with parchment rounds.

Dry ingredients

In a small bowl whisk together 0.75 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, and 0.125 tsp salt. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugar

In a medium bowl, beat 3 tbs softened unsalted butter with 0.5 cups granulated sugar until pale and slightly fluffy, about 2–3 minutes with an electric mixer on medium speed. Scrape the bowl as needed.

Add egg and vanilla

Beat in 1 large egg until combined, then add 0.5 tsp vanilla extract and mix until incorporated.

Combine wet and dry

Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in two additions, alternating with 0.25 cups milk (start and end with the dry). Mix on low speed just until combined and no streaks remain; do not overmix.

Bake

Divide the batter evenly among the four prepared pans (about 3 oz/85 g per pan). Smooth the tops. Bake for 14–18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops are springy. Rotate pans halfway through if your oven is uneven.

Cool

Let cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for 8–10 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edges, invert onto the rack, remove parchment, and allow to cool completely (about 30–40 minutes) before frosting.

Set up double boiler

Prepare a double boiler (a heatproof bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water).

Warm egg whites and sugar

In the heatproof bowl, combine 2 large egg whites and 0.5 cups granulated sugar. Whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch (about 160°F/71°C) and no sugar grains are felt between your fingers, about 3–5 minutes.

Whip into meringue

Transfer the warmed egg white mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk (or use a handheld mixer). Whip on medium-high speed until stiff glossy peaks form and the bowl feels cool to the touch, about 7–10 minutes.

Add butter

With the mixer on low speed, add the 6 tbs cold butter cubes a few at a time, allowing each addition to incorporate. After all butter is added, increase speed to medium and whip until the buttercream is smooth and silky. If it looks curdled, keep whipping — it will come together as it warms.

Flavor and finish

Add 0.5 tsp vanilla extract and 0.125 tsp salt and whip for another 30 seconds to combine. Taste and adjust salt or vanilla as desired. If too soft, refrigerate briefly (5–10 minutes) and re-whip; if too firm, beat on low until softened slightly.

Level and layer

If the cake tops domed, level each individual cake with a serrated knife. Place one cake on a small serving plate. Spread or pipe about 2–3 tbs buttercream onto the top.

Top and frost

Place the second (or another) small cake on top if you prefer a two-layer individual cake, or simply frost the single cake. Use the remaining buttercream to cover the top and sides smoothly or create a decorative swirl with a spatula or piping tip. You should use about 3–4 tbs buttercream per single-layer cake (or 5–6 tbs for a small two-layer stack).

Garnish

Arrange sliced fresh berries on top, press a few sprinkles into the buttercream, and dust lightly with 1 tsp powdered sugar if desired. Insert a small birthday candle into each cake.

Chill and serve

Chill the assembled cakes in the refrigerator for 15–20 minutes to set the frosting, then bring to room temperature for 10 minutes before serving. Light the candle and serve.