2 1/2 recipes Swiss Meringue Buttercream
1 each 6-, 9-, 12-, and 16-inch round cake tiers, each set on corresponding-size 3/16-inch-thick foam-board round, trimmed, split, and filled to a 4-inch height
1 6-inch-diameter rubber nonslip mat or hot glue, for cake board
1 22-inch-diameter-by-1-inch-thick cake board, painted
24 4 1/8-inch-long-by-1/4-inch-diameter wooden dowels
Gel-paste food coloring, in rose
14 dozen garden roses (buds and full blooms)
1 6-foot-long-by-1-inch-wide ribbon
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Directions
- Coat tiers: You will need 1 1/2 recipes buttercream for coating the tiers. Cover each tier with a thin coat of buttercream to seal in the crumbs; chill until firm, about 30 minutes. One at a time, spread tiers with a generous coat of buttercream. If cake is visible in spots, return it to the refrigerator, then add a third coat.
- Stack tiers: Place rubber mat or several drops hot glue on center of cake board; place 16-inch tier on top. Insert 8 dowels in a circle 3 1/2 inches in from edge of tier and 4 more in a square within the circle.
- Spread center of tier with 1 tablespoon buttercream; place 12-inch tier on top. Insert 8 dowels in a circle 2 1/2 inches from edge. Spread tier with 1 tablespoon buttercream; place 9-inch tier on top. Insert remaining 4 dowels in a 4-inch square in center. Spread tier with 1 tablespoon buttercream; place 6-inch tier on top.
- Pipe wicker design: Divide remaining recipe buttercream into two bowls. Tint one pink; leave the other plain. Fit two 12-inch pastry bags with Ateco #6 plain tips; fill each halfway with pink or plain buttercream. Starting at back of top tier, pipe a wicker design onto sides of tier:
- Using the same technique as for basket-weave design, pipe vertical lines with plain buttercream and pipe horizontal lines with plain and pink buttercreams, alternating each time between the two. The first and last horizontal lines should be just below and above the top and bottom edges. Pipe remaining tiers in this manner. Pipe a dot border around the bottom edges of each tier with plain buttercream and #6 tip.
- Decorate cake: Soak floral foam in water, and fit into ceramic pot. Clip some of the roses; arrange them in the pot. About 3 hours before the reception, set cake on display table. Clip remaining rose stems to 1/2 inch. Arrange roses on the cake as desired.
- Place pot of roses on top tier. (If pot feels too heavy, insert 1 or 2 more dowels in cake tier to help support the weight.) Secure ribbon around edge of cake board, using hot glue or double-stick tape, with the seam at the back of the cake.
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