Flag

Rainbow Birthday Cake

14 - 18 servings
Tough
85
Ever wanted to know how to make a rainbow cake? Well we've got just the rainbow cake recipe for you. What are you waiting for? Bake it up today!
Ingredients
Preparation
Additional information
Know a little more
Picture -
Picture -
PLEASE RATE THIS RECIPE
How did this recipe go?

Related Recipes

Picture - Hero image

Ingredients

For the Cake
225 gWhite Vegetable Fats (such as trex, softened)
225 gCaster Sugar
4Large Eggs (beaten)
2.5 gSalt
300 gPlain Flour
20 gDr. Oetker Baking Powder
90 mlWhole Milk
Dr. Oetker Red Extra Strong Food Colour Gel
Dr. Oetker Violet Extra Strong Food Colour Gel
Dr. Oetker Blue Extra Strong Food Colour Gel
Dr. Oetker Green Extra Strong Food Colour Gel
Dr. Oetker Yellow Extra Strong Food Colour Gel
Dr. Oetker Orange Extra Strong Food Colour Gel
For the Decoration
1200 gDr. Oetker Vanilla Buttercream Style Icing
100 gDr. Oetker Bright and Bold 4-Cell
454 gDr. Oetker Ready to Roll White Icing
Or, Make Your Own Buttercream
300 gUnsalted butter
2 tspDr. Oetker Madagascan Vanilla Extract , 2tsp
100 mlDouble Cream
800 gIcing Sugar
Picture - Dr. Oetker Baking Powder
Picture - Dr. Oetker Red Extra Strong Food Colour Gel
Picture - Dr. Oetker Violet Extra Strong Food Colour Gel
Picture - Dr. Oetker Blue Extra Strong Food Colour Gel
Picture - Dr. Oetker Green Extra Strong Food Colour Gel
Picture - Dr. Oetker Yellow Extra Strong Food Colour Gel
Picture - Dr. Oetker Orange Extra Strong Food Colour Gel
Picture - Dr. Oetker Vanilla Buttercream Style Icing
Picture - Dr. Oetker Madagascan Vanilla Extract , 2tsp
1

Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C Fan, Gas Mark 4). Grease and line 3 x 18cm (7inch) round tins. In a mixing bowl, beat half of the white vegetable fat with half of the sugar until creamy in texture.

2

Gradually whisk in 2 eggs and ¼ tsp salt. Sift half the flour and 2 tsp Baking Powder on top. Using a large metal spoon, fold in the dry ingredients. Stir in half the milk to soften the mixture to make a soft dropping consistency.

3

Divide the mixture equally between 3 bowls. Choose 3 different Gel Food Colours and mix in sufficient drops of one colour into each bowl of mixture to form a vibrant shade (approx. 8g of each colour).

4

Spoon the mixture into the cake tins, smooth the tops and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes until lightly golden and just firm to the touch. Leave to cool for 5 minutes then turn on to wire racks to cool.

5

Using the remaining ingredients and repeat steps 1 and 4 with the remaining 3 colours.

6

Using a palette knife spread the Vanilla Buttercream Style Icing lightly over 5 of the cake layers. On a serving plate, stack the layers on top of each other.

7

To cover the cake start by adding a crumb coat to your cake. Add a thin layer of buttercream using a pallet knife, starting from the top and working your way down the sides of the cake. Scrape any excess buttercream off using your pallet knife so you have a smooth thin layer covering your cake. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Once chilled add the remaining buttercream again working from the top and working your way down the sides of your cake. Use your pallet knife to gently scrape any excess buttercream to give you a smooth finish.

8

Store your cake in an airtight container or a tall cake box until you are ready to decorate your cake.

9

To make the rainbow topper

Divide the block of Fondant into 6. Take one piece of Fondant, knead to soften and then add a few drops of Red Colour Gel. Knead the Food Colour Gel into the fondant with your hands and using a bit of icing sugar if it gets too sticky. Repeat adding a few more drops of Red Colour Gel until you have a bright vibrant colour.


Repeat step 1, adding a different Colour Gel until you have 6 different coloured balls of fondant.


Then divide each coloured ball of fondant into two, wrapping one half in cling film to stop it drying out and putting to one side.


Smear some trex onto a clean work surface to stop the fondant sticking then take each unwrapped ball and roll it into a sausage about 1/2cm thick and 20cm long.


Take a small bottle or pot such as a bottle of Dr Oetker vanilla extract to use as a guide, and place on a tray lined with non- stick baking paper.


Curve each coloured sausage over the bottle in the shape of a rainbow starting with purple, then on top of that blue, then green, then yellow, then orange, then finally red. Once you have your rainbow shape take a knife and cut off the ends of the bottom edge of the rainbow in a straight line so the rainbow measures about 10cm high.


Take a little pot of clear alcohol such as vodka, or alternatively use cold water, and with a little brush glue each strand of the rainbow together by brushing the alcohol in between each colour, you only need a very small amount otherwise the fondant will become sticky.


Take two cocktail sticks and insert into the bottom of the yellow strand at both sides of the rainbow, this will help the rainbow stand on top of the cake.


Leave the rainbow uncovered to air dry and harden overnight


To make the fondant balls, take your reserved coloured balls of fondant and unwrap your first colour. Roll this out into a long sausage about 1cm thick. Cut the sausage up into 1cm wide pieces and roll each piece between your palms to make a ball. Place the balls on a tray lined with non- stick paper.


Repeat with each colour until you have balls in all your rainbow colours. Leave to air dry overnight to harden.


Once set carefully stick your rainbow into the centre of the top of the cake.


Add the fondant balls in alternate colours to the base of the cake by lightly pressing into the buttercream.


Finish by piping some vanilla buttercream into clouds at the base of each end of the rainbow. To pipe cut the end off the piping bag in a straight line to create a hole 1cm wide. If the icing peaks when piped, dip finger in a little cold water to dab down the peak to create a more rounded shape. Then decorate with Bright and Bold sprinkles.


Hint

To make your own buttercream mix 300g softened unsalted butter with 2 tsp Dr Oetker vanilla extract, 100ml double cream and 800g icing sugar. Blend well together with an electric mixer until the mixture is light in colour and fluffy in texture.