Guess what today is??!? It’s my birthday! And I’m celebrating with a Naked Birthday Cake!

Layers of cake, lemon curd, crushed meringues, swiss buttercream and sparklers. Boom. What more could you ask for? I’ve been dying to make a naked birthday cake forever – basically one that’s barely frosted on the outside so you can see all those glorious layers on the inside!! And because it needs to be bright and cheerful (just like me) we threw on a bunch of pink and yellow candies and flowers PLUS some sparklers on top. Because it’s not a birthday without sparkles and a billion calories! If you need me I’ll be taking a fork to this cake and hanging out because calories don’t count on your big day!

Naked Birthday Cake Gaby Print Recipe Pin Recipe Prep Time 30 mins Cook Time 35 mins Total Time 2 hrs Ingredients For the cake layers: 4 cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 ½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter room temp

2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

4 eggs

2 cups buttermilk For the Swiss Buttercream: 2 ¼ cups sugar

9 large egg whites

1 teaspoon lemon juice

pinch of salt

1 ¼ pounds butter room temp, cut into small pieces For frosting layers Lemon curd

crumbled meringue cookies Optional toppings Sparkler Candles

Fresh Fruit

Flowers

Meringue cookies Instructions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour three 9-inch cake pans.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together for 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, Beat in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add half the flour mixture. Add 1 cup of buttermilk and mix until combined. add remaining flour mixture and beat. Add remaining buttermilk and beat. Remove from the mixer and finish mixing by hand if needed. Divide the batter amongst the 3 prepped cake pans.

Bake until golden brown and done, about 30-35 minutes. Let cakes cool for a few minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a saucepan that can hold a standing mixer's bowl above the water. Whisk the sugar, the egg whites, lemon juice, and salt in the bowl by hand. Set the bowl above the boiling water and continue whisking until the mixture is hot to the touch and the sugar dissolves, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the bowl to a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat the egg whites at medium-high speed until they almost hold a stiff peak and are fully cooled, about 10 minutes. Beat in the butter, a little at a time, until the icing is smooth and spreadable.

To assemble the cake, place one layer of the cake on a cake stand. Spread 3 tablespoons of lemon curd on top of the cake and sprinkle with some of the crushed meringue cookies. Spread a 1/2 inch layer of the Swiss Buttercream on top and carefully place the 2nd layer of cake on top. Repeat the process with additional lemon curd, sprinkled meringues and more Swiss Buttercream. Add the last layer of cake of top. Frost the top of the cake with more of the Swiss Buttercream and add a super thin layer of the Swiss Buttercream to the sides of the cake. Frost until smooth. Decorate with any desired toppings and serve as needed. Tried this recipe? tag @whatsgabycookin in your photos

Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Adam Pearson / Recipe from What’s Gaby Cooking