Orange Cinnamon Roses

Triple-layer Cinnamon Cake with White Vanilla Buttercream and Apple Caramel Sauce Filling and Tinted Buttercream Rose Frosting.

I’m soooo glad to be back in my own kitchen – there just isn’t anything like it.

This month of travel isn’t over yet – there are two trips are on the books and neither will offer me an opportunity to bake.  Well, maybe one if I can squeeze it in, but probably doubtful.

No way could I not take the opportunity to put some flavor and buttercream together.  Originally I was thinking a White Vanilla Cake and some Strawberries… but we were at dinner last night with friends (Yes!  We have friends!) and was given this very lovely bouquet.  As soon as I saw the colors I thought, “This is a cake!”  I love instant inspiration.

I dropped the vanilla and strawberries – I’ll get to that cake as soon as I can.  In search of a different flavor profile I considered a Hummingbird Cake, but I’ve made so many I didn’t want to tire of its greatness.  A cousin to that cake’s flavor profile (pineapple, cinnamon, & banana) is the Cinnamon Cake.  What a great idea.

From there, the rest of the cake fell into place.  I hit a few speed bumps along the way; that’s almost normal with a new idea.

I didn’t have the ratio correct in my caramel sauce.  I combined the caramel with the cooked apples in cinnamon sauce (an apple pie filling)…mixing these two was a great idea, but I needed to drain off some of the liquid before the second filling layer.  Notice the drizzle of caramel down the sides of the bottom layer but not on the middle layer?  There was less drizzle but more apple chunks.  Either way, flavor is still there, but I was able to bring the frost-ability back to level.

Because of the Apple Caramel Filling, this cake definitely needed to have a dowel for support.  I used a bubble tea straw.  I drove it down the center until it hit the cake board, then drew it back up a wee bit to cut, and pushed it back down to just-below the cake top.  Crumb coat to finish.  I know the picture makes it seem like it’s wonky, but that’s the camera angle.  Go me!

I love the way the cake turned out…especially considering the bouquet inspiration.

I’m grateful for our friends…especially when flowers are involved.  I’m grateful for my own kitchen.

Mostly I’m grateful for my life partner who loves me and doesn’t say an unkind word when it comes to cake and the epic kitchen mess.

Rehab sounds really good right about now.