This Is the Secret to Making Bakery-Worthy Layer Cake At Home (2024)

Layer cakes are a key piece of any home baker’s repertoire. You can stack ’em up for birthdays, weddings and holidays, and there are dozens of gorgeous recipes to choose from, featuring just about every flavor imaginable. It doesn’t hurt that layer cakes are straightforward recipes, too, making them accessible for bakers of all experience levels.

Now, what if we told you there was an easy trick to make your next layer cake out-of-this-world good? It’s a secret professional bakers and pastry chefs have used for years to make moist and flavorful bakes.

Here’s what you need to know!

The Secret to Bakery-Quality Cakes

This baking trick is so easy that it actually has “simple” in the name. That’s right—simple syrup is the magic ingredient that will take your layer cakes to another level of goodness.

You can make your own simple syrup by dissolving sugar into water, and then adding flavoring.

How does this transform a cake? Bakers gently brush simple syrup over each layer, allowing the liquid to soak into the sponge. This adds the perfect amount of extra moisture to the cake and gives a touch of added sweetness. It’s also a helpful remedy if you overbaked your cake, because the simple syrup puts moisture back in.

Some bakers will use flavored syrups to add another layer of goodness. For example, you could brush cherry simple syrup on a chocolate cake for a subtle burst of flavor—yum!

How to Use Simple Syrup on Cake

The simple syrup comes into play after everything is baked and you’re putting the dessert together.

As you stack each layer of cake, coat it with the simple syrup. Most people use a pastry brush to do this, but you could also use a spray bottle. Use only a few tablespoons of liquid per layer—don’t go too heavy or your cake will get soggy.
Allow the mixture to soak into the cake
Top with homemade frosting.

There you have it! How easy was that baking trick?

25 Cakes for People Who Love Frosting

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Taste of Home

Come-Home-to-Mama Chocolate CakeYou'll spend less than a half hour whipping up this cure-all cake that starts with a mix. Sour cream and chocolate pudding make it rich and moist, and chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate make it decadent comfort food at its finest. —Taste of Home Test KitchenGet Recipe

Pecan Cake with Cookie Butter FrostingMy mom and I bought a jar of cookie butter to try it out, and we fell in love with it. I knew the flavor would go well with maple syrup and pecans, so I came up with this cake. I like to make a pretty design on the top of the cake with pecan halves. —Natalie Larsen, Columbia, Maryland

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Nana's Chocolate Cupcakes with Mint FrostingEven though Nana is no longer with us, her treats bring me so much joy every time I bake them. For a more indulgent version, double the frosting and pile it on high! —Chekota Hunter, Cassville, Missouri

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Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese FrostingCinnamon, nutmeg, carrots and a creamy, tangy frosting make this classic carrot cake a winner.

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Frosted Chocolate CakeThis recipe is my mother's oldest and most popular chocolate cake recipe. I always thought it should have a fancier name, but this is what she called it. Mom would say a fancy name would not make it taste better. —Beth Bristow West Plains, Missouri

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Easy Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe photo by Taste of Home