Sphere rose cake

Ingredients 

For the cake

340g margarine

340g self-raising flour

340g caster sugar

6 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

For the filling

100g butter

500g icing sugar

2 tsp vanilla

3-4 tsp milk

3 tbsp strawberry jam

To make the roses

500g of ready-to-roll icing (Colour of your choice)

To make the fondant balls

500g of ready-to-roll green icing

Method 

To make the cake

Preheat your oven to 170°C.

Both cakes will be made using one mixture.

In a large mixing bowl combine your butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Slowly beat in 4 eggs and add half the flour, once well mixed add the remaining 2 eggs along with the vanilla extract and remaining flour and beat well.

Pour the mixture into the tins filling each three quarters full.

Bake for 50-60 minutes.

Allow the cakes to cool in the tins and then transfer to a wire tray to cool completely.

Once the cakes have cooled you can fill with any filling you desire but we have chosen to use strawberry jam and vanilla butter cream.

Again in a large mixing bowl beat the butter until light and fluffy, gradually stirring in the icing sugar and vanilla extract. If your mixture is dry add milk until the buttercream is soft and spreadable.

Spread jam and buttercream on the flat edge of one on the hemisphere cakes. Place the second hemisphere cake on top of the first and place on a decorating board. Use the remaining butter cream to cover the entire cake.

To make the roses

From your coloured icing take about a marble size piece, break this down into 5 tiny balls and these will form the petals of your rose.

Take another small piece of fondant, roll this into a cone shape.

Use your thumb to flatten the five tiny balls and the cone shape.

To form the roses use the flattened cone shape as the centre of the rose, gently roll it into a Swiss roll shape. Take your first petal, place the roll you have just created on the edge of the petal and wrap the petal around the roll.

The second petal goes half way inside the first one and again wrap it around the roll. The third one goes half way the second one, and roll it around again. Continue this process until you have used all petals.

Manipulate the petals into the shape you wish by pinching the edges randomly to give a more natural look.

Remove any excess fondant from the bottom of the rose with a knife. Leave the rose to dry.

To make the fondant balls

Remove small pieces of icing and roll them between your fingers to create small balls.

Create as many as you feel you need, you may only know this once you start decorating.

Place the roses and the fondant balls onto the cake, the buttercream will hold them in place. You can add as many roses as you feel necessary. 

Products Used 

Colourworks Large Pink Melamine Two Tone Mixing Bowl

Sweetly Does It Silicone Spatula

Master Class Silver Anodised 20cm Hemisphere Cake Pan

Master Class Non-Stick 46cm x 26cm Cooling Tray

Sweetly Does It Palette Knife

Sweetly Does It Large Round Cake Board