pastel layer cake with buttercream ruffles and gum-paste ribbon roses

This is a sweet sixteen pastel layer cake with swiss meringue buttercream and gum paste lettering and ribbon roses.

For the pastel layer cake 

from Martha Stewart

What you'll need...

3 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans and parchmen

 6 1/2 cups sifted cake flour (not self-raising), plus more for pans and parchment 

(If you can't find cake flour, you can use plain flour and substitute 2 tablespoons worth per cup with corn flour)

3 tablespoons baking powder

Salt 2 1/4 cups whole milk 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract 2 1/2 cups sugar 10 large egg whites Gel-paste food coloring (I would recommend using gel-paste food colouring if you have it, otherwise liquid worked for me) 

What to do...

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees (approx 175C). Butter five 8-inch round cake pans*, and line with parchment (you may need to bake in batches). Butter parchment, and dust with flour, tapping out excess. Sift flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt into a large bowl. Combine milk and vanilla. Beat butter with a mixer on medium speed until very smooth. With machine running, gradually add sugar, and beat until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
   
2. Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Beat until just combined; do not overmix.
   
3. Beat egg whites in a clean mixer bowl on medium speed until stiff (but not dry) peaks form, about 3 minutes. Gently fold egg-white mixture into batter in 3 additions.
   
4. Divide batter among 5 bowls, and tint each with food coloring to create different pastel shades. Spread each into a prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely in pans on wire racks.
   
5. Loosen edges of cake with a small metal spatula or paring knife; invert onto racks. Discard parchment. Reinvert cakes, top side up. Let cool completely.
   
6. Trim top of each cake to make surface even. Spread 1 cup buttercream onto top of 1 cake. Top with another cake. Repeat, spreading 1 cup buttercream between each layer. Frost cake with 1 1/2 cups buttercream. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Frost cake with 2 cups buttercream.
   
   
   NOTES: 
   *I did this in a 6" cake pan and had four layers instead of five. I left one of the layers I cooked out as it didn't bake very well in the centre and besides I would've made for a VERY tall cake.  

For the swiss meringue buttercream

from Martha Stewart 

 

What you'll need...

2 1/4 cups sugar

10 large egg whites, room temperature
Pinch of salt
8 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Gel-paste food coloring (optional)

What to do...

1. Heat sugar, egg whites, and salt in a heatproof mixer bowl set over a pan of simmering water, whisking, until sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes.*
2. Return bowl to mixer, and whisk, gradually increasing speed from low to medium-high, until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 10 minutes. Reduce speed to medium. Add butter, a few pieces at a time, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in vanilla. Switch to a paddle attachment. Beat until air bubbles are gone, 2 to 3 minutes more.
3. Beat in food coloring, 1 drop at a time, until desired color is achieved. (If making more than 1 color, divide buttercream and work in batches.)

NOTES: 

*Martha Stewart only specifies the time here but I don't think it was long enough for me. To test whether all the sugar is dissolved, feel the mixture with your fingers and if you can still feel grains of sugar, it will need more time.

 For the ruffles

What you'll need... 

Piping bag

Petal tip 

(I used #104 Wilton tip but other larger or smaller petal tips are also possible)

What to do... 

Follow this YouTube tutorial here

NOTES: I only did a crumb coat of the cake (to lock in the crumbs so it doesn't get in the ruffles) but if you'd like to do a second coat of the cake you will need to make a little more buttercream. I used almost all of it between the layers and for the ruffles.

 For the gum paste ribbon roses and lettering

What you'll need...

Gum paste

Food colouring (gel, liquid etc) 

Alphabet cookie cutters

What to do...

  Wilton Fondant ribbon rose tutorial here

1. Colour gum paste and knead (if you're not sure how to do this, there are numerous tutorials online)

2. Roll approximately 0.5cm thick (You will need to either dust the surface with icing sugar or corn flour however using too much may dry it out or use shortening or oil)

3. Cut out letters

4. Let dry for 24 hours.

NOTES: I used gum paste instead of fondant, the difference is that you will need almost a week for the fondant to set hard, so make sure you prepare it in advance. Otherwise, if you use gum paste it will set hard in 24 hours.

Apologies... the lighting wasn't very good when we cut the cake. But you get the idea of what it's supposed to look like inside. I made this cake for my boyfriend's sister's 16th birthday and she was absolutely delighted about it. 

Even though you may think a cake like this will take a lot of effort, when you see how excited people get about your creation, it will all be worth it!