Recipe by KitchenAid®

What better way to celebrate the new KitchenAid colour of the year than with this show-stopping Hibiscus layer cake? With 4 layers of sponge cake sandwiched between vanilla frosting, covered with 3 different tones of pink icing, piped roses, chocolate freckles & glacé cherries, this is the perfect task to put your new stand mixer to the test.

Ingredients

Note:

To make all 4 layers of this cake, the cake recipe and ingredients needs to be repeated twice.

233g butter, at room temperature

266g caster sugar

11/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tones of food colouring

2 large eggs

1 extra medium egg white only

1/2 tbsp lemon zest

286g plain all purpose flour

1.5 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

Vanilla frosting for crumb layer:

345g un salted butter, softened to room temperature

650g icing sugar, sifted

80ml milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

Pinch salt

Coloured frosting for outer layer:

345g un salted butter, softened to room temperature

650g icing sugar, sifted

80ml milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

Pinch salt

Pink food colouring in different tones

Decoration:

Large chocolate freckles

Glacé cherries

Hundred and thousands

Vanilla frosting:

• 01

  Combine the butter and icing sugar into the bowl of a KitchenAid stand mixer with the beater paddle attached. Mix on low speed to start then turn up to medium speed once the ingredients are combined.

• 02

  Add the vanilla and a pinch of salt.

• 03

  Slowly add in the milk, if the frosting is too runny add a little more icing sugar.

Assembling the Cake

Crumb layer:

• 01

  Trim the top of each cake using a bread knife to level it.

• 02

  Place the first cake layer onto a serving plate. If you have a cake turn table place the plate onto that. If you don’t it can been done with out as well.

• 03

  Evenly apply a 1cm layer of frosting to the top of the cake. Using a flat icing spatular or a bench scrapper to level it out.

• 04

  Place the 2nd cake in a different colour on top and repeat the frosting process unit all 4 layers are stacked up. Ensure you leave frosting for the outside crumb layer.

• 05

  Spread a thin layer on top and around the sides, using a bench scrapper to ensure it is evenly applied and thin.

• 06

  Place in the fridge to set for a min of 30 minutes or longer on a hot day.

Outer layer coloured frosting:

• 01

  Repeat the vanilla frosting instructions.

• 02

  Divide the frosting between 3 bowls and add the food colouring to create 3 different tones of colour (following the packets instructions). Mix through until you reach your desired colours.

• 03

  Attach large standard piping nozzles to 3 piping bags (if you don’t have 3 nozzles, cut off the end of each piping bag instead). Fill each bag with one of the frosting colours.

• 04

  Pip large dots in a line down the side of the cake every 10cm. Starting at the bottom in one colour until a third in height followed by the middle colour and the top being in the final colour. Once this is done, use the bench scraper to evenly scrap around the cake to achieve the horizontal rainbow.

• 05

  Cover the top with the top colour and level it out.

• 06

  Attach a large 1M piping nozzle and pipping bag, pip roses around the top.

• 07

  Place in the fridge for a few hours to completely set firm.

• 08

  When you're ready to serve; place the glacé cherries on top of the piped roses. Cut the large freckles in half and stick them in-between. Finish off with a sprinkle of hundred and thousands.