Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) with graded porous cathode were fabricated via a multilayer tape casting and co-firing technique, which is a low-cost and reproducible fabrication process. The effects of pore formers,on the electrochemical performance of graded cathode are studied to minimize cathodic polarization resistance. Examination of the microstructures reveals that the multilayer single cell had no delamination, observable cracks, or other large defects. The cell prepared by the co-firing process exhibits low interfacial polarization resistance and high power density at the operating temperature range of 700 -800 degrees C. This simple fabrication technique can be used for optimization of electrode microstructures and cost-effective fabrication of high-performance SOFCs. Copyright (C) 2015, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.