31 jul

Rose Cake

Mrs Fraser, Dungog Branch

MAKES ONE 18 CM CAKE

115 g butter, softened

220 g (1 cup) caster sugar

125 ml (½ cup) milk

3 egg whites

225 g (1½ cups) plain flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon rosewater

red food colouring

unsprayed rose petals, to decorate

Snow Glaze

115 g (1¼ cups) icing

sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon butter, softened

¼ teaspoon vanilla

essence

2–4 teaspoons milk, or as required

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line an 18 cm cake tin with baking paper.

Using an electric beater, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Stir in the milk.

Using clean beaters, whisk the egg whites until firm peaks form. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl and fold into the creamed mixture with the egg whites and rosewater. Spoon half the mixture into the tin.

Add enough colouring to the remaining mixture in the bowl to tint it pink. Spoon this on top of the mixture in the tin and stir lightly to mix the colours a little.

Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool the cake in the tin for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

For the snow glaze, combine the icing sugar, butter and vanilla in small bowl and beat well. Gradually add enough milk to make a smooth, thick mixture.

Cover the cake with the icing. Scatter with the rose petals just before serving.