How to Make a Rainbow Cake

A bright, cheerful rainbow cake is the perfect choice for a child's birthday party, or a coming out celebration. With layers of red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple, this cake is an instant attention-grabber. This article provides instructions on how to bake the layers and assemble the cake. Scroll to the bottom for a shortcut method - the rainbow swirl cake.

Ingredients

The Cake

  • 3 cups flour
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 2 ½ cups sugar
  • 5 egg whites
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 ½ cups milk
  • Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple food coloring

The Icing

  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 tablespoon cream
Part 1
Part 1 of 3:

Making the Cake Layers

  1. Do this before you get started making the batter, so you'll be able to pop the cakes in the oven right away.
  2. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small mixing bowl. Use a whisk to stir the ingredients and make sure they are fully incorporated.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar using a hand or stand mixer, or by vigorously mixing the ingredients with a spoon or spatula. Keep beating or stirring the ingredients while you slowly add the egg whites to the mixture. Add the vanilla and milk and continue mixing until all of the wet ingredients are combined.
  4. Place half of the flour mixture into the large bowl with the wet ingredients. Use a spoon to stir it in, then add the other half of the flour mixture. Keep stirring until the flour is completely mixed in.
  5. Pour equal amounts of batter into six different bowls. Dye each bowl of batter a different color of the rainbow by pouring in a few drops of the six different food colorings. Stir each bowl of batter well, continuing to add more food coloring until the batter reaches the hue you desire. [1]
    • If you use gel food coloring, you only need a drop or two to achieve a rich hue. If you're using liquid food coloring, you may need to use several drops.
    • If you have a standard set of food coloring that comes with red, yellow, blue and green, create the extra colors by combining the colors you have. Make orange by mixing red and yellow, and make purple by mixing blue and red.
  6. Each layer must be baked in a separate cake pan. If you have six cake pans, go ahead and pour the bowls of batter into the different pans. If you have fewer cake pans, pour batter into the pans you have and reserve the extra bowls of batter to be baked when after the first round of layers is done.
  7. Place the cake pans in the oven and bake the layers for about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean. Don't over bake the layers, as this could affect the brilliant rainbow colors; avoid letting the tops get brown.
    • When the layers are ready, remove them from the oven and let them cool.
    • Reuse the cake pans if you still have additional layers to bake.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 3:

Assembling the Cake for the Icing

  1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the powdered sugar, butter, cream, and vanilla on high, until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. If it seems too soft, add more powdered sugar until it becomes thicker and stiffer. [2]
  2. Use a serrated knife to slice a thin layer from the top of each layer of the cake. Slicing off the slightly rounded tops that puffed up during the baking process will help the layers stack together neatly.
  3. Place the purple layer on the cake stand or plate that you'll be using to serve the cake. Use an offset spatula or icing knife to scoop a small amount of frosting onto the center of the cake. Spread it evenly across the surface of the purple layer, all the way to the edges. Add the blue cake to the stack and frost it using the same method. Repeat with the green, yellow, and orange layers, finishing with the red layer on top.
    • There's no need to use a scientific color order - create a rainbow using any color order you'd like.
    • Be sure to conserve enough frosting to finish by frosting the entire cake, rather than using most of it up between layers.
  4. Scoop frosting onto the top of the cake and spread it evenly to the edges. Use more frosting to cover the sides of the cake. Be sure to use plenty, so that the layers beneath are invisible. The brightly-colored interior of the cake will remain a surprise until the first slice is cut.
  5. Finish the cake with rainbow sprinkles or nonpareils, or use a contrasting frosting color to pipe a message across its surface.
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Part 3
Part 3 of 3:

Making a Rainbow Swirl Cake

  2. Using the same recipe outlined above, make a white cake batter. Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet in another, then combine the two and beat until they are well incorporated.
  3. Put equal amounts of batter into six separate bowls. Use food coloring to dye the bowls of batter red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple.
  4. Use a small measuring cup to scoop some red batter into a cake pan. Use a different cup to scoop some yellow batter into the same pan. The two colors can touch, but don't pour one directly on top of another. Continue scooping different-colored batters into the cake pan until you've used half the batter from all of the bowls. Repeat with the second cake pan and the remaining batter. [3]
  5. Place the two cake pans in the oven and bake them for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean. When the cakes are done, let them cool completely before assembling the cake.
  6. Beat the powdered sugar, butter, cream and vanilla together until the frosting becomes light and fluffy.
  7. Use a serrated knife to cut off the rounded tops of the two cakes. Place one layer on the cake plate or stand you're using to serve the cake. Scoop frosting onto the cake and use an offset spatula or a frosting knife to spread it across the cake's surface. Place the second cake layer on top of the frosting. Finish frosting the cake by covering the top and sides.
  8. Add edible glitter, birthday candles, or other cake decorations as the final touch. The cake is now ready to serve.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    Can I use Jello powder instead of food coloring?
    Community Answer
    Yes, but you will have to use water instead of milk and it won't taste quite the same.
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  • Question
    Can I use any food coloring?
    Carmilly
    Community Answer
    Any food coloring would work. Any dye color or any brand would work the same or very similarly.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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  • Question
    If I were to make my girlfriend a rainbow cake, would I use almond or coconut flour?
    Community Answer
    Coconut flour is the better choice of those two flour types because it will give the cake a sweet flavor and a light, fluffy texture.
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    Thank you for your feedback.
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      References

      1. ↑ http://www.marthastewart.com/256688/rainbow-cake
      2. ↑ http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/gale-gand/quick-vanilla-buttercream-frosting-recipe/index.html
      3. ↑ http://www.inkatrinaskitchen.com/2012/04/rainbow-swirl-cake.html

      About this article

      Article Summary X

      To make a rainbow cake, divide your batter evenly among 6 bowls, adding a different color food dye to each. Pour your colored batter into 6 different greased baking pans and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees, or until you can stick a toothpaste into the cake without picking up any batter. Once your layers are done, slice off the slightly rounded tops so your layers are easier to stack. Then, frost each layer, stack them, and frost the outside of the cake. To learn how to make frosting for a rainbow cake, keep reading!

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