Two-Tier Vanilla Balloon Cake (Printable)

Moist two-tier vanilla sponge with creamy buttercream and festive balloon decorations for a special occasion.

# What you'll need:

→ Vanilla Sponge Cakes

01 - 4.5 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 3.5 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 0.5 teaspoon salt
04 - 2.5 cups granulated sugar
05 - 1.5 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
06 - 8 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
08 - 2 cups whole milk, room temperature

→ Buttercream Frosting

09 - 2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
10 - 8 cups powdered sugar, sifted
11 - 0.5 cup whole milk or heavy cream
12 - 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
13 - Pinch of salt
14 - Gel food coloring, optional for graduation colors

→ Decoration

15 - Balloon cake toppers
16 - Edible confetti or sprinkles, optional

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans and two 6-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, approximately 3 to 5 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract until fully combined.
05 - With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding the flour mixture and milk in three additions, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined.
06 - Divide the batter evenly between the 8-inch and 6-inch pans with equal amounts. Tap pans gently to release air bubbles.
07 - Bake 8-inch cakes for 35 to 40 minutes and 6-inch cakes for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
08 - Allow cakes to cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
09 - Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating well. Mix in vanilla, salt, and milk or cream 1 tablespoon at a time until smooth and spreadable. Tint with food coloring if desired.
10 - Level cake tops if needed. Place one 8-inch layer on a cake board, spread a layer of buttercream, and top with the second 8-inch cake. Repeat layering for the 6-inch cakes.
11 - Apply a thin crumb coat of buttercream to each cake tier. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
12 - Frost both cake tiers smoothly with remaining buttercream. Stack the 6-inch cake tier centered on top of the 8-inch tier, using dowels or straws for structural support if needed.
13 - Top with balloon cake toppers and garnish with edible confetti or sprinkles as desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The vanilla sponge is so impossibly moist that people actually ask for seconds, which almost never happens at parties.
  • That buttercream frosting is thick enough to sculpt but silky enough to spread without tearing the cake layers.
  • Watching someone's face light up when they see those balloon toppers is honestly worth every minute of prep time.
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients are not optional—cold eggs and butter won't incorporate properly, and you'll end up with a grainy batter that bakes into a dense cake instead of a tender one.
  • That crumb coat you're tempted to skip actually makes the final frosting look professional, so please don't try to save time by skipping it.
  • Dowels or straws in the bottom tier are not decorative—they're structural support, and skipping them means your top tier could sink into the bottom cake.
03 -
  • Use a bench scraper or offset spatula dipped in hot water and dried to smooth out frosting marks—it's the secret weapon that makes your cake look professional without requiring any special skills.
  • If buttercream breaks or looks grainy when you're mixing it, it means the temperature is wrong; either warm it gently by placing the bowl over a pot of warm water or chill it in the fridge for 10 minutes and try again.
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