Vanilla Sponge With Rose Buttercream

Ingredients

• Vanilla Sponge
• 360 g butter
• 360 g castor sugar
• 1 Tbsp (15 ml) vanilla essence
• 5 large eggs
• 360 g cake flour
• 2 tsp (10 ml) baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 C (60 ml) Water
• 150 g butter
• 500 g icing sugar
• 3 Tbsp (45 ml) rose water
• a few drops of pink food colouring
• baby meringues or any décor of choice

Instructions

1. 1

   Vanilla Sponge

2. 2

   Preheat the oven to 160 °C.

3. 3

   Grease and line the base of 2 x 20 cm round cake tins.

4. 4

   Cream the butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the sugar and continue to cream. Add the vanilla essence and beat to incorporate.

5. 5

   Whisk the eggs together and gradually beat into the butter mixture. Sift together the dry ingredients and fold into the creamed mixture, adding the water as you fold. Pour into the prepared tins.

6. 6

   Bake for 45 minutes or until cooked through when tested with a skewer. Turn out on a cooling rack; remove the paper and leave to cool.

7. 7

   Rose Buttercream

8. 8

   Cream the butter until pale and fluffy, add the sifted icing sugar a little at a time until it is all incorporated.

9. 9

   Add the rosewater and mix well. Separate approximately a third of the icing into a separate bowl and colour with a few drops of pink food colouring to achieve a pretty pale pastel pink.

10. 10

    Sandwich the cakes together using a little of the plain butter icing and ice the cake with the remaining plain icing.

11. 11

    To create the watercolour effect, spread the pink coloured icing over the cream coloured icing, using a palette knife to gently blend the two to create a watercolour effect.

12. 12

    Decorate with baby meringues or décor of choice.