Naked Cake

Rating: 4.07 stars
60 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 35
  • 4 star values: 9
  • 3 star values: 10
  • 2 star values: 1
  • 1 star values: 5

A little bit of frosting can have a big impact! This trendy naked cake is proof.

By Recipe by Beth Kirby of Local Milk
Source: Better Homes and Gardens
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Naked Cake

Ingredients

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease three 6 x 2-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms of pans with parchment paper; grease the paper. Set pans aside.

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  • In a large mixing bowl beat the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer about 5 minutes or until pale and thick ribbons form.

  • In another large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl combine the olive oil, lemon peel, lemon juice, and buttermilk.

  • Beat the vanilla into beaten egg mixture on low speed. With mixer on low speed, add the dry and wet ingredients in three additions, starting with dry and ending with wet. After the last addition, turn mixer off and whisk until combined. Divide batter among prepared pans, filling each half full (1 2/3 cups batter each).

  • Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the centers comes out clean and cakes are golden and pull away from sides. Remove and cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool completely.

  • To assemble: place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread top of cake with 1/2 cup of the cream. Place another cake layer on top. Spread with another 1/2 cup cream. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread with another 1/2 cup cream. Spread 1/2 cup frosting on the sides of cake to make a light crumb coating. Spread any remaining frosting atop of cake. Use cake spatula or bench scraper to thin out frosting on sides for the "naked" look, then decorate as desired.

To Decorate:

Remove peel from 1 to 2 meyer lemons using a vegetable peeler. Cut the peel into thin strips. Place in a small bowl. Sprinkle with 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar; toss to coat. Let stand for 1 to 4 hours, tossing occasionally. Pile lemon peel strips atop cake just before serving.

2-Layer Cake

Divide batter between 2 8x1 1/2-inch round cake pans, filling about each about 1/2 full. Bake in a 350°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near centers come out clean. To assemble, place one cake layer on serving platter. Spread with 1 cup of the whipped cream mixture. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread sides with 1/2 cup of the cream, forming a light crumb coating. Spread any remaining cream atop the cake. Garnish with lemon peels, if desired.

To store:

Loosely cover and store frosted cake in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. OR wrap unfrosted baked cake layers and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw and frost as directed above.

Nutrition Facts (Naked Cake)

Per Serving:
343 calories; 21 g total fat; 7 g saturated fat; 2 g polyunsaturated fat; 11 g monounsaturated fat; 59 mg cholesterol; 371 mg sodium. 81 mg potassium; 36 g carbohydrates; 1 g fiber; 20 g sugar; 4 g protein; 0 g trans fatty acid; 346 IU vitamin a; 6 mg vitamin c; 0 mg thiamin; 0 mg riboflavin; 1 mg niacin equivalents; 0 mg vitamin b6; 46 mcg folate; 0 mcg vitamin b12; 61 mg calcium; 1 mg iron;

Lemon Cream

Ingredients

Directions

  • In a large bowl beat cream, sugar, peel, and juice with an electric mixer or large whisk until soft peaks form. Cover and chill up to 4 hours ahead. Whisk before serving.

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Reviews (9)

60 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 35
  • 4 star values: 9
  • 3 star values: 10
  • 2 star values: 1
  • 1 star values: 5
Anonymous
Rating: 5 stars
08/25/2018
Perfect recipe, easy to make and it was very popular at my daughter's birthday party. I made 1.5x quantity, 3 layers in 20cm cake tins, and I substituted half the oil with coconut oil which gave a delicate coconut flavor.
Anonymous
Rating: 5 stars
05/18/2018
My wife, Tracy, made a variation of this ... a ¿Naked¿ Lemon Olive Oil Cake with Lemon Mascarpone Frosting (and Strawberry Grand Marnier Filling), which turned out fantastic. The mascarpone frosting can be made ahead and lasts longer than the whipped cream frosting. Great cake!
Anonymous
Rating: 5 stars
04/11/2018
Made this cake for a birthday and it turned out wonderful. I really enjoyed the light frosting and the moist lemon cake. I tried to emulate the other decorated design with mine.
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Anonymous
Rating: 4 stars
05/16/2017
I added berries to add some texture n layered affect of flavor. It tuned out well. Loved it!
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
09/09/2016
This looks amazing! I can't wait to try it. Thank you, Victoria, for the high altitude adjustment! I'll be using this as I'm located in Colorado.
sheri
Rating: Unrated
09/03/2015
I loved this cake! It is moist, not too sweet, you can taste the olive oil and lemon. I made it for Easter and it was a big hit! Am making it again for a dinner party. Very easy and very impressive!
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Sheila Wacks
Rating: Unrated
06/09/2015
This cake has a delicate and not too sweet taste that is rather typical in American desserts. Rather it is a refreshing lemon flavor to end the meal. I made it in two 9 inch round cake pans and it came out fine. The whipped cream frosting suits this perfect summer dessert.
Victoria Murata
Rating: Unrated
02/20/2015
This was pretty good, except I think I need to adjust the flour for high altitude--I'm at 5,000 ft. Each of my layers had an indentation in the center. After I measured the flour, I weighed it and had to take a little out to get it to 250 g. Also, I only had one 6 x 2 inch round pan, so I used my 6 x 2 inch square pans. It looked very pretty when finished. the flavor was delicious--not too lemony. I zested the lemon peel instead of shredding it. This would be a fantastic dessert for company for dinner!
SpinachTiger
Rating: Unrated
04/26/2015
I had the same problem with indentation in the middle. It didn't happen to all the pans I've made the cake twice. The first time I only used 1/2 cup olive oil and it was just as good. The cake is just delicious. I've made it twice and I'm going to make it again for a party Saturday.
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