Cake Decorating School: Painted Buttercream Cake
This striking painted buttercream cake by Dr. Oetker is so simple to make – perfect for birthday celebrations! 
Painted Buttercream Cake
Cake Decorating School: Painted Buttercream Cake This striking buttercream painted cake by Dr. Oetker is so simple to make – perfect for celebrations!
Brought to you by Dr. Oetker
You will need
For the cake
- 400 g unsalted butter, softened
- 500 g caster sugar
- 6 large free-range eggs
- 200 ml whole milk
- 2 tsp Dr. Oetker Madagascan Vanilla Bean Paste
- 500 g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp Dr. Oetker Baking Powder
To decorate
- 800 g Dr. Oetker Buttercream Style Icing Classic Vanilla
- 200 g strawberry jam
- Dr. Oetker Extra Strong Pink Food Colour Gels (pink, blue, green, violet, orange)
Instructions
1
Preheat the oven to 180oC/Gas Mark 4. Grease and line three 20cm (8in) baking tins.
Create the cake
1
Place the softened butter and sugar into a bowl, then beat with an electric mixer until light in colour and fluffy in texture.
2
In a jug, beat together the eggs, vanilla and milk. Slowly add to the butter and sugar mix along with the flour and baking powder. Mix together until well combined.
Bake and assemble
1
Divide the cake batter between the three tins, then place in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until cooked. To test if the cakes are cooked, insert a skewer and if it comes out clean, then the cakes are ready.
2
Place the cooked cakes onto a cooling rack and cool in the tins for 15 minutes, then remove from the tins to cool fully.
3
Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Pipe or spoon a 1cm (1⁄2in) thick ring of vanilla icing on the rim of the cake. Spread a thin layer of jam in the inside of the ring of vanilla buttercream.
4
Place the second cake on top, then repeat the buttercream ring and jam layer.
5
Add the third layer of cake, then crumb- coat the whole cake – start by spreading Buttercream Style Icing on the top of the cake, then work your way down the sides until the whole cake is covered in a layer of buttercream. Chill for 10 minutes.
Decorate the cake
1
Meanwhile, take the remaining 400g (14oz) buttercream and divide between 5 bowls.
2
Make the blue colour buttercream by adding a couple of drops of blue Extra Strong Colour Gel to one of the bowls, mixing well to create a pale blue colour.
3
Repeat step 10 using the different Extra Strong Colour Gels to create a pale green, lilac, light pink and coral buttercreams.
4
Transfer the coloured buttercreams into individual piping bags and snip off the ends to create a hole about 1cm (1⁄2in) wide to pipe through.
5
To create the buttercream paint, smear pattern on the cake, pipe a line of buttercream dots of each colour 1cm (1⁄2in) wide in a random pattern around the top of the side of the cake.
6
To smear each dot, press a finger or the back of a teaspoon into the dot, then gently pull down to create a smear.
7
Continue to pipe and smear dots of the coloured buttercream around the whole of the cake, spreading out the dots more as you get towards the bottom of the cake.
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