Monday, September 28, 2009

Have Your Cake and Eat it Too!

Look at the beautiful cake!


I found this on Mckmama's blog and just had to pass it along. It just looks so fun and delicious. I can't wait to have a reason to make this cake. Here is the recipe:

Rainbow Cake

You'll need:

(for the cake)

2 boxes of white cake mix

food coloring (try Ateco)

(for the frosting)

4 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese

1 cup butter

5-6 cups powdered sugar

1 T vanilla

To make the cake:

Mix up one box of the cake mix, following the directions on the box. Separate the prepared mix into three bowls with roughly 1 cup of cake mix per bowl. Add food coloring (red in one bowl, orange in another, and yellow in the third).

Bake the three cakes in round pans according to the box instructions. Make sure to check the cakes about 10 minutes before they are supposed to be done. With less mix in the pans, they can cook faster.

Repeat with the second box of cake mix and the remaining three colors (green, blue, purple).

To make the frosting:

Mix together softened (room temperature) butter and softened (room temperature) cream cheese until well combined. Add vanilla. Combine. Slowly add in powdered sugar. After the 5th cup, taste the frosting. If you'd like it sweeter, add the 6th cup. If not, leave the 6th cup out.

To assemble cake:

Level the tops of each layer of cooled cake with a large bread knife. Slice into the cakes horizontally so that the centers of the cakes are no longer higher than the edges (something that usually happens to them when they are baked). This is important so that the colors will display evenly when the completed cake is cut. Your rainbow will appear warped and not even unless you level the tops of each cake first.

Begin assembly with the purple layer. Set the purple layer on your cake stand or plate. Add enough frosting to cover the layer with enough to spill over the edges (about 1/2 to 1 cup of frosting). Run the flat, smooth side of a large knife around the cake to smooth out the frosting. Add the blue layer of cake on top of the frosted purple one. Put more frosting in the middle and spread again with the flat, smooth side of a large knife so that the frosting covers the layer and falls out over the edges. Run your knife around the outside edge of the cake as well, to smooth out the sides.

Put the cake into the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or the freezer for 1 hour.

Repeat with green layer and then yellow layer.

Put the cake into the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or the freezer for 1 hour.

Repeat with orange layer and finally with red layer.

Freezing between each two rounds of layers is recommended. The cake can get really heavy by the time you are adding the 4th, 5th and 6th layers. If it is somewhat frozen at this point, the cake will not get smooshed or crushed. Additionally, it is much easier to frost the cake when it is relatively solid, not wobbling all over the place.

Cover the cake with frosting and run the flat, straight edge of a knife around the top and the edges of the cake to smooth out frosting. Add wording or decorations to the top of the cake with royal icing. Add cream cheese frosting and orange food coloring to a pastry bag and add the orange dollops around the base of the cake.

Enjoy!

1 comment:

  1. Callie - I made this cake (or a variation of it) and it turned out awesome!!! Layered the colors in a bundt pan and they just cascade over each other. Made one for work for the crew in neon colors - even better :)

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