a rainbow of happiness

4.21.2010
Sorry this post is so late... it's been a long day. But did anyone see this cake featured on Martha this week? It's enough to turn anyone's frown upside down...

{image & recipe via whisk kid}


R
ainbow Cake

White Cake (but not really)
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.

Lemony 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
1 tsp lemon extract

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. Add the extract, beat briefly and then use.

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 workable.

9 comments:

Brittanie Gordon said...

That cake is gorgeous!! If I end up doing a pink party.. I think I would do THAT cake in a bunch of different shades of pink, instead of rainbow!

Sandi said...

beautiful! I love the idea of different shades of pink!

Amy H. said...

This is what I needed in these last hours of planning my daughters rainbow 4th b-day party this weekend!

Beautiful!
Amy

Michelle said...

Love this! They are so pretty. I Am Baker featured one this week that is dyed naturally with fruit!
http://iammommy.typepad.com/i_am_baker/2010/04/mothers-day-garden-party.html

CWBD Parties said...

Oh yeah! I saw it - and it looks some kinda delicious!!!!

Amy said...

yes yes yes i'm obsessed with this cake and have been blogging about it too!

HOGGER + Co. said...

That is divine. My niece is celebrating her 10th next month; will be sure to pass along this recipe to my sister!
-photohogger

HOGGER + Co. said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

My sister in law and niece made a rainbow cake like this a few years ago for a Girl Scouts project. Very similar except they used jello to color/flavor the layers. And they frosted blue with white clouds it to look like the sky. It was VERY sweet and fruity, but super cute!

Post a Comment