Today marks the highlight of my Valentine’s Day Week. A sweet pink and white Watercolor Cake with Ombre cake layers.
Vanilla sponges with fresh raspberries and Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream. Perfect to share with your other half, family or just for yourself if you’re feeling greedy!

What really irks me lately is that I can’t get my Swiss Meringue Buttercream to a really smooth consistency. The very first time I tried it, it went on the cake like literally a cream… silky smooth. So I was like ‘whoa, I’m never doing anything else!’ and now I can’t get it really smooth. Maybe it is just too cold? First time I tried was summer, in July last year.
I’d love to hear your advice if you have experience with it! :)
I ended up making a second batch of the buttercream as the first one unfortunately went very yellow when I was done with the crumb coat. You can actually see that in the photos.

The other day I ordered Americolor’s Electric Pink which I have been wanting to try for ages! Needless to say that that is what went into the cake better… and isn’t it lovely? I love how bright it is and how it pops! I have tried many pinks during my baking journey and this is by far the most vibrant.


My Watercolor Cake is, despite its looks, on the small size- 13cm diameter. I prefer smaller cakes so I invested in a few PushPans by Lakeland that come in loads of different sizes. The cake tins only need greasing and come out really easy.

I love the vanilla flavour of this cake, the not so sweet buttercream and the tangy raspberries. It all works wonderfully together.

If you like to make a bigger cake you will need to double the quantities.

Recipe Pink & White Watercolor Cake

Ingredients:
190 grams plain flour
3/4 tablespoon baking powder
pinch of salt
225 grams caster sugar
90 grams soft butter
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
3 egg whites
180 ml whole milk
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
pink food colour, Americolor Electric Pink

Swiss Meringue Buttercream:

3 large egg whites
200 grams caster sugar
250 grams butter

fresh raspberries, halved

Equipment:
three 13cm cake tins
mixer
spatula
candy thermometer

Directions:

Preheat your oven (180 celsius) and prepare your cake tins. (Greasing and lining with parchment paper.)
In a mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.
Measure the milk in a measuring cup. Half it and combine one halt with the egg whites and lemon juice, the other half with the vanilla bean paste. Set aside.
Add the butter to the mixing bowl while the mixer is running on low speed until you have fine crumbs. Slowly add the vanilla milk followed by the egg white/milk-mixture.

Divide the batter in three and tint each one pink making each a stronger shade then the previous so that you achieve the ombre effect.
Pour batter in your cake tins and bake for about 20 to 22 minutes.
Leave to cool then remove from the cake tins.

Preparing your buttercream:
In a heat resistant bowl combine sugar and egg whites. Whisk to combine.
Put the bow over a double boiler of simmering water. Bring the mixture to 54 Celsius then remove from the heat. If you haven’t got a thermometer you can rub some of the mixture between two fingers to check that the sugar is dissolved.
Whisk the egg whites to a stiff peak.
With the mixer running on low slowly add one piece of butter at a time until fully incorporated.
If your buttercream looks like scrambled eggs don’t worry! Keep whisking.
If it still doesn’t come together put the bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes. Beat again.
If the buttercream still doesn’t come together put 1/4 of it in a bowl and microwave it for about 5 seconds. Add it to the remaining buttercream and beat again. It should now come together!

Putting the cake together:
With a serrated knife remove the top of the cake layers to create a flat surface. If you have tinted your batter make sure you lay the cake layers out correctly so that the ombre effect is in the right order.
With a palette life spread some buttercream on the bottom layer. Lay the raspberries (cut in half) on top. (Alternatively you can mix the raspberries in with the buttercream beforehand.)
To make sure the next cake layer doesn’t slide i spread some buttercream on the underside of it that will stick to the raspberries.
Continue until all three layers are assembled.
To help the cake filling set refrigerate it for 30 minutes.
Next start with the crumb coat. With a palette knife spread the buttercream first on top of the top layer then pulling it down the sides. Refrigerate to help it set.
After the crumb coat is set apply the second coat but leave a little bit of white buttercream to tint pink later. Once you are happy with the second coat you can tint the left over buttercream pink and add little touches of it to the cake. Smooth it out with a side scraper.
Apply some gold leaf if you wish.

The cake is best kept in the fridge but allow some time for it to get to room temperature before serving.