You can bake your own wedding cake and decorate it, especially if you use this simple naked cake technique!
For another stylish cake, try this Earl Grey Meringue Cake!
It is a known fact that the best tasting cake is a beautiful cake. And to me, it’s hard to top just how beautiful a naked cake can be!
These cakes have a gorgeous rustic charm that still manages to stun. Although they have famously become fashionable at weddings, there’s no reason why they can’t be enjoyed at any time of the year!
A naked cake is intentionally left without fancy decorating. This gives it the look of understated elegance, and also means that it is easier to make your own gorgeous naked cake!
Naked cake
In many ways a naked cake is like any other layer cake. The significant difference is that there is little to no frosting on the sides of the cake.
This gives the cake a lovely rustic look, like it has been left artfully unfinished. It also shows off the layers of the cake rather than hiding them behind the frosting.
Naked cakes became a huge trend a few years back as a reaction to the over-styled cakes seen at weddings. The trend inevitably spilled beyond weddings, making naked cakes a common sight in all sorts of settings.
I’m a big fan of naked cakes, and not only for the unique and beautiful way they look when done well. Too much sweet frosting is more than I can take, so a cake with less is just my speed!
The sponge I made is something I come to over and over again when I need a no-fail cake. The sponge is light and fluffy with an intense vanilla flavour and the frosting is made of a mix of mascarpone and heavy cream, the fruit inclusion is variable.
I used strawberries for this one but you can use whatever is in season like Victoria Sponge Cake with Blackberry Compote.
How do you keep a naked cake moist?
For most cakes, frosting serves to keep moisture in the sponges. Because naked cakes have less or no frosting on the sides, moisture can escape easier and can dry out the cake if left too long.
To prevent this from happening, avoid making the cake days before you intend to serve it, or add a thin layer of frosting to the sides as I have done. This thin layer is called a crumb coat.
If you do need to make the sponge days in advance, it is best to freeze it to keep it fresh. Freezing the sponge will lock the moisture inside so it is ready to go when you need it.
I also added a good thick layer of icing between the sponges. I find this adds moisture and compensates for the reduced icing on the outside.
Assembling the cake
Start by preparing the layers of sponge. Make the sponge layers level by trimming off the domes so they are easier to lay flat. A sharp bread knife will do the trick.
Now stack the layers, adding a generous layer of mascarpone icing in between. If you decide to have more than two layers, it may be helpful to very slightly offset the middle layer. This makes it easier to achieve the semi-naked look.
Use an offset spatula to smooth out the top layer of icing. It may be easier to achieve when using a turntable.
Now add icing to the sides of the cake, starting at the bottom and working towards the top. This is a naked cake, so don’t add a huge amount of icing to the sides.
Using a bench scraper, smooth out the icing on the sides, leaving a very thin, fine layer behind. You may need to add very small dollops of icing as you go if any area is scraped too thin.
Once you have a smooth, rustic look on the side areas of the cake, give the top layer one more smooth down. Use a spatula to pull any excess icing coming up from the sides into the centre of the cake.
Time to add the decoration of your choice. I think that flowers are absolutely perfect for a naked cake! (Make sure you find organic flowers so you aren’t transferring chemicals to the cake!)
A lot of you have made this naked cake already and I am so happy about that! However I WANT to see your photos of this gorgeous cake! So if you make this cake, share the photos and tag @vikalinka in your instagram shots!!
More cake recipes
- Black Forest Cake
- Rose Rhubarb Layer Cake
- Elderflower and Lemon Cake
- Black and White Chocolate Cake with Blackberry Compote
Naked Cake with Mascarpone Cream and Crushed Strawberries
Ingredients
For the cake
- 250 g /1 cup butter softened and unsalted
- 250 g /1⅓ cup caster sugar
- 4 eggs large
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
- 250 g /1¾ cup flour
- 2½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- Zest of 1 lemon
For the mascarpone cream
- 250 ml / 1 cup mascarpone chilled
- 60 g / ¼ cup icing sugar
- 175 ml / ¾ cup double cream
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
For the crashed strawberries
- 250 g / 2 cups strawberries quartered
- 100 g / ½ cup sugar
- Organic flowers dried rose petals and pink sprinkles for decoration
Instructions
For the cake
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350 C, grease two 8″/20cm round cake pans and line with parchment paper, set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer cream softened butter with sugar until light and fluffy.
- Start adding eggs one by one, whipping until well combined after each addition for about a minute. Add vanilla bean paste and lemon zest.
- Combine sifted flour, baking soda and powder and salt in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well, stopping the mixer and scraping sides and the bottom of the bowl.
- Divide the batter between two pans. Weigh them to get exactly the same cake in size. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and set on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely.
For the mascarpone cream
- Whip chilled mascarpone with icing sugar and vanilla bean paste for 1-2 minutes until well combined.
- Then add double/whipping cream and whip for 2 more minutes until stiff.
For the crushed strawberries
- In a small bowl mix 1 cup of quartered strawberries with ½ cup of sugar and crush them gently with a fork until they resemble a rough, juicy mash, add the remaining cup of strawberries for more texture and mix.
Cake assembly
- To assemble the cake spread ¼ of mascarpone cream on top of the bottom layer of the cake. Dab the crushed strawberries all over, they shouldn’t cover the entire cake, then add more mascarpone cream directly on top of strawberries and level everything with a cake spatula. Cover with the second cake layer.
- Cover the entire cake with the remaining mascarpone cream, making pretty swirls on the top of the cake, and then using an offset spatula scrape the mascarpone cream off the sides of the cake to reveal the sponge, thus creating the “naked cake” effect. Decorate the top with organic flowers, rose petals, sprinkles etc.
Emily says
Hi! Just found this amazing recipe and I am making it for my sons christening on sunday (one large cake at the bottom and one small sat on top supported by dowels) . I have made the 4 sponges and wrapped and frozen each one all ready. My plan was to take them out friday night to defrost, then make the frosting and ice them saturday evening and pop the iced cake in the fridge over night. Then on sunday decorate it with the flowers ready to eat at lunch time. Would this be possible? I am worried I wont have much time on sunday morning to make the icing as I will have children running around and have to get ready. Fingers crossed you think my plan will work! I will make sure to keep the strawberries quite central so they dont leak. xxx
Liza says
Hi! I really wanna try to make this cake for my daughter’s first birthday, it’s in two days, planning to bake one day before, and assemble in the morning. Can I prepare frosting day ahead too and keep in it the fridge? Also I want to use two 6” trays, and bake it twice to make naked cake slim and high. I recon if I just double it all it would be enough? Can I tag you in insta once it’s done? 🙂 also any tips how can I make it more baby friendly? I want to use agave syrup instead of sugar for strawberries, a bit scared to change anything else, no to mess the result! Thank you xx
Julia Frey (Vikalinka) says
Hi Liza, you can certainly make this cake in 6 inch pans but if you double the recipe, I would recommend to divide the batter into 5 layers, not 4. I don’t recommend making the frosting a day ahead because it will get too stiff in the fridge to spread, so you’d have to whip it again, which will take as much time as making it from scratch. It’s a very quick frosting recipe. Yes, you can absolutely tag me in your Insta. I would love to see your creation. I think replacing sugar with agave syrup will be okay for the strawberry filling. Just make sure it’s not too wet when you add it to the cake. Good luck!
T R says
Hello,
I made this cake for my son’s 25th birthday. The sponge middle sank halfway through baking. 😥 However once covered with cream and a variety of fruit came out quite impressive. Family loved it, shame the sponge wasn’t how it should have been. I’m quite self critical.
Any idea where I went wrong?
vikalinka says
Hi there, it might be that your oven runs too hot, most of them are very inaccurate. The cakes bake from the outside in and if the temperature is too high, they rise quickly and look done, but later fall in the middle because they aren’t actually cooked all the way through. I have an internal thermometer in my oven (very cheap on Amazon)to monitor temperature as mine is too low! It could also be due to over mixing or opening the door of the oven halfway through the baking when the cake is too unstable. So many reasons, so they only way to know is to try again? 🙂
Jeanne Blaser says
I made this cake (actually I made three of them, one would have not been enough) for my sister’s wedding, they were beautiful and everybody loved them ! Thank you so much for this delicious recipe !
vikalinka says
I am so happy everyone loved the cake, Jeanne! That is so impressive that you made your sister’s wedding cake!
Phyllis says
Can the cake “sponge” be baked and frozen; then defrosted and frosted with the cream at a later date?
vikalinka says
Yes, it absolutely can Phyllis. I usually wrap mine in several layer of cling wrap to avoid it being freezer burnt.
Erica Rachel Nelson says
Can we use regular instead of caster sugar
vikalinka says
Hi Erica, caster sugar is simply superfine sugar and using it yields better results. Sugar needs to dissolve in the batter making process for the sponges to be fluffy and superfine sugar does it better. I hope this helps!
Giovanna says
Hi I’m about to try to make this cake. Can I use vanilla extract instead of the paste in mascarpone cream? Also I’ll have to use 2 9” pans instead of 8”. Should I increase the ingredients or will that be fine?
Kind regards
Giovanna
vikalinka says
You can definitely use vanilla extract, Giovanna. I haven’t tested with 2 9″ pans but guessing it should be fine. Do let me know how you get on. Best of luck!
Sue says
Beautiful cake! I plan to make this for my wedding, would it work as 2 tiers using dowels and a cake board?
vikalinka says
It’s not a very large cake, Sue but you can double the recipe to get a 2 tier cake.
Cherie says
Hey what sort of flour do you use? Plain? Thanks
vikalinka says
Yes, plain flour. In fact I use Canadian Bread Flour from Sainsbury’s for everything.
Martina says
Hello from Czech republic! 🙂 I wanna say big Thank you, because I made your cake this weekend for b-day celebration and it was delecious! I used mango instead of strawberries. I believe, that strawberry flavor would be better, but mango works too 🙂 i will make it again soon 🙂
vikalinka says
So great to hear the cake works with mangos as well. Thank you for sharing this with me, Martina!
Emma says
What a lovely cake!
The mascarpone cream is delicious!
What sugar do you use with the strawberries?
Thank you
vikalinka says
Thanks so much, Emma! I use white granulated sugar but I am sure a bit of brown or vanilla sugar would add another layer of flavour.
Aoife says
I’m thinking of making this cake for a birthday and I was wondering what kind of flowers did you use
vikalinka says
Hi Aoife, these delicate rose like flowers are called lisianthus and are safe to decorate with as they are non-toxic for humans or animals.
Ross Luna says
Hola Julia, lamento decir que el día de hoy hice dos veces la receta de los bizcochos y en las dos ocasiones salieron mal, hundidos totalmente y he notado que la masa está un poco amarillenta, la cual no me explico el por qué. Pensé en escribirte por si me puedes orientar por qué pasó esto, no se si los ingredientes están bien o falta alguno ? Note que las medidas de algunos ingredientes no coinciden con los gramos, please help me
Saludos, Ross
vikalinka says
Hi Ross, there are many reasons why cakes sometimes fall in the middle. If there is too little moisture in a cake, it can fall in the center. However, too much moisture can also affect a cake. This commonly occurs in humid climates, where added moisture can collect naturally in ingredients such as flour. When this occurs, a cake can rise rapidly and then fall during baking. It can also happen if you open an oven door too early in the baking process or close the oven door too sharply. I can assure you that the gram measurements are correct in this cake. Best wishes, Julia
Jitka B says
Hi, I want to make this cake for tomorrow’s birthday party, should I make today and refrigerate until tomorrow evening or I should make tomorrow morning? And decorate before serving or after finishing cake?
Thanks!
vikalinka says
I find it easier and less stressful to bake the day before and keep the cakes wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight, then decorate on the day of celebration.
Heidi says
I was so nervous to make this (baking is not my forte). It turned out AMAZING! I followed the directions exactly and had no issues. I used 3- 9 in pans and made 1.5 x the cake recipe. I doubled the frosting which was the perfect amount. This frosting will now be my go to- it was divine! Because the cake is dense, I had no problems with crumbs while frosting and loved that they came out so flat that I didn’t have to shave any off before stacking. This was a big hit at my daughters 18th birthday and looked elegant with the fresh flowers on top. I will definitely be making this again. Thank you!
vikalinka says
Thank you so much for this amazing feedback, Heidi! I could almost feel your excitement and sense of pride as I was reading it. Cakes are not easy unless you make them all the time and you did so well! 🙂
Cheryl Thorne says
I am looking forward to making this cake. Is there supposed to be buttermilk or milk in this recipe. Cheers. You look amazing 💕
vikalinka says
Hi Cheryl, the recipe works as written. Enjoy!!
Sophia says
I had the same question. I followed exactly – tasted delicious but was dry
vikalinka says
Hi Sophia, there is a chance the cake was slightly over baked if it was dry.
Heather says
I made this recipe twice and it didn’t rise like a regular cake. Is it supposed to be dense? The flavor is incredible though. I’m trying to make it for my moms 70th birthday party in a few weeks. Help!
vikalinka says
Hi Heather, this classic English sponge is a bit more dense than an American sponge cake, and definitely more dense than cakes you’d get from a box. It should rise though. I would say it increases in height by a third after baking. My main piece of advice would be not to rush the beating of sugar and butter together. That’s where you incorporate air in, that will later result in a better rise. The consistency of beaten sugar and butter should be smooth, not gritty with sugar, very light and fluffy, almost like a buttercream icing. I hope this helps!
Tammy says
I found this recipe by randomly Googling mascarpone and whip cream. I had purchased them to make a topping for a key lime pie, but ended up not using it. This cake turned out lovely. My husband said it’s the best cake I’ve ever made (full disclosure: I’m not much of a cake-maker…). I’m based in the U.S. and used Trader Joe’s mascarpone and some local whipping cream that looked very rich (aka high in fat). I also used White Lily all-purpose flour which is low in protein, and had to use 9-inch pans instead of 8. It turned out lovely. The cake texture was perfect. I also increased the lemon flavour, adding a bit of lemon juice to the strawberry mash and some lemon zest to the whipped icing. It’s delicious! I’d love to try this with raspberries too.
vikalinka says
So happy to hear that, Tammy! I love lemon the flavour as well, it really brightens up a cake, especially in the summer!
Laura says
Hi, I was thinking of doing this for a wedding. How should it be stored once decorated. Was going to decorate the morning of the wedding but it won’t be served until later that evening.
Thanks
vikalinka says
Hi Laura, I would strongly recommend refrigerating it until serving since mascarpone is dairy and needs refrigeration. The flowers will also wilt if not kept at a cool temperature.
Ashley says
Hi! If I am using 2 9″ pans how should the recipe be altered?
vikalinka says
Hi Ashley, I would increase the recipe by a third although I haven’t tried myself and can’t be certain. It’s all trial and error with cake alterations!
Brande says
I was looking for a naked cake recipie to make for a party that I’m throwing for mom! The theme is ‘elegant champagne brunch’, and this cake is exactly all of that!! I’m not baker so fingers crossed I can make this!!
vikalinka says
I am so happy I could help, Brande! This cake is not difficult to make, just make sure you are following instructions precisely and your oven temperature is correct! Good luck! 🙂
Katie says
If I’m using two 10 inch cake pan, how would you recommend altering the recipe? Can’t do 1/3 due to 4 eggs… add 1/2?
vikalinka says
I would increase the recipe by 1/2, Katie. Good luck! Let me know how it turns out. Best, Julia.
Astrid says
This cake was exactly what I wanted for my baby girl Cake Smash shoot! I loved the fact it had Cream Cheese/Mascarpone frosting instead of the heavy Buttercreme icing most naked cake recipes suggest. My frosting was a bit runny once I placed in on the cake and added the cake layers – had to refrigerate to avoid all the yummy icing of being squashed out . I used chopped up peaches instead of berries and my litte one loved it! Will be a future “go-to” favourite from now on…Thanks so much for the recipes.
Oh and the pictures are amazing…much love from South Africa!
vikalinka says
So happy to hear it, Astrid! Happy birthday to your little girls and a peach mascarpone cake sounds amazing!
Lisa says
Hello
I would love to make this for my nieces party – it’s for 30 people. I was thinking of making a 9 inch cake but with 4 layers. Any ideas on quantities?
Hope you can help.
Lisa
vikalinka says
Are you asking how to scale up the recipe to suit 30 people? It’s impossible to tell exactly without actually recipe testing but my guess would be to triple the recipe if you want to bake 4 layers in a 9 inch. 🙂 Let me know how it goes!
Teresa says
Frosting was Runny. But it was delicious!!!!
I used American mascarpone since that’s all that was available. Can you advise on any adjustments I could make next time?
vikalinka says
Hi Teresa I would suggest whipping the cream first and lightly whisking the mascarpone, and then combining them together. Alternatively you can use cream cheese instead of mascarpone. I hope this helps.
Teresa says
Thank you Julie for responding. Awesome, I will try that next time. I love the taste of this it’s so light and yummy so hopefully I can still use the mascarpone!
vikalinka says
You are welcome, Teresa, I hope whipping cream and mascarpone separately will do the trick. 🙂
Teresa says
Hi julie, since you mentioned American mascarpone cheese is different than Italian can you advise on an adjustment to make. My frosting was too runny.
Rabbi says
Hi Julia, beautiful cake, Just wanna know wich flour should I use self raising flour or plain flour or all purpose flour.
Thank you!
vikalinka says
All purpose flour! 🙂
Laura says
Hi Julia! I was interested in making this cake for a dinner party… is it possible to make this cake ahead of time? And if so how early?
vikalinka says
Hi Laura, you can make it 1 to 2 days ahead of the party. I usually bake one day ahead, wrap each sponge in a cling wrap to keep moisture in and store in the fridge, then decorate it on the day of since this decorating style is very easy and quick!
Kellie@foodtoglow says
Just saw this on Pinterest and have fallen in love! Such a gorgeous cake and fantastically beautiful shoot. On my cake must make list!
vikalinka says
Thanks so much, Kellie! This cake is so simple to make yet looks quite beautiful…it’s all about the flowers! 😉
Yana says
Hi, is double cream same as heavy cream?
vikalinka says
Double cream is higher in fat but heavy cream is still a good substitute.
Ann says
Hi Julia. This is so lovely. I want to make this for mothers day. Can I use 6x3inch round cake pan? Do I need to adjust the measurement? And how about the baking time and temperature? Please do help me.
vikalinka says
Hi Ann, if you are using a 6 inch pan, you need to use 3 of them or decrease the recipe by a third. Bake it at the same temperature but for 20-25 minutes. I hope this works, sometimes you just need to experiment a bit to get it right. 🙂
Shelby says
Thank you so much for this recipe it was amazing! the texture of the cake was perfect.
vikalinka says
That is great, Shelby!! I love this cake so much too!
Karen @ The Food Charlatan says
The flowers are the perfect compliment to this cake! What a beautiful shoot! I’ve never made a mascarpone frosting, i need to try it out.
vikalinka says
Thanks, Karen! Mascarpone frosting is my absolute favourite and my go-to-recipe. A word of caution, some readers experienced problems making it with American mascarpone. Italian mascarpone always works!
Laura | Tutti Dolci says
The cake is a beauty, of course, and the wedding shoot is absolutely stunning!
vikalinka says
Thank you so much, Laura! It’s always fun to try something new! 🙂
Lucy Parissi says
What a beautiful shoot. I remember that day and wishing I could join you! The cake looks absolutely stunning. Can’t believe how girly Vika looks in her dress – bet you had to bribe her!
vikalinka says
Surprisingly Vika was really into it!! We still need to do something creative together!!
Julie H says
Beautiful, Julia! What a fun endeavour. I love all of the colours along with the white. The cake looks both elegant and simply delicious. I will be trying it (though not for a wedding!!) soon, maybe for my own birthday ce December. Thanks for sharing the beauty!
vikalinka says
Thank you, Julie!! I had so much fun planning and working on this shoot!