Ruffle Cake

Don’t forget to enter my giveaway!
K..I am not really sure what the highlight of this post is…how freakin pretty this cake is or how devilishly delicious the frosting is.
Cake first.
The ruffle cake. Isn’t it so pretty? Like really, really pretty? Feminine wedding cake pretty? It wasn’t a wedding cake though, I made it for my husbands birthday. No, my husband is not a girly boy..in-fact he is the opposite, well except for the fact that he is a shoe and clothes whore..but we won’t go there. I love you babe. He was VERY picky on what kind of cake he wanted. He wanted a yellow cake with 1/2 nutella filling and 1/2 strawberry filling . No people, not 1 layer filled with nutella and they second layer filled with strawberries. He wanted the cake filled half and half with the fillings side by side in the layers. FREAK.
Did I say I love you babe? But he didn’t specify how he wanted it frosted. HA! I remember seeing the “ruffle cake” in a magazine somewhere, maybe in the Doctors office. I am pretty sure it was Martha Stewart. I googled “ruffle” cake and her site pops up so I assuming that is where I saw it.
Anyways, I loved it when I saw it and I was just waiting for the opportunity to make it.
So I thought I would use my husbands birthday cake as the guinea pig cake.
I think it is stunning. And it is soooo easy to do.
Put a thin crumb coat of icing on you cake, preferably swiss meringue buttercream(recipe below).
Fit your piping bag with a Β medium sized petal tip (I’m pretty sure its a tip size #103). Fill the bag with icing.
Starting at the bottom of the cake while holding your piping bag vertically against the cake with the skinny part of the tip facing out, zig zag back and forth up the cake until you reach the top. Go all the way around the cake. EASY and FOOLPROOF, I promise!

Have you had swiss meraginue buttercream? No? Oh my. I can not tell you how amazingly amazing(I swear I grad-e-ated high school) this frosting is. I am not sure why I have held off for so long in making it. Maybe it because I made 7 minute frosting before and didn’t like it…too marshmallow-y. So I guess I associated any cooked frosting with the 7 minute frosting. But wait, maybe I associated 7 minute frosting with “seven minutes in heaven”..oh God..that’s another episode.
But you MUST make this frosting. I mean look at the ingredients..2 pounds of butter. Are you kidding me? It is amazingly amazing..I said that already, didn’t I? It’s my new favorite.
A warning to people who live in the hot climate. With 2 pounds of butter, this heavenly frosting WILL NOT survive in the hot humid outdoors. I am sure it would melt right off your cake, but that’s ok..just lick it right off the table.
SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM
Martha Stewart
2 1/2 cups sugar
10 large egg whites
2 pounds (8 sticks)UNSALTED butter, cut into pieces (DO NOT use salted butter)
2 tsp vanilla extract
Place sugar and egg white in a heat proof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved in the egg whites and the temperature reaches 130Β°-140Β°.
Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer. Using the whisk attachment, beat on high until the mixture has cooled and come to stiff peaks..about 10 minutes.
Add the butter, one piece at a time, mixing well between each addition.
Your frosting might start to look like cottage cheese at this point, but don’t worry..it will come together.
Continue beating until smooth. add the vanilla and beat until incorporated.
Switch to paddle attachment, and whisk on low until all of the air pockets are removed and the frosting is smooth, about 5 minutes.
You can store this in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. Just bring up to room temperature before using and mix with the paddle attachment for a few minutes on low to ensure a smooth texture.

Comments

  1. Laughing at "grad-e-ated." That's quite the feminine cake–the Grace Kelly of cakes, really.

  2. ***Holly*** says:

    What a gorgeous cake!

  3. Siggy Spice says:

    Who makes YOUR b-day cake?? Just asking because I make my own. Maybe we can start a group of those of us who make amazing cakes for our loved ones and then make our own cake. Anyway….
    SO, insanely lovely!!! Seriously, absolutely beautiful! Great job!

  4. Oh my, what a beautiful cake! I have to try frosting our Thanksgiving cake this way. So impressive!!!

  5. Stephanie Meade Gresham says:

    ohhhh. that's just fluffy and frilly and pretty. and it's cake, i'm pregnant, gimme.

  6. Gorgeous cake! I've not seen ons any prettier than this. I give you an A plus!

  7. My Life as a Real House Wife says:

    That is such a pretty cake! I would have never thought to frost a cake like that. You are so talented!

  8. This IS gorgeous…you outdid yourself here. Toss a slice my way, blondie!

  9. Gorgeous!

  10. cookies and cups says:

    Very pretty! Strawberry and nutella is an interesting combo…Can't imagine it could be bad though!

  11. Absolutely pulchritudinous! I just had to take the time out to look up another word for "beautiful" in the thesaurus for this cake creation. I bet it tasted delish too! Do you have picture of the layered cake and fillings?

  12. SO pretty! excellent job! i like the layer idea with the nutell and strawberry, yum!

  13. Beautiful cake!

  14. ***RHONDI*** Now that is a word I have never heard of before!!! Sorry, I don't have a photo of the cut piece of cake πŸ™ It was cut during my husbands birthday party and I didn't feel like pulling out all of my camera and light stuff.

  15. This cake really ruffles my feathers!

    That's so pretty I'd almost hate to cut it. Almost.

  16. Your husband is a very lucky (un-girly) man indeed πŸ™‚

  17. It looks like ribbon candy!

  18. Now that is a gorgeous cake. Truly, lovely.

  19. This cake is incredible! Great work!

  20. Back in the saddle again Les? This cake is awesome! I'm starving now! Shoot!
    BEAUTIFUL!
    XOXXO
    Leslie
    Leslie Loves Veggies
    http://leslielovesveggies.net/

  21. Delicious Dishes by Debbie says:

    I must make this cake. It's beautiful and I'm sure it tasted wonderful. You are my culinary hero.

  22. I think that's funny that you made a "ruffle" cake for your hubs b-day. πŸ™‚

    It is a lovely cake, Leslie. I don't know if I have the patience.
    ~ingrid

  23. That. is. gorgeous! And I LOVE that it was for your hubby. Love it.
    I did make Swiss buttercream once and it IS heavenly–and very dangerous. If I did that cake, my cake would be served with fingerprints all over it instead of ruffles!

  24. I have seen this cake before also, possibly in a pale pink like a tutu. I love it and am amazed that you tried this which means that I may make it one day. It turned out beautiful!

  25. Absolutely gorgeous! Definitely wedding cake quality- your husband is a spoiled man! Half Nutella, half strawberry…that thought has never even crossed my mind before…sounds pretty tasty, though πŸ™‚ Heading over to enter the giveaway now! I have a Groupon giveaway going on at my blog, by the way- feel free to enter!

  26. I am loving the way you ruffled your cake!! I have absolutely NO TALENT with a pastry bad. None. I am envious.

  27. Beautiful! You are so talented.

  28. Heather @ Sweet Sins 2 Share says:

    OMG I love SMBC frostng! Have you made it with White Chocolate? I made it on my site when I did the sunflower cupcakes! It is unreal melt in your mouth amazing! AMAZING! I love the look of this cake! It is great!

  29. that is beautiful! i just happened across your blog- such a gorgeous cake!

  30. simply lovely Leslie…yes the cake too.

  31. I CANNOT wait to try your ruffle technique. I am always looking for different ways to decorate a cake and this certainly fits the bill!

  32. The Blonde Duck says:

    That cake is gorgeous.

  33. Maria Mcclain says:

    Hi Leslie, It looks too yummy & delicious also your blog is too outstanding and eye catching, you should u submit it for free in this website finally bye & have a nice day.

  34. Cathy - wheresmydamnanswer says:

    Beautiful! WOW – Very impressive as I suffer from adult ADD and would never have the patience to do this – You Go Girl!!!

  35. i hope your husband appreciated the hand strength and stamina it took to make all those ruffles–i'm impressed!

  36. Leslie, I am so impressed! Seriously beautiful and I imagine delicious too πŸ™‚

  37. Chef Fresco says:

    Beautiful cake!! Love it!

  38. Chloe Snacks says:

    this is gorgeous lov it! so decadent looks delicious!!

  39. Sweet and Savory says:

    What a beautiful cake!!!!!!! Just stunning.