I'm back! I have no excuse for my three month absence. So I'll apologize with a rainbow cake instead. Perhaps the colors will distract you enough to make you forget you were going to throw that kitchen knife at me out of anger. Just kidding. =)
I've wanted to make this cake for a while, but I've always ended up putting it off for some reason. Mostly because I didn't want to deal with the dishes or clean up that came with this little project. My kitchen ended up looking like this for a while.
It was utter pandemonium! Ignore the beer. I was working on a beer-based oxtail stew earlier. I'll upload that recipe sometime after this.
This cake would be easier to make if you had a few extra pans of the same size with you. It's alright if you don't, it'll just be a bit more time consuming since you'll have to wash out the pan each time you baked a certain color. I alternated between two pans. It was still a hassle, but it somewhat cut the time in half.
I didn't really follow or come up with a recipe for this cake. In a sense, I sorta just winged it and improvised as I went along. For the actual cake, I just used a box of cake mix (-le gaspe- How blasphemous! I know, but for test-projects like this, I make an exception)
It's more about what flavors you add to the icing and to the batter, rather than the steps to making this cake, since it's fairly simple. This is the time where you flex your creativity and push boundaries. If you were feeling extra special, you could buy fruit extracts and add them to the batter according to color (ie. Red for strawberry or cherry, yellow for lemon or banana... etc.) OR you can mess with people by mixing up the colors and flavors.
As for the filling, I'd stick with a basic Italian buttercream as I find the white color of it helps make the colors even more vibrant, allowing each to stand out. In this case, I added a bit of Irish cream to it, just because. I figured cognac would be a tad too strong and harsh to the average palate (aka the alcohol-hating friends), though Grand Marnier would work as well. Adds a nice orange-y kick to it (though that'd only work if you didn't flavor the batter with the fruit extracts).
Rainbow Cake
(Italian buttercream adapted from: Allrecipes)
We'll need:
-for the cake-
2 boxes of your favorite plain cake mix (or cake recipe, doubled)
Choice of food coloring (4 or 5 colors is ideal)
Choice of fruit extracts (optional)
-for the Italian buttercream-
1 1/4 cups white sugar
2/3 cup corn syrup*
2/3 cup water
5 egg whites
1 1/3 cups unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3~4tbls Irish cream or Grand Marnier (optional)
**Preheat oven to 350F**
Instructions:
~In a large mixing bowl prepare the cake batter as directed by the box or by the recipe you're using. Separate the batter by 3/4 cupfuls into separate bowls. Next, add the desired food coloring to each bowl. (Don't be shy, try mixing colors and see what you come up with!) Then, if using, add the fruit extracts to each respective batter. Set aside.
~Butter an 8x8inch square baking pan or a 9inch round and pour one of the batters into it, spreading evenly by gently tapping the pan against a hard surface. Then place into the preheated oven and bake for about 5~15mins. (Note: Don't depend on a timer alone, be sure to check the cake frequently to prevent the bottom from turning brown. That will discolor the cake and make it less vibrant. You can feel for doneness by gently pressing down on the surface of the cake. It should spring back when ready) When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and let cool for about 10mins, the edges should pull back from the pan. Then, carefully remove the cake and place on a parchment-lined plate or cooling rack. Wash the baking pan, dry, and repeat the process until you've used up the batters.
To prepare the Italian Buttercream:
~In a saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring just enough to dissolve the sugar. Heat to between 223 and 234 degrees F, or until a small amount of syrup dripped from a spoon forms a soft thread. It should take 1 or 2 minutes.
~When the sugar mixture has reached the thread stage, remove it from the heat and set aside. Whip the egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer. When the whites can hold a stiff peak, pour in the sugar syrup in a thin stream while continuing to whip at medium speed. Be careful not to pour too quickly, or it will all end up at the bottom of the bowl. When the syrup is incorporated, continue to mix for 10 more minutes to allow it to cool. The egg whites will be fluffy and glossy.
~Add pieces of cold butter one at a time to the egg whites and continue to whip at medium or low speed. The buttercream will break down and look curdled, but keep mixing and it will come back together in about 10 minutes. When it comes back around, mix in the vanilla and/or the Irish cream or Grand Marnier. Store at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
*If you can't find or don't like using corn syrup, here's a substitute: Boil together 1 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup water for about 5~15mins, until syrupy.
To assemble:
~Line the edges of a plate or cake dish with pieces of parchment paper and place a layer of cake on it then spread about 1/4 cup of buttercream on top, gently pressing down after each layer. (Note: If there is a "crown" or a bump on top of the cake layers, you can simply level it by carefully cutting it off. Then you can proceed with icing the layers and assembly) Repeat until you've used up all the layers.
~Next, trim off the edges, if you used a square pan, to create a more defined and sharper shape. You don't have to do any trimming if you used a round. Finally, spread the remaining buttercream onto the outside of the cake. You can also pipe decorations, using piping tips and a pastry bag, if desired. Chill the cake in the fridge for at least 30mins to 1hr. Slice and serve!
-phew- That was wow. I wish writing papers came this easily.
So umm.... a little help?
Anybody?
As for the filling, I'd stick with a basic Italian buttercream as I find the white color of it helps make the colors even more vibrant, allowing each to stand out. In this case, I added a bit of Irish cream to it, just because. I figured cognac would be a tad too strong and harsh to the average palate (aka the alcohol-hating friends), though Grand Marnier would work as well. Adds a nice orange-y kick to it (though that'd only work if you didn't flavor the batter with the fruit extracts).
Rainbow Cake
(Italian buttercream adapted from: Allrecipes)
We'll need:
-for the cake-
2 boxes of your favorite plain cake mix (or cake recipe, doubled)
Choice of food coloring (4 or 5 colors is ideal)
Choice of fruit extracts (optional)
-for the Italian buttercream-
1 1/4 cups white sugar
2/3 cup corn syrup*
2/3 cup water
5 egg whites
1 1/3 cups unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3~4tbls Irish cream or Grand Marnier (optional)
**Preheat oven to 350F**
Instructions:
~In a large mixing bowl prepare the cake batter as directed by the box or by the recipe you're using. Separate the batter by 3/4 cupfuls into separate bowls. Next, add the desired food coloring to each bowl. (Don't be shy, try mixing colors and see what you come up with!) Then, if using, add the fruit extracts to each respective batter. Set aside.
~Butter an 8x8inch square baking pan or a 9inch round and pour one of the batters into it, spreading evenly by gently tapping the pan against a hard surface. Then place into the preheated oven and bake for about 5~15mins. (Note: Don't depend on a timer alone, be sure to check the cake frequently to prevent the bottom from turning brown. That will discolor the cake and make it less vibrant. You can feel for doneness by gently pressing down on the surface of the cake. It should spring back when ready) When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and let cool for about 10mins, the edges should pull back from the pan. Then, carefully remove the cake and place on a parchment-lined plate or cooling rack. Wash the baking pan, dry, and repeat the process until you've used up the batters.
To prepare the Italian Buttercream:
~In a saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring just enough to dissolve the sugar. Heat to between 223 and 234 degrees F, or until a small amount of syrup dripped from a spoon forms a soft thread. It should take 1 or 2 minutes.
~When the sugar mixture has reached the thread stage, remove it from the heat and set aside. Whip the egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer. When the whites can hold a stiff peak, pour in the sugar syrup in a thin stream while continuing to whip at medium speed. Be careful not to pour too quickly, or it will all end up at the bottom of the bowl. When the syrup is incorporated, continue to mix for 10 more minutes to allow it to cool. The egg whites will be fluffy and glossy.
~Add pieces of cold butter one at a time to the egg whites and continue to whip at medium or low speed. The buttercream will break down and look curdled, but keep mixing and it will come back together in about 10 minutes. When it comes back around, mix in the vanilla and/or the Irish cream or Grand Marnier. Store at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
*If you can't find or don't like using corn syrup, here's a substitute: Boil together 1 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup water for about 5~15mins, until syrupy.
To assemble:
~Line the edges of a plate or cake dish with pieces of parchment paper and place a layer of cake on it then spread about 1/4 cup of buttercream on top, gently pressing down after each layer. (Note: If there is a "crown" or a bump on top of the cake layers, you can simply level it by carefully cutting it off. Then you can proceed with icing the layers and assembly) Repeat until you've used up all the layers.
~Next, trim off the edges, if you used a square pan, to create a more defined and sharper shape. You don't have to do any trimming if you used a round. Finally, spread the remaining buttercream onto the outside of the cake. You can also pipe decorations, using piping tips and a pastry bag, if desired. Chill the cake in the fridge for at least 30mins to 1hr. Slice and serve!
-phew- That was wow. I wish writing papers came this easily.
So umm.... a little help?
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