Ombre Rose Cake

I can’t believe I am officially no longer in my teens! I do and don’t want to grow up at the same time. Is that weird? All I can say is I don’t feel any older and will always be a kid at heart!

I recently made this ombre rose cake for my birthday after discovering it on Pinterest a couple of months ago. This cake has a simplistic elegance that makes a bold statement.

I chose purple because it is my favorite color and even made the cake layers ombre. However, I still have a lot of improving to do. As you can see, I did not level my cakes and had to put extra frosting on some layers to even out the height. Even so, I think I did a pretty good job and I am very happy with the result!

I used swiss meringue buttercream for this cake because it is lighter than traditional buttercream. It was my first time making it and I researched/watched several recipes before giving it a go myself. I found this video very helpful and used a 1:2:3 ratio for my buttercream. 1 for eggs, 2 for sugar, and 3 for butter. This buttercream may involve a little more work and technique, but it is so worth it! The frosting is airy, silky, and less sweet than traditional buttercream.

I have to admit though, I barely ate any of the frosting. Not because it wasn’t delicious, but because I generally do not like any kind of frosting. The idea of eating pure butter and sugar just doesn’t appeal to me. I know, I’m weird. But, those who love frosting will easily lick this swiss meringue buttercream off the cake and more!

To make the cake layers, I used two boxes of Pillsbury white cake mix and divided the batter into four different bowls. Then, I added violet gel food coloring to three bowls: one dark purple, one medium purple, and one light purple. After that, I baked each cake one at a time in a 9.75 inch cake pan. Because I only had one pan, I had to bake the layers in 4 batches, with each layer taking approximately 12 minutes to cook. I lined the each layer with parchment paper so I could easily remove it from the pan and bake the next layer.

As for making the roses, I used a Wilton 1M tip. This cake looks more difficult to make than it actually is. Just start at the center and swirl the tip in a circle. Here is a great video to see it in action.

This project killed two birds in one stone: I’ve always wanted to make a ombre and multilayered cake. I’m happy to say that I can finally cross these two off my cooking/baking bucket list. My next mission is to make a rainbow cake!

Thanks to all my friends who spent the day with me. I am thankful for all the laughs we shared and the memories we created over the years. Cheers to many more years of growing wiser together!

Apple Yogurt Coffee Cake

It’s apple season! Fall is one of my favorite times of the year: the leaves change colors, pumpkin spiced desserts/drinks return, and you get to wear warm, comfy clothes. What’s not to love?! Plus, my birthday is in the fall.

I had some leftover yogurt and apples, so I decided to whip up this apple yogurt coffee cake. This cake is moist with a slight tanginess from the yogurt. Enjoy it for breakfast or with your afternoon tea!

Apple Yogurt Coffee Cake

Cake Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup plain yogurt

Topping:
2 apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9 inch round springform pan.
2. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract.
3. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
4. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, then add the yogurt, and stir until smooth. Spoon the batter into prepared pan and smooth the surface.
5. Arrange the apple slices evenly over the mixture in a circular pattern, starting in the center. In a small bowl add the sugar and cinnamon, mix together. Sprinkle the apple slices with the cinnamon and sugar mixture.
6. Bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake. Leave in the pan for 5 minutes to cool, pop open the springform pan, cut and enjoy.

Slightly Adapted from CCRecipe