Caramel Chiffon Cake Recipe

Make the chiffon cake: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease the bottom of a 9-inch round baking pan then line with parchment paper.

Sift together flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl.

Whisk oil, yolks, 1/3 cup water, and vanilla in another bowl. Whisk wet ingredients into dry ingredients until smooth.

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until frothy. Gradually add remaining 1/3 cup sugar on medium-high speed. Whip until stiff and glossy.

Gradually fold whipped egg whites into batter. Blend well.

Pour batter into pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until top springs back when touched. (Do not prick cake.) Place pan on a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the caramel icing: Allow sugar to cook in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling pan, until golden.

Add boiling water carefully. Simmer until sugar is melted. Add evaporated milk. Cook, whisking, until mixture boils.

Combine fresh milk, yolks, and cornstarch in a bowl. Whisk in some of the hot caramel to temper yolks. Pour yolk mixture back into caramel. Whisk on low heat until thick.

Remove from heat. Add butter and vanilla. Stir until butter is melted and mixture has some sheen. Strain icing if you see lumps.

Place cake on a rack set on top of a tray. Gradually pour caramel icing onto the center of the cake. Let icing drip down the sides. Gently shake rack to distribute icing. Use an offset spatula to even it out. Allow to set for 30 minutes in the refrigerator before decorating.

Make the buttercream: Whisk egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl set on a pot of simmering water until sugar melts and mixture is warm.

Transfer mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes. Increase speed to high; whisk until stiff and cool to the touch, 5 to 8 minutes.

Reduce speed to medium. Add butter, 1 cube at a time,
beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Beat until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Divide buttercream among 3 bowls. Add a few drops of pink coloring to one bowl and green coloring to another. Cover and chill for 1 hour.

Place pink and white buttercream in separate piping bags fitted with rose (or flat) and round tips. Place green buttercream in a piping bag fitted with a leaf tip. Pipe roses on a flower nail lined with parchment. Pipe drops on the bottom of the cake. Transfer roses to cake. (Chill roses for 30 minutes if they're too soft.)Pipe leaves beside roses. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set before serving.