I used Valentine’s Day as an occasion to do a practice cake in anticipation of Madeline’s birthday. I used my typical chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream frosting.

This time, however, I used a cake leveler to make each of the three layers flat and the same height. Beyond being incredibly satisfying to use, I was amazed at how crisp and even and stable it make the cake.

I used a cake turntable, which also helped a great deal. After smoothing on a crumb coat and chilling it, I alternated globs of pink and white frosting in the piping bag. I had hoped it would make each of the peaks somewhat heterogeneous in color, but it didn’t really pan out like that. I’d been trying to emulate this style, but I will have to adhere more closely to their directions in the future.

It’s worth doing more practice and experimentation with the piping bag if I’m going to attempt this style again.