Fondant Rose Petal Engagement Cake

One of my beautiful friends has become engaged. Slowly, as I grow older, my friends are getting married, and that not only fills me with a certain joy, but also gives me the opportunity to further my experience making their engagement cakes.
I have long admired the "exploded rose" or "rambling rose petal" look on wedding cakes and engagement cakes alike, so I purchased a case of rose petal cutters, varying in size from very large to quite small. I used the four smallest cutters from this range to cut out the fondant rose petals for this cake, with the idea of working from the centre out and graduating the size as I worked from the bud. When dried in the shape I desired, all the fondant petal edges were carefully brushed in pink petal dust for a delicate and realistic effect before their placement on the cake. The centre part of the rose had been coloured with this same petal dust with more intensity to create dimension and also a focal point to the flower.
To assemble, I started with the bud, (I made the beginnings of the rose as a separate piece) positioning it close to the bottom of the cake. Then I added larger rose petals surrounding it, fixing them with butter-cream icing. The petals fanned out from the main rose bud, and traveled up the cake in a romantic, sprawling fashion. Then I positioned a few of the larger petals at the top as if they had been scattered there.
Sadly for the weekend of the engagement party, it rained every day. This put a spanner in the works, as any humidity or rain in the air reeks havoc on the fondant, and makes it somewhat unstable. I was unable to have an air conditioned environment, so I experienced the fondant on the cake tearing, and the rose petals turing wet overnight before I put them on the cake. Fortunately, the sun came out for a period and they quickly dried, and I was able to get them on the cake without too much drama. I had one or two petals that cracked, so I had to glue them togather again with some egg white and prop them up until they dried once again.
Due to the tearing fondant for the main of the cake, I decided on going with a mummy-style wrapping effect of fondant strips around the cake, which turned out better than I expected in my depressed state of mind. You know that feeling when you envision something, and it doesn't turn out anything like you thought? Well, that was me, while it rained buckets and I struggled to cover the main of the cake. The wrapping effect did the trick though, and any unsightly bits were easily covered by ribbon and strewn petals. Happily, the cake made it to the engagement party in one piece! Ah, sometimes I wish I didn't live in a subtropical climate. Water and fondant are not friends. Anyway, I hope the pictures help if you're creating a cake like this. Sorry about the quality--now with my bigger camera and my sticky hands, amid concentrating on the cake, its no mean feat getting quality pictures. My apologies.

Rose Petal Engagement Cake

Rose Petal Engagement Cake

To begin with, cut out the rose petals from thinly rolled light pink fondant. (I used the supermarket brand Queen "White Icing". You can use any brand of fondant or gum paste if you prefer) I cut these out in four graduating sizes with cutters for individual petals. Then I placed them to dry in plastic trays in the shape I wanted them to be on the cake.

I made the centre piece of the rose first--this is the only part of the rose that is combined to create a unit of it's own. The other petals are left loose. When the petals had dried, I roughly arranged the loose ones around the rose centre to get an idea of how I wanted them set on the cake.

I used petal dust in pink and a small new eyeshadow brush to tint the edges of the rose petals and the centre of the main rose. This added definition, dimension and depth to the rose and made it look more realistic.

The cake itself was covered in flaws, so don't look too closely! Fortunately this style of flower arrangement on a cake is good if you have made mistakes, because you can cover them artistically with petals.

Sadly I couldn't wield the chunky camera and cake decorate at the same time so I missed out on capturing the building of the rose for you. Basically I positioned the main rose (the "centre" of the rose) close towards the bottom of the cake, and added the rose petals in around it, tucking in the pointy end of the petals beneath the centre rose. Some of these I fixed in place with a little buttercream icing. You may want to use some props to hold the petals in position while this "glue" dries (Don't give me away, but I used some toys--cleaned prior of course-to prop some of these petals in place overnight).

As you build further out from the centre of the rose, the loose petals do not have to be so closely inter-lapped with the others--you can even have some fly-away rose petals! It is an exploded rose after all. And yes--that's a wine in the background! I was under stress with the humidity foiling a smooth process.

Here you can see the petals are "tucked" in behind the main centre of the rose (I keep saying centre but it's anything but the centre. Hopefully you know what I mean!) I have seen this cake arranged backwards--starting with the back petals first and finishing with the centre of the rose...it's up to you.

The finished product. I had to take out a few petals and replace them as a few broke under the pressure (or maybe I made them too thin?) So be prepared, make a few extra spare petals in each size and don't worry too much. Here's a glass of wine on me!

Savoiardi and Roses Engagement Cake

My weekend rocked. I got to spend the whole day with a lovely young pastry chef who showed me and some other women the art of croissant making. When she started talking about how the weather affects baking, I knew she was a cook after my own heart. Yes...someone to lament with me!
She talked about melting ingredients and things like the humidity of Queensland making it impossible to get the macaron's shine on, and how butter bursting from between the layers of croissant pastry dough while rolling was not uncommon.
Melting!
If you know about Queensland, It happens to have at least 6 months of summer weather, and it's quite a tropical climate. Think hot and sticky. It's great holiday weather, but when it comes to baking, it can definitely mean struggle street.
So when my long time friend asked me to make a cake for his soon to be wife and his engagement party, I had flashbacks of oozing rolled fondant, sticky figurines and chocolate panels that melted in on cakes, sliding layers and butter cream icing that just wouldn't hold and all such nightmares. But my mouth said yes. Every time I make a fancy cake I swear I'm never going to do it again. The time and stress that goes into it, plus the unsatisfying results, which I like to blame on the weather, are part of this swearing.
So I was determined to think up a cake that could not melt, would not melt, and was simple, elegant and fancy enough to be an engagement cake--one that was doable with little people present and swinging from my legs.
It ended up being a two tier cake, the sides lined in sugar crusted savoiardi sponge fingers and tied with ribbon, topped with a gorgeous array of salmon coloured roses and green ferns (that did all the hard decorating work for me.)

SAVOIARDI AND ROSES ENGAGEMENT CAKE DIRECTIONS

2x 20cm round cake tins
2x 15cm cm round cake tins
3 cake mixes
A good quantity of thick butter icing (I used about 1 kg of icing sugar)
3-4 packets mini savoiardi fingers or sponge fingers (I bought 4 and used 3 but they do break easily so its good to have spares)
1.5 metres ribbon
2 dozen roses
small green florist island
a small flat dish 

According to the instructions of your recipe or cake mix box, bake two 20cm cakes using two of the cake mixes. Divide the third cake mix evenly between the two smaller cake tins and bake.
When all the cakes have cooled and are ready for assembly, arrange the first of the 20cm cake on a cake board or cake stand. Lather the top with icing and proceed to place the second 20cm cake on top of this. Lather this layer with icing also. Continue with the remaining smaller cakes, ensuring that they are positioned directly in the centre of the larger cakes. Ice the top of the final layer. Ice the sides of the bottom layer of the cake, and carefully stick the savoiardi fingers neatly around the edges. Ice the second layer and repeat this process. The sponge fingers should hold together by themselves with the help of the icing, but you can tie both layers with ribbon for a pretty effect, and to ensure their stability.
On the day of serving, take the small flat dish and fill it with water. This dish should be small enough so that it is hidden by the roses once they are arranged. Cut the florist island to fit inside the dish. Allow the water to soak into the island. Cut the stems of the roses short and arrange over the top and the sides of the island. Hide any tell-tale green foam island popping through the edges with foliage from the rose stems, or some delicate ferns or gyp. Position the bouquet and dish on the top of the cake and refrigerate until serving time if your climate is a hot one. (The roses stay fresher in the refrigerator.)