Ombre Red Velvet Valentine Cake

Ombre Red Velvet Valentine Cake

As you all know Ombre seems to be the knew thing and is all over the net.

I thought I would give this little gem a try using a Red Velvet Cake and making those easy pretty roses on the outside.

I first started out coloring my cakes to achieve the light to dark...

It wasn't that easy! I tried using the amount of food coloring the recipe 

called for and divided it up. I was so afraid that the last cake...(the darkest one) 

would not bake up right because of the "extra liquid" in it.

Off to the oven they go to bake with fingers crossed!

Because I didn't want to use a 9" pan and wanted a smaller version,

I used these cute little mini spring form pans made by Wilton's.

Just the perfect size and many, many uses with these pans!

Now to the icing!

I like using Italian Butter Cream Icing and I used a lot!

Since my cake recipe made 6 mini cakes which would become 2, and you knew that, I had to make a double batch of icing to make sure the cakes had enough filling,

That's a whole lot of butter sister!

Paula Dean would be proud... ;-)

I used Wilton's gel coloring and pink was the choice today.

You can find that product at most places that cake decorating supplies.

I just kept adding coloring until I achieved the colors I liked.

It was very subtle in color and thought is was just

until.....................

I decorated the cake! I could not tell the difference in the bottom two colors.

It was apparent not to be dark enough in contrast to tell so

I went back and made my darkest icing darker!

Better and not bad for my first attempt.

I think the next time it will be on a larger cake where I can use four colors

and really show case these gem!

The inside of the cake.

Each of my cakes were cut in half which then left me with four cakes to fill and decorate.

Because my cake pans where small and the height was tall, the cakes once assembled looked

to tall, out of proportion, so they needed to be down sized.

(please excuse my photography skills for my finger somehow managed to get in the photo)

You can see the difference in the color of the cakes, very subtle.

Making the "roses" was not hard at all and it is a good way to practice using the pastry bag.

I used the tip 1M but you could use 2D.

I tried using both tips and my preference would be 1M.

So give this cake a try with any of your favorite recipes and any color.

It would put a smile on anyone's face, don't you think?

Bon Appetito!