Purple Ombre Rosette Cake

I'm not sure if I mentioned this yet, but my friend Michelle and I are taking a calligraphy class. This is something we both have been talking about doing forever and is on my 25 Before 25 List. It is a 6 week class which means we get to spend 2 hours of class time together as well as a little time before and after as it works with my schedule. It has just been delightful. I can't wait until we live closer to one another.

The first day of calligraphy class at the local community college, we walked in and saw a familiar face, Megan, a girl who was in our cake decorating class (Wilton Decorating Basics) last summer at JoAnn's. Our instructor heard us talking about it and nonchalantly said she would love a cake with flowers for her birthday at the end of the month. Well, Michelle and I will jump at any chance to make a cake, so here's what we did.

Photo credit: Michelle Waters

It turned out so pretty, dontcha think?

Photo credit: Michelle Waters

Michelle made her vanilla speckled cake from scratch and I made the rosettes in Michelle's delicious buttercream frosting. Dye all of the frosting the lightest shade you desire. The filling and outside of the cake was frosted with the lightest shade of purple we used. Starting in the middle, working your way outwards with as many rows as you want. We did one rosette, circled once, before dying all of the batter the next shade, making one more circle. Repeat until you are finished. It is important not to try to split up the batter and dye different cups in case you need more because matching dyed frosting after the initial dye is very hard. Just dye it darker as you complete your ombre look.

Photo credit: Michelle Waters

I really love the purple. It's one of my favorite colors, but I'm sure pink or maybe even yellow would look wonderful, too!

Photo credit: Michelle Waters

I used a Wilton star tip to frost this cake. I can't recall if it was #18 or #20 but I wasn't as big as a 1M.

Photo credit: Michelle Waters

I really like how the rosettes hide some of the imperfections of my strokes because they are all so close together. Next time, I think I'll make sure the frosting is a little softer because the ends won't look so abrupt. I also plan on trying this out on a cake that is a little taller because then my bottom row of rosettes won't be so smashed.


This post is linked up to some of the parties listed under my Show & Tell tab at the top of the page.