Day 350: Buttercream Flower Cake

Happy day 350! Only 15 days to go until my 365th day. I can't believe I've come this far and accomplished this much!

At the beginning of my blog, I really didn't think I would last even a week. Having come so far in this baking journey, I'm incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported me. Thank you so much!!!!!!

When I started this blog, I barely knew how to even make a cake, let alone frost and decorate one! Crazy to think that today I made a buttercream flower cake. I was pretty nervous at first because I had never made a buttercream flower in my life. Once I started, I found it actually quite fun and relaxing. It takes some practice, but you can also reuse your buttercream to make more flowers. You can stretch this bake over two days. Make the cake + frosting the first day and assemble the next. Just wrap the cake layers with plastic wrap and stick them in the fridge to cool.

There are some important tools to help make the flowers. I use a flower nail which helps create the flower. Make sure to keep spinning the flower nail as you pipe your flower. I also have a 104 piping tip and a sheet of parchment paper.

Start the flower by piping a little mound of frosting. It doesn't have to be perfect.

Holding your piping tip with the large side down, make a little petal around the mound of frosting. Keep repeating until you've finished your flower.

I made used different colors for the flowers, but you can also just have one. Make sure to save room for the green leaves. You won't need a lot of frosting, but about 1/4 cup of green frosting will be great.

Though the recipe is quite long, it's quite simple if you break it down! This cake is an absolute showstopper, from the orange-flavored cake layers to the pretty buttercream flowers. Onwards to 365 days!

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|Level:👩🏽‍🍳👩🏽‍🍳|Time: 4 hours|Serves: 10|

RECIPE:

INGREDIENTS:

Cake:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour

• 4 teaspoons baking powder

• 4 sticks butter, softened

• 3 cups granulated sugar

• 6 eggs

• 3 1/2 tablespoons orange zest

• 1/2 cup buttermilk

Buttercream

• 3 cups butter, softened sticks butter softened

• 7 1/2 cups powdered sugar

• 1/4 cup heavy cream

• Food coloring, optional

STEPS:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and grease two 8-inch cake pans along with two 6-inch cake pans. Sift your flour and baking powder together in a bowl. Cream together your butter and sugar in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk your eggs and orange zest together. Add your egg mixture into your creamed butter/sugar. Beat in 1/2 of your flour/baking powder mixture and mix until no flour streaks remain. Pour in all your buttermilk and then your remaining flour. Divide the batter between your cake pans. Bake 35-40 minutes

2. While your cakes are cooling, beat butter, powdered sugar, and heavy cream together with an electric mixer. Divide the frosting into different bowls. Give two bowls 1/3 cup buttercream. Plus, another bowl with 1/4 cup buttercream. Have at least 2 cups for the cake reserved. With your two bowls with 1/3 cup buttercream, color it with food coloring and fit it in a piping bag with a 104 tip inside. These will be your roses. With the one bowl of 1/4 cup buttercream, color it green and fit it in a piping bag with a 350 piping tip. Leave the two cups of buttercream plain for the cake.

3. To assemble the cake, frost the 8-inch cake on a plate or cardboard. Then frost the 6-inch cake separately. Gently place the 6-inch cake on top of the 8-inch cake and chill while you make your flowers.

4. To make your flowers take a flower nail and place a bit of frosting on it. Add a small square of parchment paper and pipe a small mound of frosting for the center. With your piping bag, pipe petals around the mound. Repeat until you have your rose. Continue with your other colors and chill all the roses in the fridge until firm. This will take about 30 minutes. Decorate your cake by placing the chilled flowers around the different tiers and pipe little green leaves.

Enjoy!

- The Bored Baker 👩🏽‍🍳