It almost looks like a piece of art. A picture you would display in your kitchen, a painting you would prop up on your living room table or even a material you would show off on a flowing spring dress.
But, it is none of those.
No, the gorgeous still shot above is of a cake, a crumbly, mouthwatering chocolate cake that has been decorated to perfection.
While it is of no surprise, this cake was adorned by a an aspiring artist, a true professional in her craft.
But don’t worry my kitchen-savvy friends, the talented creator of baking and dessert blog, SprinkleBakes, has let us in on the secrets to her masterful creation!
First you need to start with a fondant-covered cake. Fondant can be applied to most cakes, and can be purchased in most craft and baking stores, or even made at home!
Choose your favorite hues of gel food color, purchase a sponge stippler if you don’t already have one, along with clear vanilla extract or vodka. Then you’ll need to dilute each food color with a splash of the extract.
As impressive as the results are, the painting technique doesn’t require any art-related skill at all, just dab away! Overlapping the colors is what creates the watercolor effect!
She adds some gold leaf at the end to give it a little extra flair.
And with really not that much effort at all, you have one of the most beautiful cakes I have ever seen!
For the recipe used in the original version, see below:
Ingredients
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup Dutch process dark cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
1/2 cup hot coffee
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup mayonnaise, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350F/180C. Grease the bottoms of three 8×2-inch round cake pans and line with parchment.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. In a large measuring glass with a spout, combine the buttermilk and coffee. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until very light and fluffy, about 8 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat well. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well and scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula after each addition.
Remove the bowl from the mixer, and using a rubber spatula, fold in one-third of the flour mixture until just combined. Add half of the buttermilk mixture and fold until just combined. Repeat with the remaining flour and buttermilk mixtures. Fold in the mayonnaise.
In a small bowl, whisk together the baking soda and vinegar, and quickly fold into the batter. Don’t over-mix. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans.
Bake the first two layers in the center of the oven until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs, 20 to25 minutes. Repeat with the final layer. Let the cake layers cool in their pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Using a knife, loosen the sides of the cakes and carefully turn them out onto wire racks. Peel off the papers and let cool completely.
The cake layers will keep wrapped tightly in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days.
So what do you think, will you try your hand at this incredibly stunning cake? I’m going to give it a try!
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