Alana's First Birthday Cake

This cake was for Amanda's daughter, Alana who turned 1 this weekend.  The cake is a pink velvet cake with vanilla buttercream.  To make the pink velvet, I adapted Sylvia's Red Velvet Cake recipe.  The recipe is below.  The design is based off of a banner from a party store that Amanda had sent me a picture of.  

The pink velvet batter.

An interesting detail are the checkered patterns on the big butterfly and big flower.  To create it, I cut strips of two shades of the same color and basket weaved them together.  I used a rolling pin to press the strips together then cut out the shapes that I needed.

Pink Velvet Cake

Yield: 2 (9-inch) pans

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups cake flour

1 teaspoon Dutch process cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon pink gel food coloring

1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Grease and flour cake pans.  On a piece of parchment paper, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar on medium speed.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Turn the mixer to low and alternatively add the flour mixture and buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour mixture.  Beat in the vinegar and food coloring.  Then add the vanilla.   Divide batter evenly into the pans.  

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean.  Let cakes cool in pan for approximately 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.