Making a Beautiful Naked Cake

This naked cake recipe is a great way to get creative, by focusing on decorating the top with beautiful fruits and botanicals. Not only does it look pretty, but it's also easy, and it tastes fantastic too.

Not that long ago while I was sitting in the hair salon, I started having a conversation with the woman sitting next to me. After a while, I realized she was the owner of a gift/bakery shop nearby, which is known for the most delicious cakes and cupcakes.

She mentioned that it was her twin daughters who were the masterminds behind the bakery, working with all the latest trends. In fact, one of them was getting married soon, and she would be making her own naked wedding cake.

What is a Naked Cake?

"A naked cake?" I asked. She then explained this trend that shows off the sides and layers of the cake, by using very little or no frosting. For those seasoned bakers, it's more of a crumb coat look. The top is frosted and the entire cake is then decorated with natural elements, giving it an overall rustic, but beautiful look.

You may have already noticed these cakes. I know I have seen them on Pinterest and in magazines. I noticed at the last wedding we attended for my husband's cousin, that there was a beautiful rustic wedding cake in a similar style.

When I was at Trader Joe's I saw some beautiful fresh figs and colorful pomegranate seeds. I thought I'd try making a chocolate two-tiered cake decorated with fruit in a naked cake style. Of course, you can use vanilla cake but I like the nice contrast of the chocolate.

Here's the completed naked cake with fruit and some chocolate mint flowers. I have to say this it was so much fun to make, and my family loved it.

Even with less frosting, we thought it tasted just as good as it looked.

Naked Cake Recipe

Yield: 16

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Additional Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

This naked cake or semi-naked cake recipe is a great way to get creative by focusing on decorating the top with beautiful fruits, flowers, and other botanicals.

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Ingredients

• 1 box chocolate cake mix (and all the ingredients specified), ie, water, oil, eggs
• 1 4 oz. box of chocolate pudding mix
• if box mix calls for 2 eggs add a third

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons milk or cream

Decoration

• Mix of fruits, nuts, herbs and edible flowers

Instructions

1. Create two layers of cake by baking them in round cake pans as directed by the box mix. Also, add an additional egg if the package says 2 eggs. And add in a box of chocolate pudding mix to make the cake extra moist and a great flavor.
2. Make the frosting by combining the sugar and butter on medium speed. 
3. Add vanilla and mix well
4. Add milk and mix well. You can add more milk if the consistency is not thin enough to spread.
5. Frost the cake using an offset spatula starting with the filling between the two cake layers. Use a baggie with a corner cut, filled with the frosting to pipe a tube around the edge of the bottom layer, then fill in with more frosting.
6. Set the second layer on top of the frosting. Then frost the sides of the cake by barely covering them. It's okay if there are a few crumbs showing through. You can also leave the sides completely "naked."
7. Frost the top just like the filling.
8. Complete the cake with a combination of fresh berries and other fruit, nuts, herbs, and edible flowers as you wish on the top of the cake.
9. Place in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 284Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 66mgSodium: 251mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 1gSugar: 34gProtein: 2g

Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.

Did you make this recipe?

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