50 shades of pink

So you must be living under a rock if you haven't realised that ombre cakes are trending this year. Whether they are ombre inside or out, anything sort of cake that incorporates a colour fading from light to dark seems to be 'taking the cake' at the moment. And really they are not that difficult to master than a normal cake, the reality is there are just a couple of extra steps involved to create these very pretty little cake master pieces. We made this sweet little 'shades of pink' cake for my girlfriend for her birthday and have gladly decided to share the recipe and the steps involved. And if you are looking for some step by step pics, head over to our Instagram page (Meko Creations) and check them out.

Enjoy x

You'll need:
375g butter
3 tspns vanilla essence
450g caster sugar
6 eggs
4 1/2 cups self raising flour
1 1/2 cups milk
Americolor gel - soft pink
Americolor gel - rose pink

Butter Cream
500g butter, room temp
960g icing sugar
8 tbsps milk
Americolour gel - white

Preheat oven to 180c. Grease and line the base and sides of an 8 inch cake tin with baking paper, extending paper 5cm above sides.

Beat butter, vanilla and caster sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
Add half flour and fold in using a spatula. Add the other half of the flour, and again fold in. Add remaining milk and fold in.
Set out four mixing bowls and your prepared cake tin. Weigh out the mixture at 430g each evenly into each of the bowls and one in the cake tin.

Starting with the cake tin, smooth the cake mixture out and bake at 170c for 20 mins, depending on your oven and until a skewer comes out clean. This cake will be your neutral bottom layer. 
Next add 1/2 a drop of soft pink to one of your bowls and mix well.
In your second bowl, add 1 drop of soft pink to your bowl and mix well.
In your third bowl, add 2 drops of soft pink to your bowl and mix well.
In your fourth bowl, add 2 drops of rose pink and 1 drop of soft pink and mix well.
Cover each bowl with cling wrap until ready to use.

Once your first cake is baked, let it cool in the tin for 5 mins before turning out on to a wire rack.
Re line tin and repeat baking as above for each of the four remaining mixes.

Once cakes are all cooled, using a serrated knife trim tops as required. Your aim is to have level cakes.

To make the butter cream, cream your butter and icing sugar in an electric mixer until light, white and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl down and add your milk whilst you continue to beat.
Split the butter cream, putting 500g in another bowl to fill the cake with later and add 1/2 a drop of soft pink to it and mix through by hand. 

Back at the mixer, add your white food gel to the butter cream and continue to beat until your desired whiteness is achieved. Set aside to mask your cake in later.

Starting with your bottom cake layer (neutral) spread a thin layer, approx 125g, of pink butter cream on top using a palette knife. Place the lightest pink cake layer on top and repeat until all layers are done (no butter cream required on top of the top cake layer). The aim is here to go from light to dark. Ensure your cake layers are all in line.
Refrigerate for 5-10 mins until butter cream has hardened.

Remove your cake from the fridge and using a palette knife spread a thin layer all over the cake, then return the cake to the fridge to set the butter cream. Apply the remaining butter cream to the cake, either in a smooth application or a rustic style, your choice.

Keep at room temperature until ready to cut and serve.

Tip - Use a serrated knife to cut your cake to ensure clean cuts with perfect layers inside.