Rose Celebration Cake - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups + 2 tbsp milk
5 None rose petals, plus extra to garnish
1 None vanilla pod, seeds loosened
None None Butter, to grease
9 None medium eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
Pinch None salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 oz ground almonds
2 tbsp vanilla custard powder
2 1/2 tbsp powdered gelatin
3 cups heavy cream
8 tbsp rose liqueur (orange could be substituted)
3/4 cup rose or raspberry jam
2 tbsp powdered sugar

Preparation

Bring 2 1/2 cups of milk to a boil in a saucepan, remove from the heat and add the rose petals, vanilla pod and vanilla seeds. Cover and leave to cool then chill in the fridge overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350\u00b0F. Grease a 10 inch diameter springform cake pan with butter and dust with flour. Beat 6 egg whites while gradually adding 3/4 cup of sugar and a pinch of salt until stiff and glossy. Stir in the vanilla extract and 6 egg yolks, one by one.
Mix the cornstarch, flour and baking powder together then fold into the egg mixture. Fold in the ground almonds. Transfer the mixture to the cake pan. Bake for 35-40 mins, until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan for at least 3 hours.
Meanwhile, remove the vanilla pod from the chilled milk and blend the liquid and petals using a blender.
Mix the remaining sugar and the custard powder into 1/2 cup of rose milk until smooth. Bring the remaining rose milk to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from the heat and stir in the pudding mixture. Place back on the heat and simmer for 1-2 mins, stirring. Mix 3 egg yolks with 2-3 tbsp milk then stir into the saucepan. Chill the 3 remaining egg whites. Whisk the gelatin into the hot pudding mix until completely dissolved. Transfer the pudding to a bowl and leave to cool for 2 hours 30 mins, stirring occasionally.
Beat the egg whites until stiff. Beat 1 cup of cream until very stiff then mix both into the rose cream. Chill for 10-15 mins.
Remove the cake from the cake ring and slice into quarters horizontally. Place a cake ring around the lowest tier. Gently heat 6 tbsp liqueur and jam together then spread over the three layers. Spread a quarter of the rose cream over each of the layers then stack them into the cake ring. Chill for 5-6 mins.
Beat 2 cups of cream and the powdered sugar until very stiff. Stir in 2 tbsp liqueur. Remove the cake from the cake ring. Spread the cream all over. Transfer the remaining cream to a piping bag and pipe rosettes on top. Chill until ready to use and decorate with rose petals. Serve.