I've been inspired this week. It's National Cupcake week, and I've been watching 'Cupcake Wars' on the Food Network Channel. It made me want to do some baking and decorating.
I've said it before, and I will say it again, I am RUBBISH when it comes to decorating cakes. I lack patience and talent, but it's something I continue to try, because practice makes perfect, right? Or at least, practice makes some slight improvement. That's how I see it anyway!
So when I was working on my boards on Pinterest the other day, I found a cake that I thought was just beautiful. My birthday is looming, and I always bake myself a cake. The cake is usually thanks to the talents of Betty crocker in a box, but this year I want to make something a little bit special.
The cake that I saw was covered in swirly roses, and when cut showed stripes of pink and brown cake.
I followed the link and found the website where the instructions were posted. The tutorial is brilliantly written, very clear to follow and makes you want to try it yourself. If you want to give it a try (or just look in total awe)then click on this link. [Rose Cake Tutorial by 'I am baker']
I walked to the shop to buy ingredients (and ready made icing by Betty!!), then set to work. My plan was to have a trial run and see how tricky it would be to make. If it was too hard, then I'd be using Betty Crocker again this year!
I made a chocolate cake and a vanilla sponge cake, adding pink food gel to the mix to turn it pink.
Once the cakes were cooked and cooled, they needed cutting. I am not even going to try to explain this, as the tutorial I've linked to explains it wonderfully with photos. I will show you how the cakes looked once I'd followed instructions.
I used both cakes to make a double layer cake, which meant when cut, it looked a bit like Battenburg cake.Then it was time to decorate. I slapped on a dollop of icing, then got out my (new) icing bag and started to swirl what I hoped would look like roses all over it.
I'm not much of a baker, and I'm useless with a piping bag, but, I have to say, I am pleasantly surprised. It looked complicated but was much easier than I expected. Perhaps it's because I know they're meant to be roses, but I think they really do look like roses! Here is how it looks inside.
Jolly good with a cup of tea. 
I think for my birthday cake I'm going to make a lemon sponge with a lemon curd layer. I'll decorate it in the same way.