Rose Cake {Ombre}

I came home this Friday to dinner on the table, a bottle of my favorite wine and flowers. It was our six months wedding anniversary and the hubby was celebrating. He is just too good!! Obviously, the date totally escaped me and I was not prepared as he was. I can't believe 6 months just went by this quick.

So, I decided to bake him a cake the next day in return. The roses he brought home inspired this last minute cake. I've seen the idea bounce around Pinterest for a while now and I figured I should give it a try. See my two favorites here and here. I figured it would only help improve my piping techniques or it could be a total disaster. Either way, Mr J will have a cake to enjoy.

I started with a lemon cake he chose from my Martha Stewart Living magazine and  I made a double batch of my favorite Swiss meringue buttercream frosting. He wanted teal (don't ask me why) and I decided to do it ombre style. Three hours later, I was armed with Wilton tip 21 and a 16' piping bag.

At the end of the day, I really liked how the design turned out. The rosettes were very easy and forgiving as well. They were not perfect but together they looked great. The ombré color did not seem to photograph well but the color tones go from dark to light.

Even though this post is focused on the rose technique, the cake is worth mentioning. The lemon cake is tender, soft and just so savory with a hint of lemon.

Happy six months honey!!

Lemon Cake

(Adapted from Martha Stewart)

Ingredients:

1 ½  cups unsalted butter (2 ½ sticks), room temperature

3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon plus ¾ teaspoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon salt

2 ½ cups sugar

5 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

½ teaspoon lemon extract

½ teaspoon almond extract

Zest of 1 lemon

1 ¼ cups buttermilk

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 350^oC. Butter 3 9in cake pans, line with parchment and butter parchment.

2.     Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.

3.     Combine buttermilk, vanilla extract, lemon and almond extract. Set aside

4.     In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

5.     Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down side of bowl as necessary. Mix in zest.

6.     With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with 2 batches of buttermilk and beginning and ending with flour.

7.     Divide batter among pans, smoothing the top with an offset spatula.

8.     Bake until golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean. About 30-35 minutes.

9.     Transfer pans to wire racks to cool for 10 minutes. Turn out cakes onto racks to cool completely.

White Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream

(Adapted from Martha Stewart)

1 ½ cups sugar

6 large egg whites, room temperature

2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

8 oz melted and cooled white chocolate

1. Whisk together sugar and egg whites in a heatproof mixing bowl set over (not in] a pan of simmering water. Whisk until warm and sugar is dissolved (mixture should feel completely smooth when rubbed between your fingers), 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

2. With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk egg white mixture 5 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high, and whisk until stiff, glossy peaks form and meringue has cooled (test by feeling bottom of bowl), about 6 minutes.

3. Reduce speed to medium. Add butter, one piece at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.  Mix the white chocolate into the buttercream