Rose Swirl Cake

This next cake was a valentine special that I had baked. The actual cake is a strawberry based cake, but since my hubby isn’t exactly a strawberry fan so I swapped them with raspberry. Otherwise this is a pretty easy chocolate & vanilla cake (at least the baking part). The tricky part is the icing & decoration which did take some time. But the patience does pay off, because with a simple butter cream frosting, this is one moist & delicious cake.

Ingredients

For the Vanilla Cake

• 1/8  cup unsalted butter ( 28.4 gms)
• ½  cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 2 drops of raspberry essence
• Pinch of salt
• ¼  cup + 1 Tablespoons milk
• 2 egg whites

Lightly grease pans a 9 inch round pan and line bottom with parchment paper.

Pre heat oven to 350˚F (175˚C).

With the standing mixer/ hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add the vanilla & raspberry essence and beat for a minute. Add the flour mixture alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with flour. Stir until just combined.

In another bowl beat the egg whites until foamy and fold into the flour and mixture. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool on wire racks completely. Flip the cake and divide into 2 layers.

 For the Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup  cocoa powder (85 gms)
• 2/3 cup of Luke warm water (153 ml)
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cups superfine sugar
• 1 1/4  cups all-purpose flour
• ¼  teaspoon of salt
•  1 teaspoon of baking powder
•  1 teaspoon of vanilla

Place the cocoa powder in a small bowl and gradually add the warm water; Set aside.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

Grease a 9 inch round cake pan and line with baking parchment.

Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F).

In a bowl, mix sugar and eggs until light and foamy with a hand mixer. Fold in the cocoa mixture. Fold in the flour and combine. Pour the mixture into the pan. Bake for about 50-55 minutes. Check with a toothpick. Leave to cool in the pan for a few minutes then turn out and cool completely on a wire rack.

Cut the cake into 2 layers if you wish and fill with the frosting.

Butter cream frosting

• 2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 6-8 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar, sifted
• ½ tsp. table salt
• 1 tbsp. vanilla essence
• 8 tbsp. milk

Beat butter for a few minutes with a mixer on medium speed. Add 6 cups of powdered sugar gradually and turn your mixer on the lowest speed (so you don’t get a cloud of sugar everywhere) until the sugar has completely mixed with the butter. Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla essence, salt, and 4 tablespoons of milk and beat for about 5 minutes.

Note: If the frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add remaining sugar. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add remaining milk at a time.

Fill the cake with the frosting. And with Tip # 1 M (large) pipe the roses.

I had added few drops of raspberry essence to the frosting to get the lovely pink colour.