Vanilla Rose Cake

When my daughter saw photos of a rose cake on The Quiet Baker– she had to have it! The rose cake frosting pattern, originally from I am Baker, I believe, is actually quite simple and seems to be popping up all over the place. I think that the pink sugar pearls were a nice addition. What a pretty cake!

My daughter requested a yellow cake with cream cheese frosting; I aim to please. 😉  I used a yellow cake recipe adapted from The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum, via epicurious.com. The vanilla cream cheese frosting recipe is from Martha Stewart Living. This cake needs a LOT of frosting… I initially made 1 1/2 times the amount for a standard cake, but had to make even more! The recipe below may yield extra frosting (not such a bad thing)- but better safe than sorry. 🙂

The frosting needs to be warm enough to pipe, but not so warm that the roses slide down the sides of the cake. I had to repeatedly chill my frosting to prevent this from happening. I guess that is a drawback of warm weather… (Trust me, after this past winter, I’m not complaining!) I used a 1M pastry tip. Lovely. ❤

Yield: Serves 12

For the Cake:

• 6 large egg yolks
• 1 cup milk (I used whole milk)
• 2 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups sifted cake flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon + teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (must be softened)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (on convection).
2. Prepare 2 standard cake pans by lining with parchment paper and grease with cooking oil spray.
3. In a medium bowl lightly combine the yolks, 1/4 cup milk, and vanilla.
4. In a large mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients and mix on low speed for 30 seconds to blend.
5. Add the butter and the remaining 3/4 cup milk. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase to medium speed (high speed if using a hand mixer) and beat for 1 1/2 minutes to aerate and develop the cake’s structure. Scrape down the sides.
6. Gradually add the egg mixture in 3 batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the structure. Scrape down the sides.
7. Scrape the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the surface with a spatula. The pans will be about 1/2 full.
8. Bake 25 to 27 minutes on convection or up to 35 minutes in a standard oven, or until a tester inserted near the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center. The cakes should start to shrink from the sides of the pans only after removal from the oven.
9. Let the cakes cool in the pan on racks for 10 minutes. Loosen the sides with a small metal spatula and invert onto greased wire racks. To prevent splitting, reinvert so that the tops are up and cool completely before wrapping airtight.

For the Frosting:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 10 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• sugar pearls, optional

1. Beat together butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 1 minute.
2. Reduce speed to medium. Add confectioner’s sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Add salt, milk, and vanilla and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Note: If not using immediately, cover surface of frosting with plastic wrap. Frosting can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 week. Before using, bring to room temperature, then beat on low speed until smooth.

To Frost the Cake:

1. Place 1 cake layer on a cake plate and spread 1 cup frosting on top. Place remaining cake layer on top.
2. Crumb coat the cake. Chill for about 10 minutes.
   
3. Using a pastry bag fitted with the 1M tip, pipe rows of rosettes, starting from the bottom edge and work upwards towards the center of the top. (Piping the side is a little more challenging than piping the top, so try to do a couple of practice rosettes on the side first, then scrape them off  being careful not to take off any crumbs.) (a 2D tip could also be used)
4. Once the entire cake is covered in piped rosettes, pipe in little ‘stars’ to fill any areas between the roses.
5. Add on edible sugar pearls, if desired.

Note: If frosting becomes too soft, refrigerate to firm up. The cake can be covered with a cake dome and refrigerated overnight.

**Bring the cake to room temperature before serving.**

One Year Ago:

• Alton Brown’s Berry Muffins

Two Years Ago:

• Apple-Spice Layer Cake
• Vanilla Bean Birthday Cheesecake

About Josette@thebrookcook

I live in Stony Brook, New York on Long Island. I love garlic and baking. My hobby (and love) is to try new recipes. My favorite recipe resources include The New York Times, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart Living. Enjoy!

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