https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/ruffle-cake • Posted by Ryland Peters & Small
Pop Party by Clare O’Connell, photography by Nichole Rees and published by CICO Books.
Preheat the oven to 180?C (350?F) Gas 4 and line the two large round cake pans. Put the sugar and butter in a bowl and beat until creamy. Slowly beat in the eggs, one at a time. Continue to mix, and add the vanilla extract. Slowly sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Divide the mixture between the two cake pans. Bake in the oven for 50 minutes or until springy and golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire cooling rack.
To prepare the frosting, place a heatproof bowl on top of a pan of simmering (not boiling) water. The bowl should not touch the water. Whisk the egg whites and sugar in the bowl until the mixture is hot to touch and the sugar has dissolved.
Remove from the heat and, using the whisk attachment of a mixer, begin to whip the mixture until it is thick, glossy, and cool. Next, using the paddle attachment of a mixer, add chunks of softened butter to the frosting, mixing continuously until the frosting is a silky smooth texture. If the frosting curdles, continue mixing until it becomes smooth. Add the vanilla extract, food coloring, and salt and mix well.
Slice each of the cakes in half and spread a thin layer of frosting on the bottom half of each cake. Sandwich the halves together. Next, spread a thin layer of frosting on top of one of the cakes, and sandwich the two cakes together.
Using a palette knife, cover the entire cake with about one third of the frosting, leaving the rest for the ruffles.
Fill a piping bag with the remaining frosting and pipe figure of eights in columns up the side of the cake. Continue until the sides of the cake are completely covered. Finally, pipe ruffles on the top of the cake.