Pink Fairy-Floss Gluten-Free Cake

I admit, this isn't exactly a sugar-free recipe. The inclusion of fairy floss kinda dispels all thoughts of a guilt-free treat. On the bright side, I don't think anyone can resist a cake so gloriously pink and perfect, and as I use much less butter and sugar than traditional cakes call for, the result is a light yet luscious celebratory dessert. My family absolutely adored this flavour combination for my mum's birthday and all noted how no one felt at all gluggy or sickly post-cake consumption. My brother can solidly contest to this theory as he had three pieces without flinching.

This cake is the ultimate girly love-fest of sugar, rose scents and juicy strawberries. Who ever you make this blush-tinted masterpiece for is going to feel pretty darn special. Treat your bestie, sister, mum, and any man who can accept a little pink into their lives. My man announced it was the best thing I've ever made. Albeit he does say they almost every time I cook... anything... everyday :)

Anyway, I adore fresh flowers on a cake, especially when the icing is coloured a dusty pink. To make things simple, I used a gluten-free butter cake mix to start off the process and used my special ingredient, Persian rose fairy-floss to flavour. You can use any 'fairy floss' you can find but the Pariya Persian fairy floss is a speciality product, although I did find it at the local grocery store. It is whispy-soft spun sugar, made in a traditional Persian method. Expert confectioners hand spin each batch of delecately sweet Pashmak into a fine weave of wool like strands that dissolve on your tastebuds. I bought mine in rose scent, but it also comes in vanilla, pistachio, chocolate and saffron.

Pink Fairy-Floss Gluten-Free Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 packet of gluten-free butter cake mix - preferably lower sugar mix
• 2 drops of natural pink food coloring
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean extract paste
• 1/2 cup of Persian rose fairy-floss

Icing:

• 50 grams of organic butter
• 1/2 cup of icing sugar
• 1 drop of natural pink coloring
• 1 teaspoon of rose water
• 1/4 cup of Persian fairy floss

Strawberry layer:

• 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries, microwaved and cooled

Method:

1. Prepare the cake mix as per the instructions; I used almond milk instead of dairy milk. Add the pink colouring and vanilla bean extract paste and mix well. Gently fold in the fairy-floss, leaving the fairy-floss to ripple through the mixture.
2. Grease a tin thoroughly with coconut oil and cover the base with greased-proofed paper. 
3. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for approximately 40 minutes or as per the instructions on the packet.
4. When the cake is baked, let rest for five minutes before turning out carefully onto a wire rack to cool. When it's completely cooled, refrigerate for 30 minutes if you have the time as it will make the cake easier to ice and prevent crumbs from transferring into the icing. 
5. To make the icing, make sure the butter is at room temperature. Using an electric mixer, whisk the butter until smooth. Gradually sift in the icing sugar and whisk into a fluffy icing. Add in the rose water, pink food colouring and fairy floss. If the fairy floss makes the icing a little too thick, add in a tiny splash of warm water.
6. Slice the cold cake horizontally in half. On the base half, spread to strawberries to coat the first layer. Sandwich the other half of the cake on top.
7. Ice the whole cake to cover the sides and edges. Stick the remaining fairy floss lightly around the sides of the cake to decorate.
8. Garnish the cake with whatever decoration you like. I used edible pearls and pink flowers.
9. Refrigerate if the weather is warm taking out 20 minutes before serving. Otherwise, leave in a cool place until you are ready to surprise the special recipient!