ANU CAKES N BAKES: Strawberry Rosette Cake

Baking is always fun and experimental when you try new things. Decorating cakes and playing around colors, frosting is always challenging and as well as fun for me, as I try to do new things each time. But will consider it as a learning curve. When you see the end results, it gives you a satisfaction and inspiration, especially when you make it for others. Though it is stressful at times when you have many others things going on side by side, the immense pleasure, satisfaction and contentment comes when family and friends see it and appreciate it.

This cake I made for one of our friends who are going back to India for good. I was happy that they did like the cake and I was also happy to make one for them. While casually talking to her, I came to know that she likes strawberries, so came up with this cake idea. I so believe that adding fresh fruit to cake will naturally enhance the flavor. I remember seeing this flower design with butter cream icing and wanted to try, but usually when I am making for myself I don't use icing much, so was looking for a chance. So this occasion seemed right. I also tried the dual color icing, but I guess it didn't show up much. Probably will get better on that skill as I do more in future. ;)

Ingredients:

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For Cake:
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1 box Strawberries
2-3 tbsp Sugar
1/2 cup Baking Chocolate
NOTE:
* For rest of the ingredients refer to this RECIPE (Homemade Strawberry Cake)
* To make Chocolate cake batter, just add 1/2 of each ingredients

For Strawberry Butter Cream Icing:
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1/2 box Strawberries
White Butter Cream Icing (Store Bought)

Method:
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For Cake:
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1. To make strawberry puree, in a pan add all (1 1/2 cup) chopped strawberries, and add sugar if needed, then cook just until the strawberries get little soft.
2. Puree the strawberries in a blender .
3. Preheat oven to 350 F.
4. In a mixing bowl mix add all the ingredients to make strawberry cake, including 3/4th of the strawberry puree.
5. In a microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate, just until 1/2 of the chocolate is melted, add milk to thin it a little bit.

6. In another bowl mix take all the ingredients, along with the melted chocolate.
7. Line 2 (two) 9" cake pans, by sprinkling sugar, now add the strawberry cake mix first, make sure the batter is 1/2 filled to the height of the pan.
8. Now add dollops of chocolate cake batter on top, take a butter knife and draw swirls to make it look like marbled.
9. Now bake the cake for about 26 to 38 mins, or until done (insert a tooth pic or a knife, it should come out clean)
10. Allow it to cool for about 10 mins.
11. I used a spring foam pan, so it was easy to remove the cake out, else run a knife through the sides and turn the cake upside down.

For Strawberry Butter Cream Icing:
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1. Take the rest of the strawberry puree mix with with half of the butter cream frosting.
2. Rest half of the butter cream just keep it.
3. Now mix both slightly, so that you can get a double color roses.

Assembling and Decorating:
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1. On a cake stand add a little bit of the icing, place one cake, flat side down, slice of the top so that it's nice and flat and even.
2. Now add and smooth out a generous amount of icing on the cake, then place the flat surface of the second cake.
3. Now cover the tiered cake with a thin layer of icing.
4. Keep in fridge for about an hour, so that it's nice and cold.
5. Now in a pastry bag, insert a star tip, and fill it with rest of the icing, else use a icing gun. I used icing gun, because it's easy on your hand. :)
6. Now make decorate with flower swirls. You can do that as: place the icing gun on the cake, pressing a little slightly lift the gun and make a circle, make each flower closer so that it looks nice.
7. Finish the decoration, all over the cake.