This recipe first appeared in Food magazine issue 75.
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Ingredients
Method
1.Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line 4 x 20cm springform baking pans with baking paper and spray them with the spray oil.
2.In the bowl of an electric beater, cream the butter and sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the lemon essence, vanilla extract, eggs and lemon zest and beat the mixture well.
3.Sift the flour and baking powder together then add the dry ingredients to the batter in three batches, alternating with the sour cream.
4.Divide the mixture between 4 bowls. Fold the food colouring through the batter until you achieve your colour of choice, being careful not to over-stir – we mixed four different tones when we made the recipe.
5.Pour the batter in to the four prepared pans and smooth the tops of each cake. Bake the cakes in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean. Set the cakes aside to cool on wire racks in their pans.
Cream cheese icing
6.Cream the butter in the bowl of an electric beater until it is pale, about 5 minutes. Add the cream cheese and beat to combine.
7.Slowly add the sifted icing sugar a couple of tablespoons at a time, beating between each addition. Mix until the icing is well blended.
8.Add the colour to the mixture along with the vanilla extract and raspberry flavoring, if using. Cover the icing and place it in the fridge for 60 minutes to harden.
To assemble
9.Once the cakes have cooled and the icing has hardened, place the darkest cake on a serving plate. Spread a layer of icing about 1cm thick on top of the cake then place the next-darkest cake on top. Spread another layer of icing on top, then repeat with the remaining cakes.
10.Coat the whole layered cake with a thin layer of icing. Place a 1M star nozzle in a piping bag and fill the bag with the remaining icing.
11.Practise making a few test roses on a sheet of baking paper – start in the centre and make a circle. Once you are comfortable with making the roses, start piping roses onto the cake starting at the bottom of the cake.
12.Completely cover the cake with roses, making sure you place the roses as close together as possible so they are tight packed over the whole surface and cover the entire cake. If you make a mistake, simply wipe the rose off with a spatula and try again.
Note
- You must use Philadelphia Cream Cheese – other brands will not hold the icing together. – You can mix and match any colours you like in this cake. – If you don’t have 4 x 20cm springform cake pans, bake the cakes in batches using what you have available. Wait until the cakes have cooled slightly before them removing from the pans or the cakes may stick. Ease the cakes out of the pans by running a sharp knife around the edges of the pans. – You can store the cake covered in the fridge for two days. Bring it back to room temperature before serving.
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