Description
Celebrate a unique birthday with this Dill Pickle Birthday Layer Cake featuring moist layers infused with pickle brine and chopped sweet dill pickles, topped with tangy cream cheese pickle frosting and optional savory garnishes.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cake:
- 2 ½ cups 315g all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup 170g unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ¾ cups 350g granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 3 tbsp dill pickle brine
- ¾ cup finely chopped sweet dill pickles, patted dry
For the Cream Cheese Pickle Frosting:
- 8 oz 225g cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup 113g unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tbsp pickle brine
- ½ tsp lemon zest
- 4 cups 480g powdered sugar
- Pinch of salt
Optional Garnishes:
- Crushed dill pickle potato chips
- Candied pickle slices
- Fresh dill sprigs
Instructions
- Prep the pans and oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Make the cake batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, cream softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract, sour cream, whole milk, and dill pickle brine. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, folding in gently. Finally, fold in the finely chopped sweet dill pickles, making sure they're well distributed.
- Bake: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the tops with a spatula. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool in pans for 10 minutes before transferring to wire cooling racks to cool completely.
- Make the frosting: Beat cream cheese and unsalted butter together until smooth and creamy. Add pickle brine, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt, mixing well. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until the frosting becomes fluffy and spreadable. Taste and adjust the amount of pickle brine or lemon zest to your preference.
- Assemble: If necessary, level the cooled cake layers with a knife to create even surfaces. Stack the cake layers, spreading a layer of frosting between each. After stacking, frost the top and sides of the cake evenly. Decorate with optional crushed dill pickle potato chips, candied pickle slices, or fresh dill sprigs for a festive touch.
Notes
- Ensure pickles are patted dry to avoid adding excess moisture to the batter.
- You can substitute sour cream with Greek yogurt if preferred.
- For extra tang, adjust pickle brine quantity in frosting cautiously.
- Use room temperature ingredients for best mixing results.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting to prevent melting.
- Store the cake in the refrigerator due to the cream cheese frosting.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 35 g
- Sodium: 420 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
