For a pretty cake that is perfect for an Easter celebration, create a subtle buttercream ombre effect, then add piped buttercream petals for the finishing touch.
Cake artist: Dani Brazier for Blue Door Bakery
Edibles
Buttercream Mint green, baby pink, lavender food colouring (Colour Mill) 1-3tsp cocoa powder Chocolate eggs Tiny sprinkles
Equipment
Side scraper Bowls Palette knife No.4, 126, 352 nozzles Piping bags
COVER YOUR CAKE
1 Following on from the yummy carrot cake recipe on page 20, start on the top of your cake and spread buttercream all over using a palette knife.
2 Thoroughly cover your cake in buttercream including all the gaps and spaces. 3 Take a side scraper and gently smooth and scrape away any excess buttercream until smooth. Place the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes to set.
CREATE OMBRE EFFECT
4 Make sure your buttercream is soft. Split into two bowls and colour half in pale mint green and for the other half, add one drop of lavender which will help get a white buttercream. Spread the white buttercream around the top and top half of the cake.
5 Now spread the mint green around the lower half of the cake using a palette knife.
6 Using a palette knife, smooth the top of the cake until flat. Take a metal scraper and begin to smooth the two shades of buttercream. Keep gently smoothing the cake being very careful not to scrape off too much buttercream.
7 Add more buttercream into any gaps and smooth again. As you smooth, the two colours should blend together and give you a subtle, pretty ombre effect. Put back in the fridge to set for 30 minutes.
PIPE THE NEST
8 Make some brown buttercream by adding some cocoa powder into buttercream.
9 Add this brown buttercream into a piping bag with the no.4 nozzle on the end. Pipe lots of rings of brown buttercream around the top of the cake about 1in away from the edge.
10 Add some
