So, I remembered I never shared the incredible birthday cake I made for my Aunt’s surprise 70th party way back in December.
I’m still kind of in awe myself! like, did I make that?!
Unless you live under a rock, you may remember when Amanda Rettek of i am baker first introduced the word to her Rose Cake back in Feb. of 2011. In the past two years, this cake has been replicated more times than I can count. You want to know why? Because it’s SO EASY to make! not kidding! It looks intricate, beautiful and amazing…….but difficult it is not. Don’t believe me? Check out Amanda’s 4 minute video rose cake tutorial. Then go make one yourself and wow your friends and family like I did!
If the outside of this rose cake isn’t pretty enough………I need to tell you about the inside. Red Velvet & Cinnamon Layer Cake topped with traditional Cream Cheese Frosting. and yes……it’s was every bit as ridiculously decadent as it sounds!
My aunt loves Red Velvet cake, and if you’ve read my blog much, you know I have no qualms about using Duncan Hines Cake mixes for most of my recipes. But this time, I wanted to try it from scratch.
I wish I had a picture of the cake cut for you………I didn’t go to the party, but they saved me a piece and it was every bit as delicious as I had imagined! Apparently it got just as many oohs and ahhhs, cut………even the waiter was drooling -they gave him a piece to take home 
When I think of Red Velvet Cake I think of deep dark red cake with a hint chocolate, the tang of buttermilk, the sweet tartness of cream cheese frosting……but what if we add a touch of cinnamon buttercream between the layers? A little non-traditional, but oh so delicious!
I did a little searching, and found great reviews on the Red Velvet Cake recipe at Baking911.com. The only modification I made was; I did not have buttermilk, so I used powdered buttermilk . (see full recipe below). This recipe did not fail….it was wonderful, moist and full of flavor.
Since this cake was for a surprise birthday party, my friend, Amy Locurto made some adorable birthday printables that matched the party invitations, hot pink and black.
You can click over to LivingLocurto.com for the free Happy Birthday Rose Cake Topper, or Amy’s shop if you’d like the full Rose Party Collection.
Rose Party Printable Collection:
- A 5×7 invitation with editable text fields to add your own party details.
- 2″ Tags – 3 Designs to use for cupcakes, gifts and other decor
- 2″ Thank You Tags
- Food Label Signs (editable text fields)
- 5×7 Table Decor Signs – 2 Designs
- Cake Toppers – 3 Designs
- Party Flags – For use on straws, glass stems or food
- Small Triangle Banner
This recipe is super long – but really not that complicated. You could even make the cake one day, and frosting and decorate another day. Don’t let this keep you from trying this recipe. I promise you wont regret it!
Incredible red velvet cake very slightly adapted from Baking911 please click over for step by step photos and tips on how to make this cake! and iambaker.com for how to decorate a rose cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose unbleached flour
- 1/2 cup natural cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 Tablespoons powdered ButterMilk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) liquid red food coloring*; use liquid food coloring from the grocery store
- 1 cup unsalted butter; can be cold from the refrigerator
- 1-1/2 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup butter (softened)
- 1 cup vegetable shortening
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup butter, at room temperature
- 16 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract (clear vanilla will help keep frosting white)
- 8 cups powdered sugar
- 3-6 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- White gel food coloring (optional, but makes your frosting nice and white)
Instructions
- Preheat to 350 degrees
- Generously grease two, 9- x 2-inch pans with non-stick spray or shortening.
- In a medium size bowl, after measuring, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, powdered buttermilk and salt. Stir together with a spoon. Set aside.
- Mix the water with the food coloring and vanilla extract. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on low speed until soft. (If the butter is cold, it will warm quickly from the beaters - taking about 60 seconds).
- Slowly add sugar in a steady stream at the side of the bowl. Increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes until light yellow and fluffy. Stop the mixer and scrape the side and bottom of the bowl with a large rubber spatula.
- With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time and beat for 20 seconds after each addition.
- Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat the mixture for 2 minutes. be sure to use a kitchen timer to help you keep track of the time. The mixture will become fluffy and aerated.
- Add the flour mixture in 3 equal portions, alternating with the water in 2 equal portions, beginning and ending with the flour. (If the milk is cold, the batter will curdle slightly. It's ok. It will come together when you add the flour.) Mix on low and work quickly so you don't over mix.
- After completing the last addition of flour, stop the mixer, and scrape the side and bottom of the bowl with a large rubber spatula.
- Then, let the mixer run for 30 seconds on LOW. The batter will be thick and fluffy. STOP the mixer. Do NOT overmix.
- With a large rubber spatula, give the batter ONE or TWO quick folds to incorporate any stray flour or liquid left at the sides and bottom of the bowl. do not continue mixing!
- Divide the batter equally into the prepared pans and lightly smooth their tops. The pans should be about 1/2-full.(I use my kitchen scale to be sure both pans are equal)
- Bake the cake layers for 20 to 30 minutes or until the top feels firm and gives slightly when touched. (inserted a toothpick in the middle should have a few moist crumbs attached, but not batter.)
- Loosen the sides with a small metal spatula or sharp knife. Invert onto cake rack and place upright to cool completely.
- In a mixing bowl, blend butter and shortening until smooth. Add a pinch of salt, vanilla and cinnamon. Continue mixing until well blended. Gradually add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Eventually you will have a very thick gooey mixture. On the highest speed of your mixer, stream in the heavy whipping cream- pour nice and slow.
- Continue beating on high speed until frosting is fluffy
- Place butter in a large mixing bowl and blend slightly. Add cream cheese and blend until combined, about 30 seconds.
- Add vanilla and sugar and blend on low until combined. Increase to medium speed and beat until it begins to get fluffy.
- Slowly add the cream a little at a time until desired consistency is met. (you want it thick enough to hold it's shape if you are going to pipe on roses)
- I added some bright white gel coloring at this point to make my frosting nice and white.
- Beat until fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Using a long serrated knife, slice both cooled cake layers in half horizontally, yielding 4 cake layers (you can leave your cake as 2 thicker layers with one layer of filling if you'd prefer).
- Top each cake layers with about 1 cup of cinnamon buttercream.
- Frost outside of cake with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting.
- You can go to iambaker.net to follow her rose cake tutorial
- Enjoy!
Notes
STORAGE Unfrosted cake layers should not be refrigerated because it dries the cake and can be stored at room temperature for about 2 days, well wrapped. Unfrosted cake layers can be frozen for more than one month, well wrapped. Thaw at room temperature. DECORATED CAKE STORAGE: Cream Cheese Frosting needs refrigeration, so this cake MUST be refrigerated, where the cake will keep for a few days.
© TidyMom. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe.
http://tidymom.net/2013/red-velvet-rose-birthday-cake/
More Red Velvet Recipes you might enjoy:
Red Velvet Gooey Butter Cookies
About TidyMom
I am totally impressed. I’m still totally terrified of icing cakes, so this looks intricate. But if you say it can be done, I believe you!
Oh you SOOO have to try it Brian!! Can you frost a cupcake? Then you can do this! And the best part is, if you mess it up…..just scrape off the frosting and just spread it with a spatula – no loss, but totally worth trying!
That is certainly a stunner! And I love the cute decor standing high above.
Pretty!! I tried roses once but didn’t have enough frosting so I had to scratch that idea. Love your cake stand!
oh yummy, red velvet sure is a winner:) I never use butter milk, I just add some vinegar to my milk and let it set out for a few minutes and there you go:)
I do that too Sue!…….but the powdered buttermilk just seems a bit closer to the real thing, and the great thing is, it keeps a lot longer than buttermilk!
Your recipe sounds AMAZING!!! I am so going to try it. The cake and cake stand and cupcakes and printables are wonderful! You are super talented girl! (thanks so much for the kind words too!)
thanks for all your encouragement and help Amanda!
Your cake is just gorgeous! Maybe I’ll have to make a rose cake for my sister when she has her baby girl!
Oh, and baking911 is awesome! Sarah is a treasure!!!
oh you SO should!!! it would e perfect for the occasion!! Thanks B!
Your cake is absolutely beautiful! I’ve never used powdered buttermilk before, I’ll have to look for it.
This really is just GORGEOUS!
Such a lovely cake! I really need to plan one of these rose cakes for a celebration sometime soon. So fancy, yet so doable.
Oh my…now i neeeed cake!
This is absolutely Stunning! Pinned and Shared on Facebook!
What a gorgeous cake! Well done Cheryl!
you had me at red. ok, maybe red velvet. oh.my.word. the cake is beautiful and i can’t wait to try it.
yes, this may be my very first comment on your blog…but i’ve been here forever. that makes me a horrid blogger. i should no better! i sorry!
this is gorgeous!!!! and the flavors together sound AMAZING!!!!
i can’t imagine being able to do that to a cake…one day, i’ll give it a try!!!
xo
kellie
That cake is absolutely stunning! I am so scared of over-the-top cakes sort of speak, but if you say it’s easy, I may just give it a try!
This is so beautiful! It probably tastes amazing too!
Oh, Cheryl! This cake is gorgeous! I love buttercream roses on cakes!
I am sure this tastes as delicious as it looks!
WOW!! This cake is beautiful! And it sounds so incredible! I love the addition of cinnamon with red velvet! Hopefully I get the chance to make something like this! (Maybe Easter?!) YUM!
Super-PRETTY Cheryl!
What a fun printable too
This cake is so pretty! =)
Sooooo beautiful! I was really surprised that rose cakes dont take that long at all. And they really are so stunning
Wow, this is beautiful! I love that you “spiced” things up with the cinnamon. Sorry for the corny pun
I’ve been meaning to try powdered buttermilk in my cake recipes that call for liquid buttermilk because I’m sick of the leftovers going bad. Do you think the flavor was just as good?
I couldn’t imagine the cake being any better……so I’d say it worked perfectly!
What a stunner!!
Cheryl, this cake is stunning! You know how people say “It’s too pretty to eat”? They mean THIS!
Btw, thanks for hosting the link party. I joined yesterday, but I’d love if you’d come join my How To Tuesday link party, too.
This cake is SO gorgeous!!
Oh good cow this cake looks amazing!! lol Red velvet is my absolute favorite too followed by carrot cake. Must be the cream cheese frosting. I need some NOW.
Thanks for the post!
_ Claire
Just when I thought red velvet couldn’t get any better!.. Red velvet is one of my all time faves- and know I have the challenge of making it look just as beautiful as you did- looks harder than said, but I”‘m definitely up for it!
WOW – your cake is gorgeous!! My husband birthday is tomorrow, but something tells me he wouldn;’t appreciate the flowers as much as I would
Just gorgeous.
Love the rose frosting.
Perfect for Mom’s Day.
Beautiful cake!! I love the roses on it!
This is truly one of the most beautiful cakes I’ve ever seen. I’m not the best with constructing and decorating cakes, but I really want to give this a try. Wish me luck!
Love the cake stand
I LOVE the relaxed roses! Very beautiful, yet unstuffy. I’ll have to try it.
beautiful Cake Cheryl!! I feel like I could never pull off all those roses- nice piping!
It’s so pretty I can see why it would get oohs and ahhs from everyone, really impressive!
That really is a gorgeous cake. I need to check out Amanda’s tutorial!
WOW! Cheryl, you have elevated beautiful Red Velvet Cake to a new level! With Amanda’s concept of rose piped Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting (which you executed very well, by the way), Red Velvet Cake has a refined elegance to her. So glad you thought of it! LOVE the presentation on the vintage-y hobnail and ruffled cake stand, too. Just. Lovely. xo
I can’t wait to make this cake! It sounds fabulous:-)
You did a BEAUTIFUL job on this cake, Cheryl!! It makes me want to make a rose cake even more!
This really is an amazing cake, it’s almost too pretty to eat but I’m sure I could manage! Gorgeous and I’m sure tastes just as delicious.
this is SO GORGEOUS
I don’t like frosting on cake but when it looks that pretty, it’s hard to resist. I am going to try my hand. You convinced me
Cheryl,
You outdid yourself on this one. It’s beautiful. I love it.
Hugs,
Valerie
Cottage Making Mommy
Wow, that is stunning Cheryl! I’m not a baker, but if there’s ever a special occasion, I’ll have to give this a try.
I do not like Red Velvet cake but if you made this for me, you know like for my SURPRISE birthday party
, I would eat it 
lol Have a super week!
susieQTpies
I think I am the one person who has been living under a rock and did not see this cake before ~ I am so glad you shared the video! What a beautiful cake and the recipe sounds fabulous!
Thanks again,
Mary Beth
It turned out so pretty!
What a gorgeously decorated cake!
What a labor of love, gorgeous, delicious cake! Your photos sure spotlight how beautiful it is! I need to make a rose cake!