Get the Recipe: Beautiful and Vibrant Pink Cherry Blossom Cake
This beautiful and vibrant pink cherry blossom cake uses Japanese sakura (cherry blossom) extract in both the cake and frosting! The cake is then decorated with dollops of pink frosting that look like fallen cherry blossom petals.
Ingredients
For The Cherry Blossom Cake
- 2 cups (8 ounces or 227 grams) cake flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup (6 ounces or 270 grams) heavy cream, at room temperature
- ½ cup (4 ounces or 113 grams) crème fraîche, at room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons sakura extract
- 1 to 2 drops of pink food coloring
- 1 ¼ cups (8.75 ounces or 248 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces or 227 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
For The Cherry Blossom Frosting
- 4 cups (16 ounces or 453 grams) confectioners' sugar, sifted if necessary
- pinch kosher salt
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 ½ teaspoons sakura extract
- 1 cup (8 ounces or 227 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Assembly
- pink food coloring
Equipment
- 8- or 9-inch cake board
- rotating cake stand
- offset spatula
Instructions
For The Cherry Blossom Cake
- Prep your oven and pans. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously spray two 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottom of each with a parchment paper circle. Spray the parchment, too.
- Mix the dry ingredients for the cake. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Mix the wet ingredients for the cake. In a large liquid measuring cup, whisk together the cream, crème fraîche, sakura extract, and food coloring.
- Cream the sugar and butter, then add the eggs. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar and butter. Beat on medium until light, fluffy, and doubled in volume, 3 to 4 minutes, using a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary. Reduce the mixer to low and add the eggs one at a time, only adding the next egg when the previous one is incorporated, and beat until the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute.
- Add the dry and wet ingredients. With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat until the last of the dry ingredients are just combined. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl once more and beat for 30 seconds.
- Assemble the cake for baking. Divide the batter evenly between the pans.
- Bake the cakes. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. When done, the top of the cake should bounce back when gently pressed. A skewer inserted into the center of the cake should come out with a few crumbs attached. Cool completely in the pans on a wire rack before frosting.
For The Cherry Blossom Frosting
- Prep the ingredients for the cherry blossom frosting. Sift together the confectioners' sugar and salt into a medium bowl. In a small liquid measuring cup, whisk together the cream, sakura extract, and food coloring.
- Make the cherry blossom frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-low until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Reduce the mixer to low and gradually add the dry ingredients, beating until combined. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the wet ingredients and beat until just combined. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl once more, then beat on medium-high until the frosting is creamy and smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Use immediately.
Assembly
- Assemble the cake. If necessary, level the top of the cakes. Place one of the cake layers on a cake board or serving platter in the center of a rotating cake stand. Use a rubber spatula or cookie dough scoop to drop ½ cup of frosting in the middle of this cake layer. Use an offset spatula to spread it evenly all over the top, just like you would spread butter on toast. Place the second cake on top of this frosting, stacking it evenly on top of the first cake.
- Next, crumb coat the cake. Use the offset spatula to cover the surface of the entire layer cake with a thin layer of frosting. Use just enough frosting to cover the entire cake completely. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes to stiffen and "set" the frosting.
- After the crumb coat sets, finish frosting the cake. Use the offset spatula to cover the cake with the remaining frosting. Smooth the sides and top of the cake completely.
- Decorate the cake. Add pink food coloring to any leftover frosting.Use an offset spatula to add small dabs of pink frosting on the top and sides of the cake to make the cherry blossom petals.
- Serve and store. Serve immediately. The assembled cherry blossom cake can be stored at room temperature, under a cake dome or a large bowl turned upside down, for up to 1 day. Press a sheet of plastic wrap against any cut surfaces to prevent the cake from drying out. After that, cover the entire cake loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
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