Tutu Party - Ruffled Cake

For Niah's Birthday, I made 2 cakes. 1 a smash cake for Niah and the second one was a cake for the guest. Both cakes were a sour cream white cake but the big cake had a raspberry filling in the cake. Niah's cake was a 6 inch cake and the other cake was a 3 layer 9 inch cake. I used the ruffled technique that can be found in the Victoria Magazine or Better Homes and Garden. When I first saw it, I thought there was no way I could make those cakes being I have very little experience with icing cakes. I did it a little in high school but since then have not touched an icing bag. I did a trial run on my mom's cake whose birthday was 4 days before Niah and loved the results so I did Niah's cake following the same techinque.

I will start with the cake recipe, this is an excellent recipe that is very moist.
Cake Recipe
1 box white cake mix (I used Duncan Hines)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated white sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups water
2 Tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
4 large egg whites

In a large bowl, whisk together cake mix, flour, sugar and salt. Add remaining ingredients and beat with hand mixer for 2 minutes, or until well blended
Preheat oven to 325 bake about 30 mins.

I made this recipe twice, the first time for 2 layers of the 3 layer cake and the second time I used the batter for the 6 inch cake and the last layer.

For the icing after several different icing recipes I went with a swiss meringue buttercream
Icing recipe:
5 large egg whites (30g each–total 150g)

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons superfine granulated sugar

1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, cut into cubes

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Method:

Wipe the bowl of an electric mixer with paper towel and vinegar, to remove any trace of grease. Add egg whites and sugar, and simmer over a pot of water (not boiling), whisking constantly, until temperature reaches 140 degrees F, or if you don’t have a candy thermometer, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the egg whites are hot.

With whisk attachment of mixer, begin to whip until the mixture is thick, glossy, and cool. Switch over to paddle attachment and, while mixing on medium speed continously, add softened butter in chunks until incorporated, and mix until it has reached a silky smooth texture (if curdles, keep mixing and it will come back to smooth). Add vanilla and salt, mix well. You can also add a wide variety of flavourings, extracts, and more.

Keep in airtight container in refrigerator for up to one week, leaving out at room temperature when needed, rewhipping in mixer for 5 minutes.

I trippled this recipe to have enough for all of the cakes. I added purple icing food color to make it the purpe.

Raspberry Filling:
1 1/2 cups frozen raspberrys
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar

In a small sauce pan, combined all of the ingredients and slowly bring to a boil over medium-high heat (keep stirring until thickened for best results). I actually used a little more sugar because the first go around was to tart so just an overflowing 1/4 cup. Let cool completely before using.

What you need to Decorate:
12 or 14 icing bag (I used 14)
Petal tip- (the bigger the petal tip the sloppier it was for me, I used Wilton 103)
Cake stand helpful but not required
Metal Icing spatula is helpful but not required

1.Assemble the cakes. If you are as new at this as me I will explain how I assemble the 3 layers. 1st you need completely flat layers so cut your cakes to make them flat on both sides (I just used a schraded knife, they have tool though). Then Ice the top of your first layer, then put raspberry filling, then put your second layer and ice the top raspberry filling and then place your last layer on top. I always ice the top of the cake last.

2.The next step is to ice the cake starting with the sides. Then do the top. To get a smooth top clean your utensil and go over the top to smooth it out.

3. Next is to the decorating. I found the best way to ice is for the cake to be on a stand. The first thing I did is make lines in my cake ro keep my ruffling straight. I had a tall kabob and measured about an inch an half and indented the icing with the kabob all the way around. To start you are actually going to hold the icing bag straight up and down. with the wide part towards the cake and the smaller part towards you. You will just go back and forth from bottom to top of cake, line to line (the lines you made to help things stay straight). It is better if you do not break from icing until you finish the row. After you finish the row you start the next row starting at the bottom.

4. Then you do around the edge of the top with the same techinque of back and for but going around the circle. I was going to write on the cake but did not master the writing so that will be next years cake.

1 thing that did happen to me is I had an air bubble in my icing bag and messed up a whole row so make sure you watch for air bubbles in the bag by squeezing the icing down as you use it.

For only doing this 1 other time, I was quite please how it turned out. I hope that you can try it and see it does not take an expert to do it.




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