Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Rainbow Cake

I've always wanted to make a rainbow-layered cake, but got discouraged from the many baking tins needed (if not, then the re-using of one cake pan which would take forever). BUt when my bestie Ann asked me on facebook if i wanted to make this, i couldnt say no :)













Cake
2 sticks (226 g) butter, room temp
2 1/3 c (466 g) sugar
5 egg whites, room temp
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 c (375 g) flour
4 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 1/2 c (355 g) milk, warmed for 30 sec in microwave to bring to room temp
Red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple GEL food coloring. Liquid will not be vibrant enough!

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Oil and line how ever many 9” cake pans you have (I have three and I just reused them).

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Cream the sugar and butter, then add the egg whites (I cracked them all into one bowl) and add them a little at a time. Add the vanilla and mix until fully incorporated. Then, alternating between wet and dry, add the milk and flour mixture in two parts.

Divide the batter amongst 6 bowls (I did it by weight. Weigh your mixing bowl before you begin adding ingredients and then subtract the weight of the bowl from the final measurement after the batter is completed. Divide that number by six and add that weight of batter to each bowl), and then whisk a fair amount of the appropriate food color into each bowl. Pour into the pans and bake for 15 minutes each.

When you remove them from the oven, let them rest on the cooling rack, in the pan, for ten minutes. Then flip, cover, and stash them in the fridge to cool quickly.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

To fill and crumb coat:
9 egg whites
1 ¾ c (350 g) sugar
4 sticks (532 g) of butter, room temp
2 tsp lemon extract

To frost:
5 egg whites
1 c (200 g) sugar
2 sticks (226 g) butter, room temp


Cook the egg whites and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the sugar is completely dissolved (test by rubbing some between your fingers. If it's completely smooth, it's done). Pour into another bowl (a stand mixer is preferable) and whip on high speed until room temp. Then, on a medium-slow speed, add the butter, waiting until each piece is completely incorporated before adding the next. After all the butter has been added, turn the mixer back to high speed and whip until it has come together, about five minutes.

If the buttercream seems soupy after all of the butter is added and does not come together after whipping, refrigerate for 5 to 7 minutes and continue whipping until it becomes fluffy and spreadable.

21 comments:

Maria said...

Well done girls!

Kristy Sayer-Jones @ Southern In Law said...

Rainbow cakes are so fun!
Yours looks great Betty :D

Angie Lives to Eat (and Cook)! said...

So colourful and vibrant =)

missklicious said...

Looks very cool! Bright and colourful =)

Richard Elliot said...

This looks A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!!!

I haven't baked a cake with food colouring since I was about 6yrs old. I used to make these horrendous marble cakes with luminous clashing colours. Parents and guests used to be polite and eat them.

Von said...

This cake is so pretty =] I've always wanted to make one too but I've never done it for the same reasons as you- and I don't have two pans of the same size =[ Love the photos!

Mark @ Cafe Campana said...

I love the colours. For some reason this reminds me of being a kid. I think it is because we used to make rainbow jelly which is similar but different of course.

Forager @ The Gourmet Forager said...

What crazy cool colours - bet this would be a massive hit with kids too!

OohLookBel said...

Your rainbow cake looks stunning, and I love the photos as well!

Emma @CakeMistress said...

Visually spectacular! Great work on the layers.

Anonymous said...

wow!
what do you usually do with the egg yolks that are left over after using only the egg whites - any creative recipes for those?

Phuoc'n Delicious said...

Very psychedelic Betty! I love the vibrancy of those colours against the white frosting

Helen (Grab Your Fork) said...

Psychedelic! Love the colours! Something about rainbows that makes everybody happy :)

Amy @ cookbookmaniac said...

Im going into a diabetic coma just looking at it. i want it despite the consequences!

Unknown said...

I just found you and love your blog! This is brilliant, I love rainbow cake x

Obesebaby said...

wow your rainbow cake is awsome !

scrambledhenfruit said...

So beautiful- I love all of the colors! My grandson would love this cake-thanks!

Trisha said...

Oh my goodness this is such a welcoming, colourful sight against all the gloominess of winter. The colours are just soooo vibrant!

Trissa said...

Betty - I love this cake - it looks like a rainbow!

Tina said...

That is fab - just fab!

shaz said...

Wow, wow, wow, that is so awesome! I'm going to have to make one soon :)