Tiered Roses Cake

Serves 100 to 110

Moist Yellow Cake (recipe follows)Meringue Buttercream (recipe follows)Sugar Syrup (recipe follows)Rose Petal Jam Filling (recipe follows)Assorted roses

Assembling The Rose Cake1. Each cake layer needs a sturdy base. Trace cake pans onto a piece of 3/16-inch foam board, (available at art-supply stores), and cut out the rounds. Once cakes have cooled slightly, remove from pans. Do not peel off parchment. When completely cool, place each cake right-side up on a foam-board round, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours; this makes the layers firm and easy to handle. They can also be frozen at this point.

2. Begin with the biggest tier. Remove from refrigerator. If it didn't bake level-cakes often don't-even it out with a serrated knife. Use a turntable to make it even all around.

3. Place a small dollop of buttercream in the center of the cake. Put another foam-board round on top of it; invert the cake onto the foam board. Remove the first foam-board base and parchment. The bottom of the cake is now the top; the cake will remain on this foam-board round until it is eaten.

4. To split the cake, center it on the turntable. Hold a serrated knife against the edge of the cake; rotate the turntable, working the knife through the cake.

5. Brush the cut surface of the bottom half of the cake with sugar syrup. This syrup will moisten the cake and add a subtle flavor.

6. Pipe the buttercream around the perimeter of the bottom half of the cake. Use a pastry bag fitted with a standard-size coupler. This "dam" will keep the jam filling in place.

7. Fill the bottom layer 1/8 inch thick with jam; don't use so much that the top layer slips and slides.

8. Carefully replace the top layer with the cut side down, and brush the top with sugar syrup. Let set for 2 to 3 minutes.

9. Ice top with buttercream using an offset spatula to give the tier a "crumb coat." This thin layer of icing will seal the cake. Start from the center, and work out, making sure to push the buttercream over the sides of the tier.

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Tiered Roses Cake

10. Smooth the icing. The crumb coat will be covered by more icing later, so it doesn't have to be perfectly smooth at this point. Chill in the refrigerator to set the icing, about 30 minutes to 1 hour, until it doesn't feel sticky when you touch it. Repeat steps 2 through 10 with remaining tiers.

11. Give the tiers a final coating of buttercream. Use an offset spatula to smooth the top, and a tool called a bench scraper for the sides. Before you ice each tier, wipe off the spatula, dip it in hot water, then wipe it off again; using the warm, clean spatula will create a clean, finished edge.

12. The icing should be smooth and uniform. But perfection is nearly impossible; if you see an air bubble or other small flaw, make that side the back of the cake. Refrigerate the tiers.

13. Insert a 1/4-inch dowel vertically into the bottom tier of the cake; mark it level with the buttercream. Remove it, and cut four dowel pieces to this length. These will be the supports for the next tier. Use the dowels to form a square 1 1/2 inches in from the edge of the tier that will be placed on top (hold an empty cake pan over the finished tier to determine placement.) Repeat the process on each tier-except the top one-using fewer dowels in different configurations as tiers get smaller. At this point, cakes can be refrigerated overnight.

14. Assemble the cake on its serving plateau. Dab some buttercream onto the center of the serving plateau, and place the bottom tier on it. Place two 10-inch plastic separator plates that have been connected with four 5-inch plastic pillars on top of the bottom tier. Add a dab of buttercream to the top of the 10-inch separator plate, and place the 10-inch tier on top of it. Once all of the tiers are stacked on top of the remaining 8-inch and 6-inch separator plates, insert soaked oasis, cut to fit between each pair of separator plates.

15. Trim the flower stems to about 2 inches. Beginning with the largest roses, insert them randomly in the oasis, using a skewer to aid in making holes. Fill in with a variety of smaller roses and buds.

16. The final decorative touch is made with pastry bags filled moss-green and egg-shade-yellow buttercream and fitted with a #2 round tip and a #16 star tip. Pipe along the top and bottom edge of the largest tier and the top edge of the remaining tiers.

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Moist Yellow Cake

You will need two 6-inch layers, two 8-inch layers, two 10-inch layers, and two 12-inch layers; or eleven and a half batches total. (One batch makes one 8-inch layer; 1 1/2 batches makes two 6-inch layers or one 10-inch layer; 2 1/2 batches makes one 12-inch layer.)

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, plus more to coat parchment 1 1/3 cups cake flour, sifted, plus more to coat parchment1 cup sugar1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract2 large eggs1 teaspoon baking powderPinch of salt1/2 cup milk

1. Heat oven to 325° . Butter baking pan, line the base with a round of parchment paper, and butter and flour the parchment paper. Cream together butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla extract. Add eggs one at a time.

2. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt three times. Add to egg mixture in three additions, alternating with milk, and starting and ending with flour.

3. Pour the batter into prepared pans (filling two-thirds full) Bake 6-inch, 8-inch, and 10-inch for about 35 to 40 minutes, and 12-inch layers for 70 minutes. Cakes are done when the tops are golden brown and a tester inserted into the center of cake comes out clean.

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Meringue Buttercream

You will need 4 1/2 batches.

1 1/4 cups sugar5 large egg whitesPinch of cream of tartar2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring sugar and 1/3 cup water to a boil. Boil until syrup reaches soft-ball stage (238° on a candy thermometer).

2. Meanwhile, beat egg whites on low until foamy. Add cream of tartar; beat on medium high until stiff but not dry.

3. With mixer running, pour syrup into egg whites in a steady stream, and beat on high speed until completely cool, about 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cream butter in a separate bowl to soften. Beat in butter gradually. Add vanilla; beat 2 to 3 minutes, until frosting is smooth and spreadable. If it looks curdled during beating process, continue beating to smooth it out.

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Sugar Syrup

4 1/2 cups sugar3 cups water

1. Combine sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Set over high heat; boil until sugar just dissolves. Remove from heat. Let cool.

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Rose Petal Jam Filling

You will need 9 batches.

1 13 1/4-ounce jar rose-petal jam

1. Warm jam in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat, and strain through a fine sieve. Let cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.

Sources:

Clear separator plates Crystal-look 5-inch pillars Gel food coloring in Forest, Leaf or Teal Green and Egg Shade Yellow Pastry tips 12-inch polyurethane pastry bag New York Cake & Baking Distributor 56 West 22nd Street New York, NY 10010 212-675-2253 or 800-942-2539 Fax: 212-675-7099 www.nycake.com

Oasis Available at local floral-supply and crafts stores

1/4-inch wooden dowels Available at local hardware stores

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