Some cakes need piping bags, three different nozzles and the patience of a saint.
This isn’t one of them.
A simple layer cake covered with sparkling sugared rose petals can look ridiculously impressive without requiring particularly complicated cake-decorating skills. The petals do most of the work for you, scattering across the top like little pieces of edible stained glass.
This sugared rose petal cake is particularly pretty for birthdays, bridal showers, Mother’s Day, afternoon tea, Valentine’s Day or a garden party.
And while the cake itself can be as simple or elaborate as you like, the real star is the candied rose petals.
A Quick Note About Edible Roses
Please don’t grab the first bunch of roses you see at the florist and start decorating.
Only use roses that you know are edible and that have been grown for culinary use without unsuitable pesticide treatments. University of Minnesota Extension specifically advises using flowers known to be edible and not treated with harmful chemicals, and notes that commercially sold cut flowers and roadside flowers shouldn’t be eaten. Rose petals themselves are edible, although the pale base of the petal can taste bitter and may be trimmed away.
Look for edible roses sold specifically for culinary use, or use roses you’ve grown yourself specifically for eating.
Sugared Rose Petal Cake
You can use your favourite vanilla cake recipe for this project, but I’ve included an easy version below so you can make the whole thing from scratch.
For The Vanilla Cake
- 2 1/2 cups plain all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 3/4 cups caster or granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup milk
For The Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups icing sugar
- 2–3 tablespoons milk or cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Small pinch of salt
For The Sugared Rose Petals
- Fresh edible rose petals
- 1 pasteurised egg white
- 1 teaspoon water
- Superfine or caster sugar
How To Make The Cake
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
Grease and line two 8-inch round cake tins.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
In a separate large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Mix in the vanilla.
Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix only until everything is combined.
Divide the batter evenly between the cake tins.
Bake for approximately 25–30 minutes, or until the cakes are lightly golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Allow the cakes to cool in their tins for around 10 minutes before turning them onto a rack to cool completely.
How To Make Sugared Rose Petals
This is the fun bit.
Gently separate the rose petals and check them carefully for dirt or tiny insects. If necessary, rinse them very gently and allow them to dry completely before continuing.
Whisk the egg white with one teaspoon of water until it becomes slightly foamy.
Using a clean, small food-safe paintbrush, lightly brush a rose petal with egg white.
Coat both sides.
You only need a very thin layer. If you completely drown the petal in egg white it tends to become heavy and rather gluggy instead of delicate and sparkling.
Sprinkle the petal generously with caster sugar until the entire surface is coated.
Place it on baking paper or a wire rack to dry.
Repeat with the remaining petals.
Allow the petals to dry until crisp before placing them onto the cake.
Depending on the humidity in your kitchen, this may take several hours, so this is one decorating job I would prepare ahead rather than discovering at 4 pm that the birthday cake needs to leave the house at 4:15.
How To Make The Vanilla Buttercream
Beat the softened butter for several minutes until creamy and noticeably paler.
Gradually beat in the icing sugar.
Add the vanilla and two tablespoons of milk or cream.
Continue beating until smooth and fluffy.
If the buttercream feels too stiff, add another small splash of milk.
If it is too soft, add a little more icing sugar.
Assemble The Rose Petal Cake
Place one cake layer onto your serving plate or cake stand.
Spread a generous layer of buttercream over the top.
Add the second cake.
Cover the top and sides with the remaining buttercream.
You don’t need perfectly smooth sides for this cake. In fact, slightly rustic buttercream makes the delicate rose petals stand out beautifully.
Now arrange your sugared rose petals.
Start with a few larger petals around the top of the cake and gradually fill the spaces with smaller petals.
You can completely cover the cake for a dramatic floral finish or create a loose cascade running from one side of the cake down toward the cake stand.
I particularly like the second option because it looks elaborate while secretly requiring considerably fewer petals.
What Colour Roses Work Best?
Pink roses are the obvious choice and give the cake a romantic, vintage look.
But don’t stop there.
Deep red rose petals would make a gorgeous Valentine’s cake.
White and cream petals create a very elegant wedding or bridal shower cake.
Peach, apricot and pale yellow roses work beautifully for spring entertaining.
Or combine several shades of pink for a slightly wild English-garden look.
Just make sure every variety you’re using is identified as edible and suitable for culinary use.
Can You Flavour The Cake With Rose Water?
Absolutely, but tread gently.
Rose water has one of those flavours that can move from beautiful to “I’ve accidentally eaten perfume” rather quickly.
For a subtle floral cake, replace part of the vanilla in the buttercream with a small amount of culinary rose water.
Start with about 1/4 teaspoon, taste it and add more only if needed.
You can also keep the cake completely vanilla and allow the rose petals to provide the floral theme visually instead.
For people who aren’t sure whether they actually like rose-flavoured desserts, that’s probably the safest option.
Other Ways To Use Sugared Rose Petals
Once you’ve made them, you’ll suddenly start looking for excuses to put them on everything.
Try sugared rose petals on:
Cupcakes.
Pavlova.
Cheesecake.
Chocolate cake.
Macarons.
Panna cotta.
Chocolate-dipped strawberries.
Dessert grazing boards.
Champagne cupcakes.
Or simply scatter a few over a bowl of berries and cream when you want dessert to look considerably fancier than the effort involved.
Make Them Ahead
The cake layers themselves can be baked ahead and assembled closer to serving.
The rose petals are also a perfect make-ahead decoration because they need time to dry properly.
Keep completely dried candied petals somewhere cool and dry until you’re ready to decorate.
Humidity is their enemy.
If you’ve ever watched perfectly crisp sugar decorations turn limp on a Queensland summer afternoon, you’ll understand why I mention that.
A Simple Cake That Looks Like You’ve Tried Very Hard
This is really what I love about decorating with edible flowers.
You don’t have to create every flower yourself from fondant.
You don’t need to master buttercream roses.
And you certainly don’t need to spend an afternoon trying to pipe identical petals while questioning your life choices.
A plain frosted cake, a handful of edible roses and some sparkling sugar can do all the decorating for you.
The original CraftGossip post featuring this idea dates all the way back to 2011, when we spotted a spectacular rose petal layer cake and sent readers elsewhere for the instructions. The original linked recipe has since disappeared, so this updated version gives the idea a new life — and, more importantly, gives you everything you need to actually make one.
I spotted this cake on Pinterest and was awed. How gorgeous! Find the how-tos HERE at Paula Deen.
Beautiful! Thanks for introducing me to Pinterest:)