ZoeBakes Cake Decorating Class – Rose Cake

Baker’s Against Racism Cake Decorating Class with Zoë – THIS EVENT WAS HELD IN JUNE

Racism is an issue that I’ve thought a lot about. I am part of a mixed-race family and the things I’ve seen and heard directed at the people I love most just shouldn’t happen to anyone, ever! Systematic racism is real and no matter the socioeconomics of a person, POC are treated differently. We should all have the same rights, the same freedoms, the same ability to walk down the street without fear or anxiety. The same access to protection from police, access to education, health care, healthy food, clean air and safe drinking water. Those things are not afforded to all people in equal measure and that is not right or just and needs to change. I have decided to donate the money we raise together to the NAACP, which works to advance all of these issues for POC. For my children and all children of color, we need these changes and we need them NOW! So, thank you for donating and I am looking forward to creating this cake and a whole bunch of change with you. 

This event came together with the generous support of Patricia and Craig Neal from The Center For Purposeful Leadership, who are hosting the Zoom class for me. They also happen to be my stepmother and dad! They have been facilitating zoom meetings for years, long before I’d ever heard of it. For more information about hosting meaningful and effective zoom meetings, contact them here!

If you would like to decorate the cake along with me, this is what you will need to have ready during the cake decorating class.

1. Two or three layers of cake – I made devil’s food (recipe below makes Three 6-inch or Two 8-inch cakes), you can make any cake you like. 
2. 2 batches of buttercream – this will be more than enough to cover and decorate the cake, but you want to have extra for practicing.
3. Tools you will want to have on hand for the class:
   

   Link to all cake decorating tools

• Cake board – 8 or 6-inch depending on the size cakes you bake 
• Cake turner – this will make your cake decorating experience much easier
• Super slicer knife or any super sharp knife – for slicing the cakes in half
• Metal spatula – You can use an offset or straight spatula, whichever feels more natural
• Cake scraper – (optional) – this is a nice tool for getting straight sides on your cake
• Piping bag – go with a 16-inch bag. If you go with cloth, make sure it is “featherweight” – If you are not working with tips that fit in a coupler, you will need a piping bag for each piping tip, so go with the disposable. 
• Large and small rose tips – You’ll want Wilton 125 & 104, or something close in size.
• Star tip – Wilton 1M or similar
• Rose nails – large #14 and medium #13
• Wax paper squares – this is optional, but gives you the ability to make the flowers ahead of time
• Kitchen shears
• Paper towel

Devil’s Food Cake Layers – baked and cooled (refrigerated cake is easiest to fill)

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder (It doesn’t seem to make a difference if you use natural or Dutch-processed), sift if lumpy

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large egg

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup hot coffee*

1/4 cup rum or brandy (if you opt-out of the booze then use equal parts coffee)*

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare three 6 x 2 Inch cake pan or two 8×2-inch
2. Combine all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl and whisk until combined, set aside.
3. Whisk together, eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla until well combined. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Slowly add the coffee and rum to the batter and whisk until totally blended and smooth, about 2 minutes. The batter will be quite runny.
4. Divide into pans and bake for about 30 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.
5. Cool, remove from pans, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until ready to use. You can bake way ahead and freeze, then refrigerate the night before the class. 

2x  Swiss Meringue Buttercream *- or your favorite buttercream recipe ready to decorate with. (this will be a ton of buttercream, but you want extra and you can always freeze what you don’t use for another time. It will give you plenty to practice piping roses. (Be sure to store it at room temperature until the class).

(plus 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon) – optional, but that is how I got the color of the cake in the picture.

*This is too much buttercream for most home machines, so you’ll need to make two batches. 

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