Baking a beautiful specially decorated cake can be a little like a magician performing a wonderful magic trick. Those watching or looking at the finished result are totally bemused, baffled and impressed in equal measure, and the same can be said of a well-decorated cake. But when you are the magician or the baker and know how the magic was performed, it generally isn’t as complicated or as difficult as it looks. With this lovely rose cake, we are going to draw back the curtain of mystery and teach you how to create your very own cake masterpiece, it will look stunning, and doesn’t require a lot of artistic talent or special skills. But don’t worry, anyone who looks at it will be blown away by your new found baking and decorating skills.
The silly thing is to make the stunning cake about you will need one specific tool, but don’t worry it isn’t expensive. It is in fact the head of a stick of celery. Yes believe it or not that is the only special piece of equipment required as you will see when you watch the video below. And once you have the celery, you will be able to decorate the cake in mere seconds, I know you won’t believe it but you are in for a pleasant surprise.
INGREDIENTS
– 2 sticks (8oz/225g) butter, at room temperature
– 1 cup (8oz/225g) sugar
– 4 eggs, beaten
– 1 ⅔ cups (8oz/225g) all purpose flour
– 3 teaspoons baking powder
– Buttercream frosting (1/2 recipe will be enough)
– Fondant Recipe (1/2 recipe will be enough)
– For the decorating
– Celery
– Pink/Red Food dye
– Green Food dye
– Sponges (make up or kitchen sponges)
– Elastic bands
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy and pale in color.
2. While the machine is running, slowly pour in the beaten eggs bit by bit until full incorporated.
3. Mix together the baking powder and flour. Turn the machine on low and mix in the flour until just incorporated. Take care not to beat the mix once the flour is added or it can toughen your cake.
4. Divide the mixture between the tins, smooth the surface with a spatula or the back of a spoon.
5. Bake at 350oF/180oC for roughly 35 to 40 mins or until golden and the cake springs back when pressed. Turn onto a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.
6. To decorate the cake: Prepare your cake buy filing it and covering it in buttercream frosting. Keep in the fridge until needed
7. Roll out the Fondant to ⅛ inch thick and lay it over the cake. Cut off the excess fondant leave some excess to work make it it covers the whole cake.
8. Cut your celery roughly in half. It should looks like a rose. If you want to add or take off a few stalks feel free to. You can easily it on by wrapping an elastic band around the celery.
9. Place your food dye in two bowls. Dip your sponge into the food dye and then onto your celery. Try printing on a piece of paper a few times so you are happy with your stamp.
10. When stamping on the cake don’t leave the stamp on too long or you might mush your imprint. I like to roll the stamp.
11. For the leaves bind two small celery stalks with an elastic band and stamp them in between the roses.
12. Store your cake in the fridge. Before eating let it sit at room temperature for an hour.
13. Decorate the cake up to 24 hours advance & enjoy!