First Communion Cake White Roses (Print Version)

Elegant vanilla sponge layered with buttercream and decorated with white fondant roses and a cross topper.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vanilla Sponge

01 - 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon salt
04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 2 cups granulated sugar
06 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
08 - 1 cup whole milk, room temperature

→ Buttercream Frosting

09 - 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, softened
10 - 5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
11 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
12 - 3 to 4 tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream
13 - Pinch of salt

→ Decoration

14 - 16 ounces white fondant
15 - Green gel food coloring for leaves, optional
16 - Edible pearls or silver dragees, optional
17 - 1 cross-shaped cake topper

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
05 - With mixer on low speed, alternate adding flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined.
06 - Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and smooth the tops.
07 - Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
08 - Beat softened butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Add milk or heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired spreading consistency is reached.
09 - Level cake layers if needed. Place one layer on cake board, spread with buttercream. Top with second layer.
10 - Coat the entire cake with a thin crumb coat of buttercream and chill for 20 minutes.
11 - Apply a final, smooth layer of buttercream over the chilled crumb coat.
12 - Roll out white fondant to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out roses by rolling small balls, flattening, and shaping into petals. Assemble petals into complete roses. Tint a small amount of fondant green for leaves if desired.
13 - Arrange fondant roses and leaves on the cake as desired. Add edible pearls or dragees for accents.
14 - Place the cross topper at the center or as preferred on the finished cake.
15 - Chill cake until serving time.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The vanilla sponge is genuinely tender and keeps for days, so you can bake ahead without stress.
  • Buttercream frosting is forgiving and becomes your best friend once you understand how to work with it.
  • Fondant roses look intimidating but become meditative once you get the rhythm down—your hands learn it faster than you'd think.
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients are non-negotiable—cold eggs and butter create a broken, sad batter that bakes dense and unpleasant.
  • That crumb coat step that seems fussy is absolutely worth it; it's the difference between a professional-looking cake and crumbs everywhere in your final frosting layer.
  • Fondant is forgiving as long as you keep your hands cool and work quickly; warming it in your palms makes it sticky and impossible.
03 -
  • Make your fondant roses a day or two ahead and store them in an airtight container at room temperature; they actually firm up beautifully and become easier to position on the cake.
  • If your frosting ever splits or gets too warm, beat in an extra tablespoon of powdered sugar to tighten it back up, or chill it for fifteen minutes and rebeat.
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