The idea for this cake came to me in half-asleep reverie. I frequently have recipe-related dreams – sad as it is to admit that! I was picturing a very ethereal, romantic and slightly retro cake and, for once, I was able to realise the exact image of what I imagined… and I can’t tell you how amazing that is. In my dream there were also rose macarons… which I did make but at a later date (although I posted that recipe first just to confuse everyone).
I baked this in the Wilton Easy Layer cake pans from Lakeland which are only 15cm (6in) – the cake is quite tall at five layers but will only yield about 6 generous slices. However the recipe can be doubled very easily if you wanted to bake a full-sized cake using normal cake tins. A word of caution about the Wilton cake tins – although the look as if nothing would ever stick to them that could not be further from the truth. Grease them well – preferably with butter and flour rather than cake release – otherwise your lovely cake layers will be destroyed. I speak from experience!
Perfectly Romantic Rose & Lemon Cake
Ingredients
- Rose & Lemon buttercream
- 230 g | 2 sticks | 8.1oz unsalted butter cubed
- 500 g | 17.64oz icing powdered sugar, sifted (if you can be bothered!)
- 1 tbsp hot water if butter is cold
- 1-2 tbsp rose water
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp dried edible rose petals crushed to a powder
- 120 ml | 1/2 cup double cream
- a few drops pink food colouring optional
- Rose & Lemon Layer Cake
- 165 g | 5.8oz plain flour
- 165 g | 5.8oz caster sugar
- 40 g | 1.4oz ground almonds
- 1/2 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- –
- 1 tbsp rose water look for Steenbergs brand
- 1 tbsp rose petals crushed to a powder
- 100 g | 3.5oz unsalted butter cold and cubed
- 2 large eggs
- zest of 1 lemon
- 100 ml | 3.5 fl oz buttermilk
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- –
- 2-3 tbsp simple syrup
- 1 tbsp gin
- 1 tbsp rose water
Instructions
- Make the buttercream. Put the butter and icing sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk. Slowly start beating together, adding a few drops hot water if the butter is cold.
- Increase the speed to maximum and whisk for a few minutes until fluffy.
- Stop the machine and scrape the bottom and sides with a spatula. Add the rose water, lemon juice, rose petals and food colouring if using. Whisk together.
- Gradually add the double cream and whisk until thoroughly mixed in – 3-4 minutes. The buttercream should be smooth and hold firm peaks. If it's too runny, add a little more icing sugar.
- Make the cake. Preheat the oven to 170C (340F). Grease and flour the cake pans, dusting off any excess.
- Sift all the dry ingredients and add them to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Add the cubed butter and mix until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Add the eggs, one at a time and mix them in.
- Add the buttermilk, rose water, rose petals, lemon juice & zest and beat together. Stop the mixer and scrape the bottom of the mixing bowl to make sure the batter is thoroughly mixed.
- Carefully divide between the pans (don't overfill) and bake for 12-15 minutes if you are using mini cake tins and 23-25 minutes if using larger tins. Cool on a wire rack.
- Mix the simple syrup, gin and rose water together and brush over the cake layers.
- Add buttercream to the cake layers and sandwich together. Do a crumb coat and chill the cake for 30 minutes before adding more buttercream with a palette knife to frost the entire cake (you can also pipe it if you wish). Decorate with sprinkles or a scattering of dried edible rose petals.
Notes
You can buy simple (sugar) syrup but it also very easy to make. Put equal amounts sugar and water into a small saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring until sugar dissolves - couple of minutes.
Zara says
Beautiful cake!! I’m planning to make this for my birthday. How long can this cake be stored fresh at room temp?
Lucy Parissi says
Should be ok for a few hours but I wouldn’t leave it out for two long on a hot day.
Zara says
How long does it stay fresh if stored in fridge?
Lucy Parissi says
I would say a couple of days. But storing it in the fridge will eventually dry the cake out.
June Burns says
Looks delicious! Very romantic indeed, love the color 🙂
Julia@Vikalinka says
You are such a cake wizard, my friend! How you continuously pull this off I have no idea! You are right, this delicately beautiful cake is perfectly romantic!
Winnie says
Wowwww Lucy – this is such a fantastic cake !! It looks sooooooooo delicious and so elegant
Oana says
What a beautiful cake! So delicate! That pink is the perfect color for a cake! And the flavors are heavenly as well. Well done!
Briana Thomas says
Mmm…I love cakes, and yours is just gorgeous! Great flavor combo idea.
Angela Field says
Well that looks gorgeous! I'm so jealous of all your Valetine's Day bakes. I had some in the pipeline and all of the necessary ingredients, but it's not going to be possible as life is against me this week!
I now have a glut of strawberries and fresh cream! What a hard life!
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
Lucy this cake is beautiful! And perfect for Valentine's of course. Pinned!
Steph @MisplacedBrit says
Oh wow! That is absolutely gorgeous! I totally agree with Kate @Glutenfreealchemist – perfectly …Everything 🙂
Amy says
Absolutely gorgeous! We've already got our Valentine's dessert planned, but I know Mum is going to love this for Mother's Day. Just beautiful, and I love the generous amount of frosting woven between the layers 🙂
Lucy Parissi says
Thanks Amy… I think it is just the perfect Afternoon Tea kind of cake.
Made With Pink says
What an absolutely gorgeous cake. I especially love the pink icing. Your photos are amazing as well.
Kate Glutenfreealchemist says
Not only is it 'perfectly romantic', but it is also perfectly baked, perfectly decorated and perfectly photographed! It sounds utterly delicious too….
Lucy Parissi says
Thanks Kate. I was lucky with the light on the day although I am still learning on how to deal and process images with white backgrounds – always tougher than the rest!
Lucy Allen says
so pretty! x
Marta Vodrey says
Wow, thats gorgeous!
.:Marta:.
Jennie // scarletscorchdroppers says
So, so pretty. I love the pink buttercream – so romantic! x