3 Layer Cake Recipes

3 LAYER YELLOW CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare three 9 inch round cake pans with butter and flour or parchment paper.
• Combine dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.
• Beat butter with a paddle attachment in a mixer. Gradually add in sugar.
• In a separate bowl and hand mixer, beat egg yolks, vanilla, and lemon juice until pale yellow and frothy. Add to butter.
• Beat in 1/3 of the flour mixture then 1/2 the milk. Blend until combined.
• Beat in 1/3 of the flour and remaining milk and blend until combined.
• Beat in remaining flour and mix only until combined. Do not over beat.
• Divide the batter into three pans and bake for 20 minutes.
• Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes then cool in a cooling rack.

BASIC 3-LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Grease and flour three 8-inch cake pans. Alternatively, grease and flour a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan.
• Preheat the oven to 375 F for layers or 350 F for the rectangular pan.
• In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar; beat until light and fluffy.
• Add the egg yolks and blend well.
• Measure the milk into a cup and add the vanilla extract; set aside.
• Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and stir to blend.
• Add about one-third of the flour mixture to the creamed mixture along with half of the milk and vanilla mixture; blend well. Repeat with another one-third of the flour mixture and the remaining milk and vanilla; blend well. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat until smooth.
• In a separate bowl with clean beaters, beat the egg whites until stiff; fold into the batter , mixing just until blended.
• Bake the layers at 375 F for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean . Bake the rectangular cake at 350 F for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.

THREE LAYER COCONUT CAKE

Steps:

• Mix flour, 2 cups sugar, salt, and baking powder; add shortening and milk. Beat well. Beat in eggs and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla. Spread batter in three greased and floured 9 inch round pans.
• Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Cool, and remove from pans.
• Mix 3 cups sugar, corn syrup, and 1 cup boiling water in a saucepan; boil until mixture spins thread. Beat egg whites until stiff. Pour syrup over egg whites, beating constantly. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla to flavor the icing. Frost cake, and sprinkle with coconut.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

BAKERY THREE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Set oven to 325 degrees.
• Grease three 9-inch round cake pans (if desired line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper).
• In a bowl combine the buttermilk with baking soda; let stand while preparing the next steps.
• In a large bowl cream sugar with butter, oil and shortening until well combined (no sugar granules should remain).
• Add in egg yolks, almond extract and vanilla; beat until well combined.
• Add in the buttermilk mixture alternately with the flour into the creamed mixture.
• In a large glass or stainless steel mixing bowl beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.
• Fold 1/3 of the whites into the creamed batter until blended, then fold in remaining whites until no streaks remain.
• Divide the batter between the three pans.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cakes test done.
• Cool in pans for 15 minutes then remove to wire racks to cool completely before frosting.

THREE-LAYER CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Make the cake: Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Brush three 9-inch-round cake pans with vegetable oil and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and bake until toasted, about 10 minutes. Let cool, then pulse in a food processor until very finely chopped.
• Combine the pecans, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and granulated sugar in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk the vegetable oil, lemon zest, eggs and 1/2 cup marmalade. Stir in the carrots, then fold the carrot mixture into the flour mixture until just combined. Divide among the prepared pans and spread evenly (it won't look like a lot of batter, but the cakes will rise in the oven). Put 2 pans on the upper oven rack and the third pan on the lower rack. Bake until the cakes bounce back when touched and a toothpick comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes, switching the position of the pans halfway through. Transfer the pans to racks until cool enough to handle, then invert the cakes onto the racks to cool completely. Remove the parchment.
• Make the frosting: Beat the cream cheese and butter in a bowl with a mixer until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, vanilla and salt until smooth.
• Put 1 cake layer on a platter. Spread with 1 tablespoon marmalade, then spread about 3/4 cup frosting over the marmalade. Top with another cake layer, marmalade and frosting. Spread the final cake layer with a thin layer of frosting. (This is the crumb coat; it doesn't have to be perfect.) Refrigerate 1 hour, then cover with the remaining frosting. Swirl some marmalade into the top of the cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Photograph by Con Poulos

3 MILK CAKE OR TRES LECHES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Grease and flour a 9x13-inch baking pan.
• Beat 6 egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy; set yolks aside. Gradually beat in sugar until mixture holds soft peaks. Beat in flour gradually, then beat in milk, reserved egg yolks, melted butter, 4 teaspoons vanilla extract, and baking powder, beating in each ingredient thoroughly before adding the next. Pour batter into prepared baking pan.
• Bake in preheated oven until cake is browned and crusty on top, no more than 30 minutes. Let cake cool in pan for about 10 minutes before gently removing cake to finish cooling.
• Whisk sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and half-and-half in a bowl. Pour half the 3-milk mixture into a pan deeper and longer than the cake. Lay the cake into the milk mixture. Use a fork to score deep lines into the top of the cake and pour remaining 3-milk mixture over cake, allowing the mixture to soak in.
• Beat cream cheese with 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a bowl with electric mixer until soft and fluffy; gradually beat in cream until frosting is thick and spreadable. Spread over the cake.

THREE-LAYER CHOCOLATE GANACHE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottoms of 3 greased 9-in. round baking pans with parchment; grease paper. In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, cocoa and baking soda. Beat in mayonnaise, coffee and vanilla. Transfer batter to prepared pans. Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove paper. Cool completely., For filling, in a small heavy saucepan, mix sugar and cornstarch. Whisk in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Cool completely. In a large bowl, cream butter. Gradually beat in cooled mixture. Stir in chocolate chips., For ganache, place chocolate in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; let stand 5 minutes. Stir with a whisk until smooth. Stir in vanilla. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Refrigerate, covered, until cold. Beat ganache just until soft peaks form, 15-30 seconds (do not overbeat)., Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate; spread with half of the filling. Repeat layers. Top with remaining cake layer. Frost top and sides of cake with ganache. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate, cream and butter. Microwave at 50% power for 1-2 minutes or until smooth, stirring twice. Cool slightly, stirring occasionally. Drizzle over cake, allowing some to flow over sides. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

ULTIMATE BASIC BIRTHDAY YELLOW CAKE (3 - LAYER)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Cut wax paper to fit the bottom of (3) 9 x 1 1/2-inch round pans. Spray the pans with cooking spray, place the wax paper in the pans and spray the paper.
• In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt, mixing well.
• Measure the 1-1/4 cups of milk in a 2 cup measuring cup then add enough vegetable oil to bring the liquid up to 1-1/3 cups. (I did the math and figured out it is 1-1/4 cups milk + 4 teaspoons vegetable oil).
• Add the milk/vegetable oil mixture, butter and vanilla to the flour mixture and beat with an electric mixer on medium to medium-high speed for 2 minutes, scraping sides of bowl as needed.
• Add the eggs and continue beating an additional 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared pans.
• Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near center of cake comes out clean, or until cake springs back when touched lightly in the center.
• Cool cakes on wire racks for 15 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely.
• Frost as desired.

THREE-LAYER POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla. In another bowl, beat together sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt on low speed. Continue beating while adding butter until mixture is crumbly. Add half of milk mixture; beat on medium-high until fluffy, 1 minute. Add remaining milk mixture and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds.
• In another large bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons cocoa into chocolate. Stir in 1 1/2 cups batter. Spoon into prepared pan, smoothing top with a small offset spatula. Whisk remaining 1 tablespoon cocoa into another 1 1/2 cups batter in bowl; spoon over dark-chocolate layer and smooth top. Spoon in remaining batter; smooth top.
• Bake until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour, 30 minutes (if top is browning too quickly, tent with foil). Let cool in pan 15 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack and let cool completely, about 2 hours.