Valentines and Christmas are the two holidays that get me motivated to make homemade gifts. In addition to crafting special Valentines notes as seen here, I like to make something special for Anthony whether it’s a nice dinner or a sweet dessert. If you are like me and don’t have the patience to whip something elaborate but still want to make a great impression, a nicely frosted cake is the easiest way to elevate a simple cake for any special occasion. I got the help of baking extraordinaire Clare Peacock who specializes in making celebration cakes to teach me how to properly frost a cake in time for Valentines Day.

You will need:

2 freshly baked round cakes (I requested chocolate)

Buttercream frosting (recipe below)

Offset spatula, if you don’t have this at home, a dinner knife is perfectly fine as seen here

Spoon

Cake board

Decorative cake topping of your choice

Recipe for Buttercream Frosting

Tip: Use the same amount of butter you used to bake the cake, e.g. this recipe is for a cake that used 400g of butter.

Ingredients:

400g unsalted butter at room temperature

400g sifted icing sugar

1teaspoon of vanilla paste, or seeds from half a vanilla pod

Gel colouring of your choice (we used Wilton gel food coloring for this recipe)

Instructions:

Using a stand mixer or an electric mixer, beat butter and slowly add the icing sugar. Beat until all the sugar has been added and mixture is smooth. Add the vanilla and gel food coloring and beat for a few minutes until the color is incorporated into the entire batch. Any frosting that you don’t use can be stored in a container and kept in the fridge or freezer for a few weeks.

ICING THE CAKE

First thing you need to do is flip the round cakes upside down and work on the bottom surface of the cake so it has an even finish. Place the cake on a plate or a cake board that can be easily cleaned to avoid any icing smears

Dollop a good amount of frosting on top of the first cake. Using a spatula or a knife, slowly work your way around the cake until the top is fully covered with icing

Once the sides are all covered. Gently work on smoothing the layer making sure not to scrape the cake with the knife to avoid picking up any cake crumbs

Continue frosting and smoothing out the top layer until you achieved a smooth finish that you’re happy with

It’s time to decorate. This is when you can get creative and use any decorative cake toppers you want

We wanted to do something simple and one that doesn’t require us using any special baking paraphernalia. We used a heart stencil by tracing a heart shape on a wax paper and lightly place the stencil in the middle of the cake. Sprinkle decorative cake topping (we used sprinkles) along the outer rim of the stencil.

Carefully peel away the wax paper (use a toothpick to lift the wax paper)

This delicious chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream frosting was made especially for me and it’s one of the best chocolate cakes I’ve ever tasted. I’m a bit traditional when it comes to cakes and tends to go for a classic chocolate flavor but I’m very particular on how I’d like it to taste like. Clare’s cake met all my criteria: moist, it’s rich in chocolate flavor but not too sweet and icing not being very buttery. That can all be attained with proper technique and use of quality ingredients, something that she prides herself for. Check out her amazing work and get in touch with her on her facebook page if you have something special coming up that calls for a delicious celebration cakes.

Happy Valentines everyone!