Neiman Marcus Seven Layer Cake

This Texas department-store classic has been on the menu at the Neiman Marcus Zodiac restaurant in Dallas for decades. The magic is in the thin layers: seven paper-thin rounds of vanilla cake stacked with rich chocolate buttercream between each, producing a dessert where every bite carries seven alternating layers of cake and frosting.

The technique for thin layers is the clever part. Two cups of batter pour into a 9-inch pan, you tip the pan so it coats the bottom, then invert over a second sheet to pour out all the excess. What remains clings to the pan in a near-crepe-thin layer that bakes up in just 8 minutes.

Keep remaining batter refrigerated while you work. Warm batter hydrates unevenly and the layers lose their uniformity. Cold batter also scrapes cleanly against the pan edges.

Bake one or two pans at a time depending on your oven space. This is a recipe that rewards patience, plan on an hour of rotating batter in and out before you start frosting.

Pro Tips

• Use cake flour, not all-purpose. Its lower protein is what makes the layers tender enough to stack without crumbling.
• Trim each layer with a knife if the edges are uneven, a precise stack is the whole visual payoff.
• Apply a thin crumb-coat layer of frosting first, refrigerate, then finish with a clean final layer.
• Chill the finished cake 30 minutes before slicing. Warm buttercream smears between the layers.

Variations

• Swap chocolate buttercream for coffee or mocha for a mocha seven-layer.
• Add a thin spread of raspberry jam between every other layer for a fruit twist.
• Finish the top with chocolate shavings or a dusting of cocoa for a more dramatic presentation.