| 1. |
Preheat the oven to 175℃. |
| 2. |
Grease two 9-inch round cake tins and set aside. |
| 3. |
Whisk together the flour and baking powder. |
| 4. |
Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. |
| 5. |
Add eggs one at a time and mix until incorporated; scrape down the sides of the bowl with each addition. |
| 6. |
Add vanilla extract and mix until just combined. |
| 7. |
With a spatula, gently fold in the flour mixture and buttermilk in 3 additions until just combined (alternate between the flour and buttermilk – start by folding in 1/3 of the flour, followed by ½ of the buttermilk; end off by folding the remaining 1/3 of the flour). |
| 8. |
After the mixture from step 7 is well mixed, add 2 – 3 drops of food colouring to the batter and mix well. Pour 1/4 of the batter onto a pan. |
| 9. |
Add another 2 drops of colouring to the remainder batter and mix well. If you think the colour is not dark enough, feel free to add another 1 – 2 drops of colouring. Pour another 1/4 of the batter onto another pan. |
| 10. |
Continue the step 9 until all the batter are poured evenly onto 4 pans. |
| 11. |
Bake each layer individually for 30 to 35 minutes. |
| 12. |
Allow to cool and then frost with Vanilla Italian Meringue Buttercream. |
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| Tip: |
To intensify the colours, use a drop or two more food colouring. However, the colour of the cake will turn darker after one day. If you are not going to serve it immediately, make the colour one shade lighter than what you desire. |
| Tip: |
You many have as many layers (shades) as you like! Remember that the portion of batter used for each layer should be equal. Adjust your baking time accordingly if you are going to have more (and thinner) layers. |
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| Frosting |
| 1. |
Italian Meringue Buttercream: In a pot, heat the water and ¾ cup of sugar over medium heat; leave it to cook, keeping an eye on it from time to time. |
| 2. |
In a standing mixer, whisk the egg whites on medium speed until foamy; add the cream of tartar and whisk till it reaches soft peaks. Add the remaining ¼ cup of sugar and whisk until it reaches stiff peaks. |
| 3. |
Once the sugar syrup reaches 120℃ (be careful! It’s really hot), remove from the stove and drizzle it slowly into the egg whites. Leave the standing mixer whisking away at high speed until the syrup has been added and the bottom of the bowl has cooled down (this should take about 5 minutes). |
| 4. |
Once the bowl has cooled down, leave the mixer at high speed and add the butter into the mixture, a chunk at a time until all the butter has been added. Scrape down the sides and whisk until fully combined. |
| 5. |
Split the buttercream into 3 or 4 portions, reserving the largest portion for the lightest colour. |
| 6. |
When the cake is cooled, dirty ice the cake. (Dirty Ice meaning apply a foundation layer of lightest coloured buttercream onto the cake to smooth out any uneven area. It is fine if the crumbs are showing). Once done, refrigerate the cake for about 20 minutes until you can touch the icing gently without making a dent. |
| 7. |
Pipe the roses, starting from the bottom of the cake with the darkest colour. |
| 8. |
Work your way up piping rows of roses in from the darkest to the lightest shade of buttercream. |
| 9. |
Pipe roses on top of the cake, make sure the roses fill up every gap. |
