"Roses are Red" Cake

The Art.
     I'm quite excited to present this cake, because it might be the prettiest one I've made. I created it with the help of my Handsome Man last week, and we are shamelessly proud of ourselves. Revisiting the ever popular sugared rose petal technique, I selected deep red roses and used red sanding sugar to coat them. While adorning the cake with the petals is relatively easy, be sure to set aside ample time to sugar the roses first. An extra pair of hands wouldn't be a bad idea. I feel lucky to have someone in my life who will not only assist me in sugaring my rose petals, but also appreciates the fact that when I receive a bouquet, my first inclination is to eat it. 

The Science.
   To date, I have used three different methods to make sugared rose petals. The first is to use superfine baker's sugar, which finely coats the petals and dries into a hard, rigid coating that makes inserting them into the cake very easy. This method is good for white or very light pink petals, but darker colors won't show through the white sugar. The second way is to use regular granulated sugar, as I did for my Blooming Rose Cupcakes. Petals coated this way will not dry up as firm as with the baker's sugar, but this allows some of the flower's color to show through with a frosted look. To maintain the deep red color of these rose petals, I used red sanding sugar. The color turned out beautifully, but the petals didn't stiffen as they dried. After some investigating, I found that the sanding sugar I had used contained confectioner's glaze. This food-grade shellac has some organic compounds, which may interact with the albumin protein in the egg white and prevent it from hardening [1,2]. Obviously, the cake still turned out and the petals held up for about 36 hours, but this is something to keep in mind when using sanding sugar to coat your rose petals. 

The Recipe.

Sugared Rose Petals:
One dozen organic red roses
1 egg white
1/2 cup red sanding sugar

    As I mentioned in my previous post, be sure that your roses are organic and have not been treated with anti-fungal agents. Pluck the petals from 6 of the roses, gently rinse and pat dry. With a small paintbrush, paint a thin coat of egg white on each petal and immediately coat it with the red sugar. Allow to dry in a single layer on paper towels. Make a bouquet from the remaining roses.
    The recipes for the angelfood cake and meringue icing can be found here. Instead of making cupcakes, spoon the cake batter into two clean 6x3-inch round cake pans and bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and invert cakes onto wire racks to cool completely.

Assembly:
    Place a cake layer on top of a cardboard cake round. Spread a thin layer of meringue, and place the second cake layer on top. Cover the cake in a thick layer of meringue.

    Beginning at the bottom edge, insert the largest sugared rose petals around the bottom of the cake. Continue placing rose petals around and up the side of the cake, staggering the layers slightly. As you reach the top, begin using the smaller rose petals and work in a spiral toward the center. You can consult the Blooming Rose Cupcakes for pictures of inserting the rose petals.

    The cake should be stored uncovered in the refrigerator no more than one day. Covering it will cause the petals to wilt from the condensation. The rose flavor of the cake can be complimented very well with a white or rose dessert wine. 

1. Smolinske, Susan C. Handbook of Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Excipients. CRC Press, 1992.
2. O Chef, "Beating Egg Whites into Submission." http://www.ochef.com/223.htm