This cake will appeal to even those who don’t like very sweet desserts. The mix of buttercream icing and fondant keeps the sweetness balanced to a level that will suit most palates.

Ingredients

All-purpose flour 1 cup
Salted Butter 180 g
Eggs 3
Sugar 3/4 cup
Baking powder 1 tsp
Vanilla essence 1 tsp
Milk 3 tbsps
Fondant 250 g

For the buttercream icing:
Unsalted butter 250 g
Icing sugar 1 cup
Cream 1/4 cup

Method

Cream the butter and sugar in a stand mixer.

Add the eggs one by one.

Sift the flour and baking powder and add it to the mixing bowl, a spoonful at a time.

Add the vanilla essence and milk.

Pour the batter into a round greased 9 ” cake tray and bake at 160 degrees C for about 40 minutes. Test with a toothpick. It should come out clean.

Cool the cake on a rack.

Mix softened butter and icing sugar well. Add the cream in a slow stream while whisking the icing. If the icing is too liquid, add more icing sugar.

Slice off the top of the cake to get a flat surface.

Apply the buttercream icing with a butter knife. Dip the knife into hot water and smoothen the surface.

Refrigerate for at least two hours to stabilise the icing.

Knead the fondant to make it pliable.

Dust the work surface with icing sugar and roll out the fondant into a circle of 1/4 inch thickness. Put it on the cake. Pat it on using a cake smoother. Go over the sides as well. Trim the excess fondant.

Knead the cut fondant and roll it out. Using a star-shaped cutter, cut out three shapes. Cut out three leaves. Draw the veins using a butter knife.

Attach the cutouts to the cake using a little water. Attach tiny balls of fondant to the centre of the flowers. Use fondant strings to link the flowers.

Roll out two strings from the remaining fondant and twist it to form a rope. Attach it to the bottom of the cake.

Keep it cool. Serve as wedges.