A while ago the very lovely Kaitlin from Kaitlin Chapman Hair and Makeup asked me to make a cake for her birthday yesterday, I was so honoured and incredibly flattered to have been asked, all she wanted was a vanilla cake that had pink in it. So I made her a pink ombre ruffled layer cake - she had no idea that there was going to be different colored layers inside and it was so lovely to be able to surprise her on her birthday! It was such a honour to have made this cake for her and I am so excited to be able to show off my very first ruffle layer cake, I hope you enjoy it as much as Kaitlin and her lovely family did! x
Click read more for the recipe.

Ruffled Layer Cake

2 x quantities of Vanilla Cake - see below
2 x quantities of Vanilla Buttercream Icing, for the layers between the cakes - see below
2 x quantities of Swiss Meringue Buttercream, for the ruffle - see below

Vanilla Cake

2 1/2 cups (365g) plain flour, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 3/4 cups (385g) caster sugar
250g butter, melted
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups (375ml) milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
pink food coloring
Preheat oven to 160°C. Line the base of a 20cm round cake tin and butter and flour the sides. Sift the flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl, add in the sugar and whisk to combine then make a well. Gently melt the butter in a small saucepan or in the microwave, make sure it doesn’t separate (you don’t want the oil to rise) Add the vanilla to the milk and then pour into the flour mixture. Add the eggs and then the butter. Pour into your prepared tin and bake for 30-35min or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for 10min before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Follow the vanilla cake recipe. Divide the cake mixture evenly between four bowls - 770g of cake mixture per bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of pink coloring to the first bowl and mix until combined, 1/2 teaspoon to the second, 1/4 teaspoon to the third and leave the fourth bowl uncolored. Pour each cake mixture into the prepared cake tin and follow the instructions below.
If you are like me and only have one cake tin (not four of the same size) make sure you throughly clean the cake tin after each use and run it under cold water to cool it down between uses - you will also have to prepare the cake tin each time for each cake.

Once all four cakes have been cooked and they are completely cool. Using a bread knife gently cut the top of the cake off so that it is level.

Vanilla Buttercream Icing

115g butter, softened
60ml milk
3 teaspoons vanilla essence
500g icing sugar
Beat together the butter, milk, vanilla essence and half of the icing sugar until combined. Gradually add in the remaining icing and beat until smooth and creamy - the longer you mix it the whiter it will get.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

From the wonderful Rosie at Sweetapolita

5 large egg whites (30g each–total 150g)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons superfine granulated sugar
500g butter, cut into cubes to soften
1 tablespoon vanilla essence
Pink food coloring gel
Wipe the bowl and beater of an electric mixer with paper towel and vinegar, to remove any trace of grease. Add egg whites and sugar,  place over a pot of simmer water (not boiling). Whisking constantly, until temperature reaches 140 degrees F, if you don’t have a candy thermometer, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the egg whites are hot.

With a whisk attachment on a electric mixer mixer, begin to whip on a medium speed until the mixture is thick, glossy, and the bowl is cool to touch. Switch over to paddle attachment and, while mixing on continuous medium speed, gradually add softened butter until combined, mix until it is silky smooth - if it start to curdle, keep mixing and it will come back to smooth.  Add the vanilla and pink coloring and mix well.

* I used wilton petal rose and pink - you only need the smallest amount possible so be careful. I dipped a dessert fork into the coloring and that was all I needed.

You can keep the buttercream in airtight container in refrigerator for up to one week, leaving out at room temperature when needed and rewhipping in mixer for 5 minutes. It can also freeze for up to 6-8 weeks.

Assembling your cake


Layer cakes are all about being patient and having all your ingredients ready to use. While your cakes are baking, I suggest making the both icings during that time - otherwise you can make them the day before to save on time. Layer your cakes from darkest to lightest -  I ended up using three of the four cakes as I didn’t want it too high, but you are most welcome to use all four cakes.
Using the Vanilla Buttercream Icing, lightly crumb coat the first cake and place in the fridge for 10min to cool. Add a thick layer of buttercream to the top of the cake, leaving the sides lightly iced, place in the fridge again for another 10min. Repeat until you have either three or four layers with a light crumb coat. Refrigerate your cake while you are getting ready to make the ruffle.
Using a wilton 104 tip or petal tip (one that tapers from big to small) fill your icing bag half full with the swiss meringue butter cream and follow this video on how to create a beautiful frilly ruffle cake where the inside is just as pretty as the outside. x

Tips

It helps to keep your hands cool while you are icing so that you don’t melt the butter - every other time you re-fil the icing bag run your hands under cold water… or if you are like me and have naturally cold hands you can skip this step.
Don’t over fill your bag with icing, it will become a lot harder to handle - half full is perfect.
When you fill your icing bag, pipe a little back into the bowl, this helps to push the icing down and get rid of any air bubbles.
Most importantly have fun, this is one cake you will be incredibly proud of once finished. x