Recipe: Rose, Orange, and Cardamom Mini Layer Cakes (2024)

For the cake:

• 3 cups

  cake flour

• 1 tablespoon + 1/2 teaspoon

  baking powder

• 3/4 teaspoon

  salt

• 1 tablespoon

  ground cardamom

• 1 cup

  unsalted butter, softened

• 2 cups

  granulated sugar

• Zest of one large orange

• 1 teaspoon

  vanilla bean paste

• 4

  large eggs

• 2/3 cup

  whole milk

• 2/3 cup

  buttermilk

• 1/4 cup

  fresh orange juice

For the filling:

• 1/2 cup

  unsalted butter, softened

• 1/4 cup

  cream cheese

• 3 1/2 cups

  powdered sugar, sifted

• 1/2 teaspoon

  vanilla extract

• Zest of half large orange

• 2 tablespoon

  fresh orange juice

For the frosting:

• 6

  large egg whites

• 2 cups

  granulated sugar

• 3 cups

  unsalted butter, softened

• 1/2 teaspoon

  vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon

  rose extract (or to taste) or 1 tablespoon rose water (or to taste)

• 1-2 drops

  pink food coloring (optional)

To make the cake:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10x15-inch cake pan. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, salt, and cardamom in a mixing bowl.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed with the paddle attachment until smooth. Add in the sugar, and cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add in the orange zest and vanilla. Add in the eggs, one at a time.

3. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.

4. With the mixer on low, add in about 1/3 of the flour mixture. Continue to mix while streaming in the milk. Add in another 1/3 of the flour followed by the buttermilk and orange juice. Add in the remaining 1/3 of the flour until just combined. Turn mixer up to medium and mix for no longer than one minute to smooth out batter.

5. Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth out with a spatula. Bake until the cake is firm, slightly domed, and a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean — about 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack before removing cake from the pan. Alternatively, keep cake in the pan until ready to assemble the mini cakes.

To make the filling:

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth. With the mixer on low, carefully add in the remaining ingredients. Once all of the ingredients are added, carefully turn the mixer speed up to medium-high and mix until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). If filling appears too thick, add in a splash of milk. Mix until smooth.

To make the frosting:

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, add in the egg whites and sugar. Be sure that the bowl is clean and dry. Gently whisk to combine.

2. Fill a medium sauce pan with a couple inches of water and place over medium heat. Place the mixing bowl with the egg mixture on top of the pan to create a double-boiler. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the egg mixture is hot to the touch (about 155°F to 165°F on a candy thermometer).

3. Once hot, carefully transfer the bowl back to the stand mixer. With the whisk attachment, beat on high until the bowl of the mixer returns to room temperature. As you mix, the egg white mixture will significantly increase in volume. It should whip up to glossy, stiff peaks and resemble a thick meringue. This process should take about 10 minutes.

4. Once there is no longer any heat emitting from the meringue and the bowl is cool, stop the mixer and swap out the whisk for the paddle attachment. With the mixer on medium-low, add in the butter (a couple tablespoons at a time), vanilla, and rose. Turn mixer up to medium-high and mix until silky smooth yet not runny. If the buttercream looks slightly "curdled," just keep mixing. It should take about 5 minutes to finish mixing. Add in pink food coloring, if desired.

To assemble the cakes:

1. Use a 3-inch round ring mold or cookie cutter to cut out mini layers from your sheet cake. You should be able to get about 12 circles —enough to make four 3-layer cakes. Use large cake "scraps" to piece together more layers if needed; use these as your middle layer.

2. Divide layers into four 3-layer cakes. Trim any humps or bumps off the top layers of the cakes.

3. Place the filling in a pastry bag fitted with a plain, round piping tip. Pipe an even layer of buttercream on the bottom layers of each cake. Top with the middle layer of cake and repeat. Place the top layers of each cake upside down, so that the flat bottoms are facing up.

4. Frost the cakes in a thin layer of the rose buttercream frosting to make a rough "crumb coat." This thin layer of frosting should completely cover the cakes, sealing in all of the crumbs and keeping them out of your final coat. Using a small off-set spatula should help control the frosting on these mini cakes. After the crumb coat, frost each cake with a smooth or rustic-looking finish of your choice.

5. Serve the cakes immediately, or cover them with a cake-keeper or over-turned bowl and store them, frosted but un-cut, at room temperature for 4 to 5 days. For more notes on storing cakes, see our post on How to Wrap, Store, and Keep Cake Fresh.