Rainbow Cake

Kel here with a recipe I've been making for about ten years now. Every couple of years I can't find it and I have a crisis. Then it turns up again. It came in a Canadian Living magazine - something my Mum used to send me when I was first living out here in the UK. I've kept the magazine and lost and found it. I've scanned the magazine and had my husband print over it. I've torn out the article and lost and found it. It is safely now in my computer, but lucky for you and me both, it's also in Canadian Living archives.

Rainbow layers cooling: red, yellow and blue 

You will have to step away from your sensible eating resolutions and your wise views on food additives. Believe me, I share your principles, and 364 days of the year I try my best (it comes and goes, but I try) - but for a special birthday, or any celebration that deserves a cake that makes people go "OOoooh!" when you slice into it. You can also do this technique with whatever your favourite cake recipe is, as long as it's basically a white cake. You mix up enough cake for 3 thinnish layers and enough icing to top them all, and then divide and add colouring. 

Buttercream in orange, green and purple

 

Assemble your cake: red layer, orange icing, yellow layer, green icing, blue cake, purple icing. 

What works really well is to chill your cake at every stage, after you ice each layer, it's far easier to handle. The icing isn't actually as thick as it looks, I'm just trying to even out the gaps at the edges, because the cakes rose so much. I even sliced some of the bulge off the top of a couple layers. Pop it back in the fridge while you make the Italian meringue, the buttercream should be hard enough not to just get all mixed up with the frothy white icing.

 
 Hide the rainbow surprise under sweet and fluffy Italian meringue 

Italian Meringue is a revelation to me. It has very little fat, and is delightfully frothy and nearly marshmallow like. It is also known as fluffy icing (in the rainbow cake recipe) and seven-minute icing or boiled icing. There are several variations, but I used a one-step method. In a clean, clean glass or metal bowl (any grease will make the meringue collapse) over a saucepan of simmering water, add 3 egg whites, 1 cup and 2 tbsp of sugar, 3 tbsp of cold water and 1/4 tsp of cream of tartar. Beat at low speed for 4 or 5  minutes, beat at high speed for 4 or 5 more, until nice and thick, then remove from heat and keep beating until nice and fluffy (you've got it, about 4 or 5 minutes!).

 

 My icing layers aren't showing up as well, as this crowd doesn't like a lot of buttercream. I prefer to do it a little thicker, just for effect (and I do like buttercream frosting myself).

Enjoy!

Kel x 

 

Comments

[Eleanor]

Wow now that is spectacular.
Whose birthday is next - oh I think it might be mine - sorted!
E
xx

[claireliz]

oh that looks super yummy, I think DD will be getting one of those for her next birthday :)
C
xx

[Kelly]

Actually - that was my birthday cake - to take in to work for everyone. I expected some of the adults to be a little "eww - I can't eat that" but actually it got rave reviews. It is a very tasty cake recipe to begin with, and that Italian meringue frosting is perfect (and high in sugar but low in fat too!)

[jayne]

Gosh it looks sguidgy :)
Lovely colourful cake , my daughter would love it !

[Lynne V.]

It looks absolutely delicious:)

[Carmen]

Am positively drooling here. Not usually a fan of meringue but that looks yummy!