Blooming Rose Cupcakes

The Art.
     So many cupcake toppers include rose decorations, but they usually require advanced skills with buttercream or fondant. I love this decorating technique because it is so stunning, yet doesn't require much decorating skill or special tools. In addition, covering a cupcake in real rose petals gives it an ethereal and romantic quality that simply can't be matched. While newbies can use this decorating technique, making the sugared rose petals will take some time and patience. In the end, you'll find it's worth it.
    I completed the rose theme with rose-flavored angelfood cake, topped with a billowy meringue icing.  The delicate texture and airiness of these cupcakes perfectly compliments the rose flavor. For presentation, I made a bouquet from the leftover flowers and wove ribbons around the plates.

The Science.

Structure of beta-Damascenone

    Rose scent is the most highly coveted floral scent in the perfume industry. The fragrance is exceedingly complex, varying from plant to plant and from season to season. Rose petals produce scent by releasing volatile compounds, which are made up of various terpenoids, phenylpropanoids, and fatty acid derivatives [1,2]. These compounds evaporate into the air and insects are drawn to the blooms, thus increasing the plant's pollination. Beta-Damascenone is an aromatic compound named after Rosa Damascena, and is the most common additive for rose flavor and fragrance. Through genetic manipulation, scientists have discovered several genes expressed in rose petals that are responsible for producing fragrance, exposing a link between bloom pigmentation and increased scent [2]. Sadly, most roses sold for floral arrangements have been bred for bloom color and size, and usually have little fragrance.

The Recipe.

Sugared Rose Petals:
One dozen organic roses in desired color
1 egg white
1 cup sugar

     Make sure your roses are grown organically and are not coated with anti-fungals after harvest. Gently pluck petals from 6 roses, discarding any browned or disfigured petals.  Rinse with water and pat dry. 

    Using a paintbrush, paint a thin layer of egg white on each petal, then dust with sugar, knocking off the excess.  Place on paper towels and allow to dry 1-2 hours. Store in the refrigerator in a single layer, and use petals within 24 hours.

Rose-flavored Angelfood Cupcakes:
1/3 cup cake flour
1/2 cup sugar
5 large egg whites*
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1-2 teaspoons rosewater




    Preheat oven to 300^oF. Line a cupcake tin with paper liners. Sift flour twice, then sift together with 1/4 cup sugar. Sifting several times aerates the flour so the cake will be lighter. In a large bowl, beat egg whites on medium-high speed until frothy. Add salt and cream of tartar and beat until peaks barely form. Gradually beat in remaining 1/4 cup sugar and rosewater, mixing until soft peaks form. Gently fold in a third of the flour/sugar at a time, stirring until incorporated after each addition. Fill cupcake tin to the top with batter. Lift and drop the pans onto the counter a couple times to release air bubbles. Bake on center rack until tops are springy and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 25  minutes.** Cool 10 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack until room temperature. Can be stored in an air-tight container in the freezer for two weeks. Yields 12 cupcakes.
*Save all of your egg yolks for the Bavarian cream recipe I'll give you later.
**If you have raucous children, pets, or significant others, tie them to a tree outside while the angelfood bakes.  The air in the beaten egg whites is what makes angelfood rise, so loud clatters will cause the cake to fall. Also, don't slam the oven door or bang pans around. Then you'll have no one to blame but yourself when your cupcakes fall, and you will have tied your loved ones to a tree for nothing (an act that is much easier to explain to social services while they're eating a fluffy cupcake).

Seven-Minute Meringue Icing:
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons water
1 large egg white
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon rosewater

    Bring one inch of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan.  Combine all ingredients in a large metal bowl, then set over saucepan to create a makeshift double-boiler.  Blend on high speed until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes. Wear an oven mitt on your hand that is stabilizing the bowl, to protect it from the steam. Remove from heat, add rosewater. Beat until icing is cool and billowy with stiff peaks, about 2 minutes.

Assembly:
    Frost cupcakes with a generous dollop of meringue icing and spread with spatula. Begin inserting rose petals into the icing around the edge of the cupcake. Work inward in a spiral until you reach the center.

I found that inserting 5 large petals on the periphery and 3-4 smaller ones in the center looked nice. Altering the angle at which you insert the petals will determine whether the cupcake looks more like a rosebud or a fully bloomed rose. Cupcakes can be stored in the refrigerator one day.

1. Flament, I. et al. "Volatile constituents of roses: characterization of cultivars based on the headspace analysis of living flower emissions. In: Teranishi R, Buttery RG, Sugisawa H (eds) Bioactive volatile compounds from plants." American Chemical Society (1993): 269-281.
2. Yan, Huijun et al. "Isolation and identification of a putative scent-related gene RhMYB1 from rose." Molecular Biology Reports 38.7 (2011): 4475-82.