Pastel Layer Cake Recipes

PASTEL FOUR-LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare and bake cake according to the package directions, using two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. , In small saucepan, combine flour and salt. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir over medium-high heat for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; cover and refrigerate until cooled completely. , In a large bowl, cream the butter, shortening, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add milk mixture; beat until light and fluffy. , Divide frosting equally among four bowls, with 1-1/4 cups in each. To the first bowl, add 2-3 drops yellow food coloring and lemon extract until blended. To second bowl, add 2-3 drops red food coloring and peppermint extract. To third bowl, add 2-3 drops green food coloring and almond extract. To the last bowl, add the cocoa and vanilla. , Cut each cake horizontally into two layers. Place bottom layer on a serving plate; spread with green frosting. Top with the second layer; spread with yellow frosting. Top with the third layer; spread with pink frosting. Top with remaining cake layer; spread with cocoa frosting. Do not frost sides of cake.

PASTEL LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter five 8-inch round cake pans, and line with parchment (you may need to bake in batches). Butter parchment, and dust with flour, tapping out excess. Sift flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt into a large bowl. Combine milk and vanilla. Beat butter with a mixer on medium speed until very smooth. With machine running, gradually add sugar, and beat until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Beat until just combined; do not overmix.
• Beat egg whites in a clean mixer bowl on medium speed until stiff (but not dry) peaks form, about 3 minutes. Gently fold egg-white mixture into batter in 3 additions.
• Divide batter among 5 bowls, and tint each with food coloring to create different pastel shades. Spread each into a prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely in pans on wire racks.
• Loosen edges of cake with a small metal spatula or paring knife; invert onto racks. Discard parchment. Reinvert cakes, top side up. Let cool completely.
• Trim top of each cake to make surface even. Spread 1 cup buttercream onto top of 1 cake. Top with another cake. Repeat, spreading 1 cup buttercream between each layer. Frost cake with 1 1/2 cups buttercream. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Frost cake with 2 cups buttercream.

PASTEL LAYER CAKE WITH BUTTERCREAM FILLING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a small bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
• In a stand mixer, beat the butter until a creamy texture; add sugar and vanilla gradually and beat until fluffy.
• Add 1 egg at a time to the creamed mixture, beat well after each egg but do not overbeat.
• Add the dry ingredients and milk a little at a time as you having the beater on the mixer running on medium, only until blended. Scrap down sides with a spatula as you go to ensure all ingredients are mixed.
• Scoop out half of the batter to a bowl.
• Put pink food colouring in the remaining batter to the colour you want to achieve.
• Lightly spray two 6" spring pans with cooking oil and turn half the colour batter into each pan.
• Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until you can insert a toothpick and it comes out clean.
• Repeat the last step with the uncoloured batter, remove each cake layer from the pan onto a cooling rack. Cool completely.
• If the layers have a hump to the top, you will want to level the layer by cutting the top off into a straight line. Set aside.
• For the buttercream icing, cream the butter in the mixture with a paddle attachment on medium to high in your stand mixer.
• Add the milk and vanilla, cream again and add the icing sugar gradually until fully blended and smooth.
• Place the bottom cake layer on a cake plate/serving platter, ice the top evenly with buttercream icing. Alternate coloured cake layers with buttercream filling until the fourth layer is done, making sure to line up the edges.You want the filling to fill he gaps right to the edge of the cake. I prefer a thinner filling but this icing recipe makes enough that you can spread it a little thicker.
• On the top of the layered cake you want a generous spread of buttercream with a thinner spread of icing around the entire sides of the cake, scraping the excess off to show the coloured layers through.
• Spread the candy sprinkles to cover the entire top of the cake, taking care not to get them on the sides. This can be a bite tricky but you can also pick off any extras that land on the sides and smooth the icing back out if you need to.
• Wipe the excess icing of the plate with a warm water paper towel or cloth for a crips/clean finish.
• Serve with a smile.

PASTEL CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Cover bottoms of 2 (9-inch) round pans with waxed paper; spray with cooking spray.
• Prepare cake batter as directed on package; pour half into separate bowl. Add different flavor dry gelatin mix to batter in each bowl; mix well. Pour into prepared pans.
• Bake 28 to 30 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans 15 min. Invert onto wire racks; gently remove pans. Cool cakes completely.
• Place lime cake layer on serving plate; spread top with 1 cup COOL WHIP. Cover with lemon cake layer. Frost top and side of cake with remaining COOL WHIP.

SURPRISE-INSIDE EASTER CANDY LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Spray bottoms and sides of two 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray.
• In large bowl, beat 1 box cake mix and ingredients called for on box with electric mixer on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Divide evenly between pans.
• Bake 28 to 33 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, repeat mixing and baking with second box of cake mix to make 2 more layers.
• Flatten cake layers by trimming off round tops. In 2 layers, cut small round out of center, using 4-inch round cutter. In small bowl, mix chocolate candies, mini eggs, baking chips and 1/2 cup of the sprinkles; set aside.
• To assemble cake: Place 1 uncut cake layer on serving plate; spread 1/3 cup frosting on top. Top with 1 layer with center removed; spread 1/3 cup frosting on top. Top with second layer with center removed; spread 1/3 cup frosting on top.
• Fill cake with candies and sprinkles mixture. Gently press candies to level; top with full cake layer. Frost top and side of cake with 1 1/2 cups frosting. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
• In medium bowl, place 1 1/2 cups of the frosting; stir in pink food color until blended. Fit decorating bag with 1/2-inch round piping tip; fill with 3/4 cup pink frosting. Set decorating bag and pink frosting aside. In 1 small bowl, place 1/4 cup of the frosting; stir in yellow food color until blended. In another small bowl, place 1/4 cup frosting, stir in green food color until blended.
• Using photo as a guide, spread 1/2 cup of the pink frosting on top of cake, reserving remaining pink frosting for top third of cake. Starting on side, spread yellow frosting on bottom third of cake. In middle third of cake, spread green frosting so green frosting overlaps yellow frosting. On upper third of cake, spread remaining pink frosting so pink frosting overlaps green frosting.
• To blend colors together on side of cake: Using an icing spatula, starting at bottom edge of cake, lightly blend and barely smooth colors in an upward motion toward top edge of cake; wipe spatula clean with paper towel. Repeat blending of frosting and wiping off spatula. Smooth top if needed. Pipe frosting mounds around top edge of cake. Sprinkle remaining 3 tablespoons candy sprinkles in center.
• Store loosely covered at room temperature.