500g| 17.64oz icingpowdered sugar, sifted (if you can be bothered!)
1tbsphot water if butter is cold
1-2tbsprose water
juice of 1 lemon
1tbspdried edible rose petalscrushed to a powder
120ml| 1/2 cup double cream
a few drops pink food colouringoptional
Rose & Lemon Layer Cake
165g| 5.8oz plain flour
165g| 5.8ozcaster sugar
40g| 1.4oz ground almonds
1/2tbspbaking powder
1/2tspbicarbonate of soda
1/4tspsalt
–
1tbsprose waterlook for Steenbergs brand
1tbsprose petalscrushed to a powder
100g| 3.5oz unsalted buttercold and cubed
2large eggs
zest of 1 lemon
100ml| 3.5 fl oz buttermilk
2tbsplemon juice
–
2-3tbspsimple syrup
1tbspgin
1tbsprose 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
To make a large layer cake double the recipe and use 3 or 4 larger cake tins. 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.