Rainbow Swirl Cake
User Reviews
5
Rainbow Swirl Cake
Description
This Rainbow Swirl Cake begins with a batter made from all-purpose flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, butter, egg whites, vanilla extract, sour cream, and milk. After mixing the dry and wet ingredients separately, they are combined and divided evenly into six parts, each colored with distinct food coloring. The batters are piped in dollops into buttered six-inch cake pans, then swirled with a skewer to create a marbled rainbow effect before baking. The layers bake for about 30 minutes and cool slightly before frosting.
The cake is complemented by two options for buttercream frosting: a vanilla buttercream made by beating butter with confectioners' sugar, cream, and flavoring, which can be tinted with food coloring; or an Italian buttercream created by whipping egg whites with sugar heated to soft-ball stage to form a meringue before incorporating butter for a smooth, less sweet finish. Candy melts can be melted and shaped into feather decorations. The cake’s colorful layers provide visual interest, and the frostings add creamy sweetness.
This cake is suitable for celebrations requiring a colorful centerpiece. Adjusting the pan size requires increasing the recipe proportionally. Tips include using cake strips for even layers and substituting whole milk yogurt for sour cream without noticeable differences. Though making Italian buttercream requires more steps, it yields a smoother texture than American buttercream.
Ingredients
INGREDIENTS
For the Cake:
- 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 3 egg white
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup milk whole
- Food Coloring
For the Vanilla Buttercream:
- 1 cup butter
- 5 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tsp orange blossom water
- Food Coloring
For the Italian Buttercream:
- 4 egg white
- 1 1/3 cups sugar
- pinch kosher salt
- 16 ounces butter room temperature, unsalted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
For the Feathers:
- 1/2 cup Candy Melts white, melted
Instructions
INSTRUCTIONS
For the Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Sift the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Beat the wet ingredients together in a medium bowl. Add the wet to the dry and mix until just combined.
- Evenly divide batter into 6 different batches. Color each with drops of food coloring until desired color is reached.
- Transfer batter to piping bags. Use 3 buttered and flowered 6-inch cake pans.
- Pipe in dollops of the batter, alternating the colors. You can swirl with a skewer around batter as desired.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes.
For the Vanilla Buttercream:
- Beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the confectioners' sugar and cream and mix.
- Divide evenly into batches and dye with food coloring.
For the Italian Buttercream:
- Beat the egg whites, salt and cream of tartar, slowly add in 1/3 cup of sugar and continue beating until soft peaks form. In a medium saucepan add the remaining sugar and 1/3 cup water then place on medium-low heat.
- Stir until sugar melts and becomes clear. Maintain at medium-high heat until temperature reads 235-240F.
- Run mixer until meringue is cool/tepid. Add room temperature butter into running mixer one tablespoon piece at a time. Add the salt and vanilla.
- Beat until butter is combined and mixture has reached a silky consistency.
- Reserve about 1/3 cup. Add food coloring for watercolor piping step later.
For the Feathers:
- Add dollops of candy melt to parchment paper. Color with a few drops of food coloring. Using a spoon, spread to achieve a feather like shape.
For the Assembly:
- Pipe vanilla buttercream between the cake layers, alternating colors.
- Once the cake has chilled, pipe Italian buttercream on the outside of the cake. With a steady hand, work your way around the cake until it is completely covered.
- Tint with 5 different colors. Dollop on colors with a spoon. Smooth out for a watercolor effect.
- Add feathers to the cake.
Notes
- Scale the recipe up for larger pans: double for 8-inch or triple for 9-inch pans.
- If batter shows small butter clumps after mixing wet ingredients, it's normal and will smooth out when combined with dry ingredients.
- Using cake strips helps bake flat layers that are moist inside; these can be purchased or homemade.
- Whole milk yogurt works well as a substitute for sour cream without affecting the flavor.
- If Italian buttercream preparation is too involved, American buttercream can be used as an alternative; it is simpler though less smooth.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 12Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 210 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 210kcal | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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