There’s something truly magical about a cake that brings together artistry and flavor—and this floral-inspired beauty is a perfect example.

For this design, we used a soft blush pink-toned buttercream as the base and decorated abstract floral petals using a palette knife technique. The palette was built entirely around Chefmaster Natural Pink food color, which gives a rich, botanical hue without artificial dyes. We love how this shade layers beautifully from pale blush to deeper pink with just a few adjustments in the amount of color added.

Each flower was created petal by petal with a mix of pink buttercream and subtle gold detailing to add dimension and elegance. The piped border at the base finishes the design with a sweet, vintage touch—bringing together the perfect balance of structure and whimsy.

Ingredients:

Cake Batter:

1 3/4 cup (350g) Granulated Sugar

1 3/4 cup (210g) All-Purpose Flour

1 cup (120g) Cake Flour

1 cup (245g) Buttermilk (room temperature)

3/4 cup (170g) Unsalted Butter (room temperature) (salted is okay, see notes)

1/2 cup (120g) Sour Cream (room temperature)

1/3 cup (64g) Vegetable Oil

3 Large Eggs (room temperature)

1 Egg White (room temperature)

2 1/2 Tbsp (13g) baking powder

1 Tbsp (13g) vanilla extract

1 tsp (5g) salt

Buttercream Frosting:

(Makes approx. 6 cups)

5 cups Powdered Sugar

3 cups (6 sticks) Unsalted Butter (room temperature)

2 Tbsp Hot Water, Milk or Heavy Cream

1 Tbsp Clear Vanilla

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Lemon Juice

Chefmaster Natural Pink Liqua-gel^© Food Coloring

Gold luster or Gold leaf (optional)

Tools & Utensils:

Kitchen Scale

Measuring Cups & Spoons

Stand Mixer or electric mixer

Bowls

Spatulas

3 – 5” round cake pans

Palette Knifes and offset spatula

Pastry bag with large star piping tip

Preparation:

1. Cut your butter into small squares (about ½ to ¾ inch) and set aside to soften.
2. Prepare and measure the rest of your ingredients.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line (or grease) your cake pans.

Prepare your Cake Layers

1. Sift both flours, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl.
2. In a smaller bowl, mix your buttermilk and sour cream until it is an even thicker consistency.
3. Add your eggs, egg white, oil, and vanilla. Whisk until combined and set aside.
4. Slowly add ¾ cup cubed butter to your dry ingredients while your mixer is on low.
5. Once all your butter is added, turn up the speed 1-2 notches. Do not overmix this step, it should resemble wet sand.
6. While your mixer is on low, slowly let your wet ingredients drizzle into the bowl. Scrape the sides and bottom halfway through. Mix until ingredients are just combined, we do not want to overmix here either! You may finish off by folding with a spatula to remove any excess lumps.
7. Fill your cake pans halfway.
8. Bake cakes for approximately 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out from the center with some crumbs and there is no jiggle.

Make your Buttercream Frosting

1. Using a Whisk attachment, whip your room-temperature butter for about 5-10 minutes until it becomes bright white and fluffy. Make sure your butter turns white before proceeding to the next steps or else you will get a strong taste of butter.
2. Start to slowly add about a cup of powdered sugar at a time while your mixer is on low. Stop mixing as soon as the powdered sugar has combined with the butter.
3. Add in your vanilla, lemon juice and salt and a touch of pink food coloring to start.
4. Turn your mixer on medium speed. While it whips, slowly drizzle in your warm water or cream.
5. Switch to a paddle attachment and let the mixer run on the stir or low setting for 10 minutes.

Assemble and Decorate your Cake

1. Stack and ice your cake with your current buttercream.
2. Chill your iced cake in your refrigerator or freezer until the base if firm to the touch.
3. Split your remaining icing into 4 bowls. For each bowl add more coloring than the last to achieve pink ombre shades.
4. Grab a range of palette knives and use your creativity to place different shades down onto your cake.
5. Add layers, and multiple shades to achieve a beautiful finish. You can also add gold luster or gold leaf on some petals using a food grade paint brush to add a touch of extra warmth and detail (optional).

This design is supposed to look abstract, making it an easy look to achieve for all decorating levels. Use your creativity and feel free to change it up by using other Chefmaster Natural food dyes for additional pops of color!