Rose Cake Tutorial

SO excited to share with you how easy it is to make the rose cake.  

Seriously, once you see you are going to run right out, buy a 1M tip, and make one.  

That or go back to work. Or bed.  Or whatever it was you were doing before I interrupted you.

Ok, here we go!

There were two main components to this cake.

The vertical layer interior and the frosting rose exterior.  

I am going to do a vertical layer tutorial at a different time, (updated: you can see it HERE) as I did not get any pictures of it this go around and it is IMPOSSIBLE to explain without pictures.  What I can tell you is, I did not make a sponge cake that I simple rolled up.  I actually made two separate cakes and assembled them into the vertical layer pattern.  

Now for the frosting rose tutorial!

I promise you, this could NOT be easier.  Bakers have been putting frosting roses on cupcakes forever by simply using a 1M decorators tip.  That is all I did!!  

(I need to mention... before I froze my cake I poured a simple syrup over it.  This helped to retain moisture as well as assist in binding the layers together... just be careful to not use to much!)

Start with your cake.  I put a good crumb coat on... as in, a crumb coat that conceals the cake underneath.  It can be sloppy and uneven, but you should not be able to see what color the cake is.

Put your 1M tip (or any large open star tip) into the pastry bag then fill it up with buttercream frosting. 

If you have an appropriately sized coupler you can use that, or you can just insert the tip into the bag and cut off the excess.

To make your rose, start in the center, then slowly move your tip in a circle around the center point.  I wanted a single rose to span the side of the cake so I looped around my center point twice.

Try to end in the same place each time.

Go all the way around the cake and complete with one last rose!

This is how it looks after completing the circumference of the cake.

Then go back and add the roses to the top using the same method.

When making flowers that big, you are bound to have some 'dead' space in there. Can you see that big empty spot up there?

My first instinct was to go back in and add dollops of stars... but I think I found a better way! 

Instead go in and make a swoop with your tip. (try and go in the same direction as the rose right next to it)

In the overall design it seems to fit in better then the star dollop!

At least, I hope so anyway. :)

Now... if you are really adventurous and want to add some color to your cake...

You can pick up some of these.

I did a light dusting of yellow then went back over it with the pink.  I have to admit, all white is still my favorite, but I love the flexibility of being able to add some color. 

I think a deep red would be stunning on a Valentines Day cake!  If you try that, be sure to send pictures!  Or just add it to my flickr group!

 

Here are my tips to finding success:

1. Use a good crusting buttercream recipe.  I used my new favorite and loved how it worked.  You will want to make sure the frosting is not creamy though... for the tutorial cake I used a creamier version and the roses did not hold their shape as well. 

2. Make sure you have enough frosting!  Those roses use a lot... I would make the whole batch of the above recipe.

3. Put your cake in the fridge after you are done with decorating to help them set up and retain their shape.

4. Have FUN with it!  Those roses are so forgiving.  But if you find that you really dislike how they are turning out, just scrape them off and start over!

 Cant wait to see what you do! 

And of course, if you have any questions, feel free to let me know.

***

You can also see this on Project Weddings!

Comments

[MRS CHERYL E MARTINEZ]

That is beautiful! Thank you for sharing the how to!!!!

[kellypea]

When I first saw this cake I was amazed and still am. I don't pretend to know how to pipe anything, so this tutorial has inspired me to try. Completely amazing. Thanks very much!

[Smlittlefield]

I did this today! And I have to say...I'm pretty proud of how it turned out since I'm a self professed horrible cake froster.

I nearly cried when I "practiced" some of these on a plate and my 5 year old looked up at me and said "Mommy! You did it! They're beauuuutttiful!"

So of course...we had to make a cake just like yours. Only pink.

I love it...and I think there will be a lot of requests for this from friends of mine who already beg me to bake for them!

Thank you so much for taking me from a complete novice decorator to something special.

And just to show you that your tutorial worked...here's the link to my album on my facebook where I had to share with everyone!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=284200&id=592018850&l=aaceebdfa6

[Prairie Lily Arts]

Sooooo lovely! <3 Girl, you inspire! :)

[Stephanie]

Absolutely gorgeous and clever too! Thanks for the great idea! I'll be sharing your cake idea on my blog tomorrow. =) =) http://thecrimsonowl.blogspot.com

[Tif]

Gorgeous!!!

[Blair]

Can you please put up a recipe for the cakes you made? I am NOT a baker, but I am dedicating my summer to relentlessly practicing this cake so I can make it for a friend for a reception for her wedding.

Please please please and thank you thank you thank you. This cake is BEAUTIFUL!

[Doda]

That's fabulous! Must try it sometime! Thanks for sharing!

[kerstina]

It's so gorgeous! I'm definitely going to give this a try.

[mandy]

I seriously ran out and bought a 1M tip and then made this cake. and I'm pretty pleased with myself. I look forward to making it again and getting better. Thank you for this amazing post. I'll be blogging about it on Monday.

[Kay]

I stumbled to your site...I'm loving this cake and I have to make a cake for work Monday...THANK YOU!

[lili]

Maravilloso!!!

[Sandra]

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I adore this cake and want to make it for the dessert table at my wedding. You do such an amazing job of breaking it down that I think even I could actually pull it off!

[Allie]

This is THE. MOST. BEAUTIFUL. cake! I am always excited to see one of your creations! Thank you for sharing how to do this!

[Torie]

Thank you so much for posting this! I came across your website and I realized I have to make this cake for my mom's birthday! Though I don't think it'll turn out as nice as yours ;)

[Kelly]

I absolutely love this cake, my only concern is that I'm looking to make it for my upcoming birthday and need to feed a lot of hungry university students. If I were to make a two layer cake do you think the roses would hold or should I just go ahead and make two separate cakes? Thanks :)

Kelly x

[imagenthat]

So beautiful. I was lucky I saw this a few days ago since I read your blog. Someone at Cake Central has made it I think without instructions, so I left a note there to come here for instructions. Thank you so much for showing us how!

http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1940975/

[Ladette]

I decided to try my hand at this. still a beautiful cake. I can use more practice making the swirls and spraying that stuff, but I know my family is going to love this cake!

http://pwnmomcreations.blogspot.com/2011/02/what-i-did-today.html

[CRICRI]

vraiment très beau , une pure merveille . Bravo

[Julia Stewart]

I made this for my church's Valentine's Day Dessert Night. Everyone loved it!! I was so proud! I had 4 small layers going from white to the color of red velvet. Delicious!

[Adrianna from A Cozy Kitchen]

Holy shiz! This is absolutely beautiful. And so simple too? Almost too good to be true.

[Nausheen]

This is amazing! Found you through another link on foodgawker. I think you make it look easy. I'm throwing a baby shower in a few weeks, this cake would be gorgeous!

[jami]

Love it! I know you are a big fan of that 1M tip - you have converted me, too!

[PeaceLoveTerri]

I shared this on my blog, hope you don't mind!! xoxo!!
http://www.peaceloveapplesauce.com/2011/02/things-to-try-thursday-rose-cake.html

[Yap]

genius!!! umm....i don't really like buttercream ,though.can i change the buttercream with whipping ream ?? thanks a lot...please reply.. :D

[Pavanne]

I'm STILL thinking about this cake, it's so tactile and decadent. Vertical layers... that's where I need the tutorial. Any chance of sharing that knowledge? I can't imagine how it's done without wasting TONS of cake?

[Monica Bremer]

Now this one's easy! I'll try this for my sister's wedding on May. Our family from Denver would definitely love this new idea. What's the best flavor for this design? I think I'll have this dessert on every table in the reception. Thanks!

[thecakebot]

Hello Amanda, thanks a lot for your great tutorial. I tried to make a cake like that myself: http://thecakebot.blogspot.com/2011/02/valentins-herz.html

Sadly, the frosting was a bit too soft, so the petals are not as defined as I would have liked them to be, but over all, I'm pretty happy with it.

Thanks for providing us with such great blog posts every week!

[Sabine]

I absolutely love this! Thank you so so much for sharing it! Now I can't wait for the vertical stripes cake tutorial :)

[kimberly]

you. amaze. me.
(I am going to stop leaving endless comments now so that you don't decide to block me...)
:)

[Linda]

Amanda I have a couple of questions if you would be so kind to answer (of course in your "spare" time).
1).....pouring syrup on cake then freezing. - can you use a spray bottle and mist it on or a soft basting brush . I am fearful of pouring and drenching the poor thing! After doing this do yoypu wrap your cakes with anything or simply place in freezer?
2). In this tutorial how tall and big is this cake....4 high and 8 ". ?

Thank you in advance for emailing back with these answers...Sweet Blessings, Linda

[Karla Glowicki]

I LOVE LOVE the rose with the tip 1M. I made cup cakes for
friends for V day. I used hot pink tissue paper to place each one into the box. It took on the look of one dozen roses. I am looking forward to doing a three teir cake with this tip for a friend who is renewing their wedding commitment to each other. Thank you for sharing your talent. God Bless...KarlaG

[deva]

Love it so much I just made some cupcakes inspired by your design!
http://sabjimata.wordpress.com/2011/02/23/recipe-english-rose-vegan-lemon-cupcakes/

[C]

Amanda, you rock! I don't often comment on blogs, but I think it is so cool that you started something of a 'rosecake' food blog trend! They're popping up everywhere! I've really enjoyed surfing your blog and I'm always excited when I see that you have a new post up. Thanks!

[Sue]

OMG!!! thats all..speechless

[audra]

I'm a new follower of your blog and just love all of the beautiful creations you make! Just wanted to share my attempt at this stunning cake that I made it for Valentine's Day. Thanks so much for the inspiration and the idea, Amanda!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cafam/5476614859/in/photostream/

[Kristin Kunoff]

I wanted to let you know how my version worked out. Check it out here: http://callmecrazykunoff.blogspot.com/2011/02/brees-birthday-cake.html
My soon to be sister-in-law liked it so much that I am going to make part of her wedding cake like it! Thanks so much for sharing and for what you do!

[Love Is In The Details]

I adore this cake and can't thank you enough for sharing it with us all. I just had to make one! Unfortunately mine didn't end so well :) I just did a blog post about it, linking back to you. This is a wonderful tutorial and I love your blog! Andrea
http://heartinthedetails.blogspot.com/2011/03/beauty-and-disaster.html

[Green Caterers Boston]

Thanks for the tutorial. I'll definitely going to try this...

[NancySabina]

Wow!!!! I just tried it and it actually worked! I'm a disaster when it comes to decorating cakes - I screw it up in every way whenever possible - but this was so easy! It's a total disaster, and it still looks fabulous!! Genius!! Thank you so much! I made my cake for a baked goods auction fundraiser to raise money for a group of girls to go to camp this summer and I can't wait to see how much money this super-fancy cake makes!

[P.V.]

What a BEAUTIFUL cake. What a wonderful talent you have. I smile every time I see your work. And just when I think I have seen the most wonderful treat I scroll down or click and I find another one that is even more beautiful. I love this cake.

[Helen]

WOW! Gorgeous and thanks for sharing!

[Queen Mommy]

Absolutely beautiful! I've done rosettes covering the top of a cake before but never the whole thing. Totally stealing this idea for my mom's birthday cake!

[Rhonda]

This cake is so pretty and deceptively easy. Thank you for sharing. I made a carrot cake in two thin layers and used whipped cream cheese frosting. The roses were not quite as crisp as yours but it was still lovely. When I make it again (and I will) I will use a buttercream. Some sparkly sugar flakes gave the roses an elegant finish. Thanks again for sharing your lovely blog, which I found via the photograzing section on Serious Eats.

[Rhonda]

I thought of a suggestion to make it easier for beginners: Lightly draw circles for the roses with a toothpick on the base coat before swirling the roses on. That way you don't end up with a space that's too big or small for the last rose. I had to scrape and re-start because of this.

[Sjohnson]

Wanted to share my version of this cake.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=147182815317726&aid=23369#!/photo.php?fbid=189444954424845&set=a.147206565315351.23369.147182815317726&theater

[Carrie]

This is really inspiring. I might just try this myself.

[Lorraine]

Hi Amanda. I just tried your Rose cake. It looks so beautiful and elegant. I think it is going to be the "go to" cake from now on for me. It got rave reviews. I used your buttercream frosting which was incredible by the way. I did not do the vertical cake but did use your recipe for chocolate cake. I love that recipe too. I did have a question about the cake though - I baked one cake in an 8 by 3 round pan and the batter fit in there perfectly but for some reason took longer than the 35-40 minutes to cook - actually maybe almost 20 minutes longer. I did take it out and the knife was almost clean but not exactly but it still tasted really really moist and everyone loved it. Do you think I filled the pan too much and/or was it just my oven? Curious to know what you thought. Thanks and I will send photos of it to you soon. Thanks again for all of your tutorials and inspiration - you are so talented!!! Good luck with your baby - when is he/she due to arrive?

[Mad Amyt]

that is so pretty! ~ A

[Elena]

I love the cake. And it it easy to decorate. I bookmark