Vanilla cake with rose buttercream recipe

Details

• Cuisine: Australian
• Recipe Type: Cake
• Difficulty: Medium
• Preparation Time: 35 mins
• Cooking Time: 35 mins
• Serves: 8

Step-by-step

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C. Grease three 15 cm cake tins.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl and combine well with a hand-held whisk.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and beat until well combined, scraping down the side of the bowl from time to time.
4. Add the vanilla and beat until well combined. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture and milk alternately and beat until well combined. Place the egg whites in another clean bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
5. Fold one-third of the egg whites into the batter to loosen, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites. Be gentle and patient in this process as you want to keep as much air in the batter as possible to keep the cake light.
6. Pour a third of the batter into each tin. Cook the cakes for 25–30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Turn them out onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
7. To make the rose buttercream, using an electric mixer, beat all the ingredients together for 3–5 minutes or until light and fluffy.
8. To assemble, place one of the cakes on a stand or serving plate. Using a clean, damp spatula, spread one-third of the buttercream over the top, then repeat with the second cake and another third of the buttercream.
9. Now invert the third and final layer and place it on top – this will give you a lovely smooth top to work with. Smooth over the remaining buttercream and use some of the buttercream oozing out of the layers to lightly ‘whitewash‘ the sides.
10. To ‘whitewash’, using a little of the buttercream oozing out of the layers, take a flat-bladed spatula and carefully smear a thin layer of the buttercream gently over the side of the cake.
11. Wipe the spatula clean and dip it in cold water. Holding it upright, move it around the perimeter of the cake in a continuous motion. The moisture on the spatula will help smooth out the buttercream and give a lovely finish.
12. A cake carousel can make this process a lot easier. Use a little extra buttercream to fill any gaps, then smooth over again with the damp spatula. Crown with the roses.