Pink Gradient Cake

I have been wanting to make a gradient/ombre cake for quite some time and since it is now the holidays, what better time than now? I was really inspired by this recipe but I wanted to go for pink! Well, I lied. I had no choice really because the only food colouring I have in my house is red. So pink it was! And it really did look lovely in the end. My iPhone seemed to have taken photos of a different shade of pink compared to my camera... I wasn't sure which one I liked better so I put up both!

What I love about this cake is the element of surprise underneath that layer of white icing. Who would've thought that there was layers of different coloured pink inside? I know my sister was pleasantly surprised when I asked her if she wanted a slice of cake and there was an ombre of pink when I took the slice of cake out!

Vanilla Cake
Makes one round 12cm 4-layer cake
From Call Me Cupcake

1 3/4 cups flour1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
66g butter
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup ice water
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 egg whites beaten stiff
Red food colour (I used Queen's red food colouring)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C and grease a 12cm round cake tin (I had two so I baked my cake in two batches).

2. Line the base of the tins with baking paper.

3. Sift flour, baking powder and salt until well combined

4. Using an electric mixer on low speed, beat sugar and butter in a large bowl until incorporated. Increase speed to high and beat until pale and creamy (2 minutes or so). Reduce speed to medium low, add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

5. Alternately add ice water and flavourings to the flour mixture, beating thoroughly after eat addition.

6. Fold in beaten egg whites.

7. Separate batter into 4 bowls. Gradually add colouring to each bowl and gently fold it into the mixture, adding slightly more colouring as you do each bowl so that the 4 bowls give you a even gradient of colour.

8. Pour batter into prepared tins and bake for around 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean and the outside is golden.

8. Leave to cool in tin for 5 minutes before flipping out onto a wire rack to cool.


Swiss Meringue Frosting
From Call Me Cupcake

2 large egg whites
80g sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Method

1. Put egg whites and sugar in a heat-proff bowl in a double boiler (the water in the saucepan should be simmering over low heat)

2. Whisk with a hand whisk continuously until the mixture reaches 65C. Remove from heat.

3. Start whipping the egg whites with a stand or hand mixture until they become fluffy and white and the bowl is cool (may take up to 10 minutes or so)


To Assemble Cake

1. Make sure layers are level by trimming tops off.

2. Spread frosting on top of each layer and stack on top of one another with the lightest at the bottom and darkest at the top.

3. Crumb coat cake and chill in fridge for 15 minutes.

4. Cover cake with more frosting and smooth over with a spatula.

5. Serve cake at room temperature or store in an airtight container in the fridge.

6. Enjoy!