English Rose Cake Food

ENGLISH ROSE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease and line the base and sides of 3 x 20cm round loose-bottomed cake tins with baking parchment. Tip all the ingredients for the cake into a large bowl and beat with an electric whisk until well combined. Divide the mixture between the 3 cake tins and smooth the tops. Bake for 45 mins, swapping the tins halfway through so they cook evenly. Leave to cool for 10 mins in the tins, then remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• To make the rose syrup, put the sugar in a pan with 100ml water and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Turn up the heat and bubble for 1-2 mins, then remove from the heat. Add the rose water: start with 1 tsp and taste, as some varieties are much stronger than others - just be careful as the syrup will be really hot. Spoon half the syrup over the 3 sponges and set aside.
• Add 2 tbsp of the syrup to the raspberries and crush them with a fork. Push the raspberries through a sieve into a bowl and discard the seeds. Sift in the icing sugar and mix to a smooth icing. In a second bowl, add another 2 tbsp of the syrup and the vanilla to the cream and whisk until it holds soft peaks. Chill until needed.
• To assemble, place one cake, flat-side up, on a plate or cake stand, and top with half the cream and a third of the remaining raspberries (see tips, below). Sandwich another cake on top and add the remaining cream, another third of the raspberries, then the last cake. Smooth the raspberry icing over the top, letting it drizzle down the sides. To decorate, we used a mixture of rose petal pieces (available from cookshops or online), homemade crystallised rose petals (see step-by-step, above) and the reserved raspberries.

ENGLISH ROSE JAM CAKE STACKS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Line 15x10x1-inch pan with foil. Spray with cooking spray.
• Make batter as directed on cake mix box. Pour into pan.
• Bake 17 to 23 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Do not remove cake from pan. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Place cake in freezer. Freeze until firm, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, to make roses, unwrap fruit snacks. Brush one side of each fruit snack lightly with water. Sprinkle with sugar to coat. Repeat on other side. Cut each snack into 1/2-inch strips. Starting at one short end, roll strips around one end of toothpick, gathering it together to form a rose. Add on an additional strip, pressing to hold it together. Repeat to make 8 roses.
• To assemble jam stacks, remove cake from freezer. Using foil, lift cake from pan. Using 2 3/4-inch round biscuit cutter, cut 16 rounds from the cake. On cooling rack, place 8 rounds top side down. Spread each with 1 teaspoon raspberry jam. Top with remaining cake rounds, top side up.
• In microwavable bowl, microwave frosting uncovered on High about 30 seconds or just until melted; stir to blend. Let cool slightly. Spoon 2 tablespoons frosting over each cake, allowing frosting to run down sides of cake. Insert rose-topped toothpick through top of each cake to secure layer and for rose to provide decoration.