{Cake Love} Holy Sweetapolita! Ruffles + Inspiration + Recipe

When they said Let them eat cake...they had to have been talking about this! Ruffles, Ruffles and more ruffles. This cake in vintage coral is screaming please somebody eat me! This ruffle technique is quite simple once you get the hang of it. You can read more about this technique from Martha Stewart here. If you’re a visual person, you may benefit from, watching a quick and helpful ruffling tutorial on YouTube, done by Melody from Sweet & Saucy Shop in California. This coral inspires old fashioned lazy days of  summer. Sitting on the front porch sipping pitchers of pink lemonade with fresh scents of peonies and apricots breezing in the air! What a beautiful centerpiece it would make to a vintage dessert table.



Here’s the recipe:

Rich & Dark Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup Cacao Barry Extra Brute Cocoa Powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup strong black coffee (can be hot)
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare 2 x 9″ (or 3 x 8″ for slightly shorter layers) cake pans with butter and flour or parchment paper. In bowl of electric mixer, sift all dry ingredients. Add all remaning ingredients to bowl with the dry ingredients and with paddle attachment on mixer, mix for 2 minutes on medium speed (you may need the plastic splashguard that comes with mixer) and pour into prepared pans. Batter will be liquidy.
Bake for 20 minutes and rotate pans in oven. Cakes are done when toothpick or skewer comes clean–approximately 35 minutes. Try not to overbake. Cool on wire racks for 20 minutes then gently invert onto racks until completely cool.
*If doing the ruffly cake, you will likely want to increase the cake recipe to add a third 9″ layer.
*This cake is sturdy enough to be used under fondant, stacked, etc. but also moist and tasty enough too go on its own with almost any type of frosting, glaze, etc.
*boiling hot, moderately hot, and cool coffee, all work well.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream    
    
Just a note that you will need approximately 3 times the Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe for this Rich & Ruffly cake. Because it does take some time to make, Make in batches of 3, because it freezes so well and saves time.

Ingredients:
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.
Can freeze for up to 6-8 weeks.
Makes approximately 5 cups of buttercream.

YUMMY!
Recipe for Swiss Meringue Buttercream adapted from Martha Stewart