Spring Birthday Cake Pastel (Printable)

Tender vanilla cake layered with creamy pastel floral buttercream for festive spring celebrations.

# What you need:

→ Cake

01 - 2½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon salt
04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
05 - 2 cups granulated sugar
06 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
08 - 1 cup whole milk, room temperature

→ Buttercream

09 - 1½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature
10 - 6 cups powdered sugar, sifted
11 - ¼ cup whole milk
12 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
13 - Pinch of salt
14 - Gel food coloring in pink, yellow, lavender, green, and blue

→ Decoration

15 - Edible flower petals
16 - Sprinkles

# How to make it:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
05 - Alternately add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined without overmixing.
06 - Divide batter evenly among prepared pans and smooth the tops.
07 - Bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
08 - Allow cakes to cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
09 - In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt. Beat for 3-4 minutes until fluffy and smooth.
10 - Divide buttercream into separate bowls and tint each with desired pastel gel food coloring.
11 - Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread buttercream on top. Repeat with remaining layers.
12 - Apply a thin crumb coat of buttercream over the entire cake. Chill for 20 minutes.
13 - Using piping bags fitted with various tips, decorate the cake with pastel buttercreams in floral designs. Garnish with edible flower petals or sprinkles if desired.
14 - Chill for 15-20 minutes before serving to set the buttercream.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • The cake stays impossibly tender because you won't overmix the batter, something I learned after one dense mistake I'll never repeat.
  • Pastel buttercream lets you channel your inner artist without needing fancy skills, and honestly, imperfect flowers look more charming anyway.
  • This is the kind of cake that makes people smile before they even taste it, which feels like the whole point of a birthday.
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients are not a suggestion—cold eggs and butter will not emulsify properly, and you'll end up with a grainy, separated batter that bakes into something dense.
  • Don't overmix once you add the flour because that activates gluten and creates a tough cake instead of a tender one; mix until you literally cannot see dry flour, then stop immediately.
  • Gel food coloring is a game-changer because liquid coloring thins the buttercream so much that it won't hold its shape for piping, but gel colors keep the consistency perfect.
03 -
  • Chill your buttercream between piping sessions—a few minutes in the fridge makes it hold its shape better and prevents it from getting too soft under the warmth of your hands.
  • If you only have two cake pans instead of three, bake the layers in batches using the same pans—they cool quickly, and this method actually works better than you'd think.
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