Birthday cake with hot pink buttercream frosting

Ingredients:

Cakes

• 250 g butter, room temperature
• 3 tbsp. sugar
• 6 large eggs, room temperature
• 230 g (about 1 cup) sour cream, room temperature
• 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 lemon, grate the zest
• 3 cups of flour
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon of table salt
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda

Glaze

• 340 g butter, room temperature
• 1,360 g powdered sugar, sifted
• 9 tablespoons of milk
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 14 drops pink food coloring (rose petal shade)
• Pink and white candies, for decoration

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 175°C.
2. Butter and flour 9-inch, 6-inch, and 3-inch cake pans.
3. Preparing the cake layers: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce to medium speed and add the eggs, 2 at a time, then add the sour cream, vanilla extract, and lemon zest, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix thoroughly. Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda. Reduce to low speed and slowly add the flour mixture to the butter and mix until smooth. Finish mixing by hand to ensure all the ingredients are well combined. Divide the batter among the 3 cake pans proportionally to their sizes. Use a spatula to smooth the tops of the cakes and bake as follows: the 9-inch cake for 45 minutes, the 6-inch cake for 35-40 minutes, and the 3-inch cake for 35-40 minutes. Bake the cake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans to room temperature.
4. Preparing the glaze: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until creamy. Add the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Mix on low speed for 1-2 minutes, until the icing is thick. Add the food coloring and turn off the mixer. Using a spatula, fold the color evenly into the icing.
5. Frost each cake layer individually, reserving some for decoration. Chill the layers before assembling the cake.
6. Place a 23 cm diameter cake layer on a serving plate. Place a 15 cm diameter cake layer on top of it in the center. Place an 8 cm diameter cake layer on the center of the 15 cm cake layer.
7. Decoration: Using a pastry bag or spoon, spread the remaining icing around the base of the cake layers and onto the top 8-cm cake layer. Finish decorating with candy pieces.