Layer cake

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Cake made from stacked layers of cake held together by filling

title: "Layer cake" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["layer-cakes"] description: "Cake made from stacked layers of cake held together by filling" topic_path: "general/layer-cakes" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Layer_cake" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Cake made from stacked layers of cake held together by filling ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox food"]

FieldValue
nameLayer cake
imageMeyer lemon chiffon cake, chocolate.jpg
captionA three-layer cake with a candied lemon slice on top
courseDessert
typeCake
main_ingredientCake base (e.g. - sponge cake or butter cake), icing, jam or other filling
::

::callout[type=note] the food item ::

| name = Layer cake | image = Meyer lemon chiffon cake, chocolate.jpg | caption = A three-layer cake with a candied lemon slice on top | alternate_name = | course = Dessert | type = Cake | served = | main_ingredient = Cake base (e.g. - sponge cake or butter cake), icing, jam or other filling | variations =

A layer cake (US English) or sandwich cake (UK English) is a cake consisting of multiple stacked sheets of cake, held together by a filling such as frosting, jam, or other preserves. Most cake recipes can be adapted for layer cakes; butter cakes and sponge cakes are common choices. Frequently, the cake is covered with icing, but sometimes, the sides are left undecorated, so that the filling and the number of layers are visible. Popular flavor combinations include German chocolate cake, red velvet cake, Black Forest cake, and carrot cake with cream cheese icing. Many wedding cakes are decorated layer cakes.

In the mid-19th century, modern cakes were first described in English. Maria Parloa's Appledore Cook Book, published in Boston in 1872, contained one of the first layer cake recipes. Another early recipe for layer cake was published in Cassell's New Universal Cookery Book, published in London in 1894.

Older forms

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Dobos_cake_(Gerbeaud_Confectionery_Budapest_Hungary).jpg" caption="For a [[Dobos torte]], all cake layers are baked separately."] ::

Whereas in modern layer cakes, layers are generally baked to a height of around 2 in and split horizontally, another method of preparing cake layers is used for cakes like Dobos torte and Prinzregententorte: The cake batter is baked in seven or eight separate thin layers, about a half-inch thick each in the finished stack. These layers are then covered with a thin layer of cream and/or jam and stacked. This stack, which is the same height as the typical Western layer cake, is then frosted so that the structure is not visible. At first glance, these cakes look much like a German konditorei style cake such as the Black Forest cake.

An example for a European layer cake invented in 1735 is the Frankfurter Kranz (Frankfurt Crown Cake) which consists of two or three layers of sponge cake filled with jam and buttercream frosting, and then frosted with more buttercream.

The French term gâteau is used for a cake in France, and in the UK it means a layer cake. It is also used for some types of pastry-based desserts like the Gâteau Basque.

Comparison

Layer cakes typically serve multiple people, so they are larger than cupcakes, petits fours, or other individual pastries. A common layer cake size, which is baked in nine-inch round cake pans, typically serves about 16 people, but there is some variation. Some recipes suggest larger pieces with as few as 10 servings for a double-layer cake, and others expect 24 servings. Much smaller pieces, with as many as 32 servings for a nine-inch round layer cake, are common for wedding cake. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/Bánh_da_lơn_đậu_xanh_và_lá_dứa..jpg" caption="Bánh da lợn"] ::

Unlike the Vietnamese Bánh da lợn or Swiss rolls, layer cake is assembled from several separate pieces of cake. A sheet cake can become a layer cake if it is cut into pieces and reassembled with frosting or other filling to form layers. File:Pound layer cake.jpg|Both fruit jam and icing for filling File:Cake, Downpatrick, April 2010 (01).JPG|Layer cake without icing File:Red Velvet Cake Waldorf Astoria.jpg|Red velvet cake with white icing File:Rainbowcake.jpg|Rainbow layer cake File:Apple Stack Cake.jpg|Apple preserves instead of icing File:0688 Lebkuchentorte Sanok 2013.JPG|Square piece of layer cake

Examples

Main article: Layer cakes

References

References

  1. "British and American terms - Oxford Dictionaries (US)". Oxford Dictionaries.
  2. "Prue Leith's Prinzregententorte".
  3. Goldstein, Darra. (2015). "The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets". Oxford University Press.
  4. Kotschevar, Lendal Henry. (1974). "Standards, Principles, and Techniques in Quantity Food Production". Cahners Books.
  5. (2013-10-15). "The America's Test Kitchen Cooking School Cookbook: Everything You Need to Know to Become a Great Cook". America's Test Kitchen.
  6. Carpenter, Autumn. (2013-11-01). "Decorate Cakes, Cupcakes, and Cookies with Kids: Techniques, Projects, and Party Plans for Teaching Kids, Teens, and Tots". Quarto Publishing Group USA.
  7. Wilton. (2021-03-01). "Cake Serving Chart: Ultimate Guide to Perfect Portions".
  8. Shirvell, Bridget. (23 September 2022). "How Many Slices Will You Get From That Cake?".
  9. (2013-10-15). "The America's Test Kitchen Cooking School Cookbook: Everything You Need to Know to Become a Great Cook". America's Test Kitchen.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

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