Rainbow Ribbon Cake Recipes

RAINBOW VERTICAL CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Arrange an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two 18-by-13-inch half-sheet pans with baking spray and line with parchment. Coat with baking spray and dust with flour, knocking out any extra.
• Whip the egg yolks with 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl using an electric mixer on medium-high speed until thick ribbons form, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and rinse and dry the bowl. Add the egg whites and salt and whip on medium high speed until foamy, about 1 minute. With the machine still going slowly add the sugar and beat until glossy stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. Using a large spatula fold the egg whites in to the yolks until well combined. Add a quarter of the flour and fold it until combined. Repeat 3 more times until all the flour is added.
• Divide the batter evenly between the 2 prepared pans. Bake until lightly springy when touched, about 12 minutes.
• Dust 2 clean large kitchen towels with the confectioners' sugar and flip the cakes out onto the towels with the short sides facing you. Working with 1 cake at a time, remove the parchment and roll up each cake starting from the short end. Set aside to cool.
• For the frosting: Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a saucepan that can hold the heatproof bowl of a stand mixer above the water.
• Add the granulated sugar, lemon juice, salt and egg whites to the stand mixer bowl and whisk together by hand. Set the bowl above the boiling water and whisk until the mixture is warm to the touch and the sugar is completely dissolved. Transfer to the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat at medium-high speed until cool and the whites hold stiff peaks, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Continue to beat, tossing in the butter a couple of chunks at a time, making sure the pieces are incorporated before adding more. After all the butter is incorporated continue whisking on medium-high speed. The mixture will deflate and appear curdled. Continue whisking until the buttercream comes back together with a smooth and spreadable consistency, about 5 minutes. Slowly drizzle in the vanilla while beating until smooth and light, about 5 minutes more. (If the frosting is very soft or begins to break, refrigerate until set but still spreadable and then beat until light before using.)
• Transfer 3/4 cup of the frosting to six small bowls. Color them red, orange,, yellow, green, blue and purple and transfer them to piping bags and set aside. Cover the remaining white frosting and set aside.
• To assemble: Unroll the cooled cake layers so they lay flat. Transfer the cakes to a cutting board using a serrated knife to divide each cake in half lengthwise, creating 2 long strips of cake (4 total). Starting ¼-inch from the top of each piece of cake pipe an even line of red frosting lengthwise on each piece. Repeat with the remaining colors.
• Take one strip of frosted cake and roll it into a tight jelly roll. Add another strip of cake, matching the ends and coiling it around the center roll as you would a cinnamon roll; repeat with the remaining cake strips, trimming the ends to fit as necessary. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• Trim the ends of the cake so they are flat and transfer to a cake board or platter, standing the cake up on one end and securing it to the surface with a dollop of the reserved white frosting.
• Spread a thin layer of the white frosting over the top and sides of the cake for a crumb coat. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set the coat.
• Frost the cake with the remaining white frosting, using an offset spatula to create swirls if desired. Decorate the top edge of the cake with sprinkles as desired.

RAINBOW LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter 2 x 20cm round sandwich tins and line the bases with baking parchment. Tip all the sponge ingredients, apart from the food colouring, into a mixing bowl, then beat with an electric whisk until smooth.
• Working quickly, weigh the mixture into another bowl to work out the total weight, then weigh exactly half the mixture back into the mixing bowl. Pick two of your colours and stir a little into each mix. Keep going until you are happy with the colour - the colour of the batter now will be very similar to the finished cake, so be brave! Scrape the different batters into the tins, trying to spread and smooth as much as possible - but try not to waste a drop of the batter - a rubber spatula will help you. Bake on the same oven shelf for 15-20 mins until a skewer poked into the middle comes out clean. Don't worry if that sponges are thin, there are many layers.
• Gently turn the cakes out onto a wire rack to cool. Wash the tins and bowls thoroughly, and start again from step 1 - this time using another two colours. Unless you're making the optional pink layer, repeat one more time to get 6 sponges, all of different colours. Leave them all to cool.
• To make the icing, very briefly beat the vanilla and soft cheese or mascarpone with an electric whisk until smooth. Sift in the icing sugar and gently fold in with a spatula. Be careful - the more you work it, the runnier it will get, increasing the chance of splitting.
• Smear a little icing on your cake stand or plate - just a splodge to stick the first sponge. Start with the red, then spread with some icing right to the very edge. Repeat, sandwiching on top the orange, yellow, green, blue and finally purple sponges. Spread the remaining icing thickly all over the sides and top of the cake. For more expert advice on how to create the perfect rainbow cake, check out our tips, below.
• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter 2 x 20cm round sandwich tins and line the bases with baking parchment. Tip all the sponge ingredients, apart from the food colouring, into a mixing bowl, then beat with an electric whisk until smooth.
• Working quickly, weigh the mixture into another bowl to work out the total weight, then weigh exactly half the mixture back into the mixing bowl. Pick two of your colours and stir a little into each mix. Keep going until you are happy with the colour - the colour of the batter now will be very similar to the finished cake, so be brave! Scrape the different batters into the tins, trying to spread and smooth as much as possible - but try not to waste a drop of the batter - a rubber spatula will help you. Bake on the same oven shelf for 15-20 mins until a skewer poked into the middle comes out clean. Don't worry if that sponges are thin, there are many layers.
• Gently turn the cakes out onto a wire rack to cool. Wash the tins and bowls thoroughly, and start again from step 1 - this time using another two colours. Unless you're making the optional pink layer, repeat one more time to get 6 sponges, all of different colours. Leave them all to cool.
• To make the icing, very briefly beat the vanilla and soft cheese or mascarpone with an electric whisk until smooth. Sift in the icing sugar and gently fold in with a spatula. Be careful - the more you work it, the runnier it will get, increasing the chance of splitting.
• Smear a little icing on your cake stand or plate - just a splodge to stick the first sponge. Start with the red, then spread with some icing right to the very edge. Repeat, sandwiching on top the orange, yellow, green, blue and finally purple sponges. Spread the remaining icing thickly all over the sides and top of the cake. For more expert advice on how to create the perfect rainbow cake, check out our tips, below.

RAINBOW CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease three 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray, then add a couple tablespoons of flour to each pan. Shake and rotate each pan until the flour fully coats the inside. Discard the excess flour.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the 3 2/3 cups flour with the baking powder and salt to combine. In a separate medium bowl, whisk the egg whites vigorously until lightly foamy, about 1 minute. Add the milk and whisk to combine.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the sugar, oil and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed. Reduce the speed to low. Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine.
• Add a quarter of the flour mixture to the bowl and mix on low speed until combined. Add a third of the egg white mixture and mix until combined. Continue to add the dry and wet ingredients, alternating until both are fully incorporated and the batter is smooth, scraping the sides as needed.
• Divide the batter evenly among the three cake pans. (You'll want about 2 1/3 cups/575 to 600 grams of batter in each pan.) Spread the batter in each pan into an even layer. Bake until the surface is evenly golden brown, the cake appears to have pulled away from the pan at the top edges and the center of the cake springs back gently when touched, 30 to 35 minutes.
• While the cakes bake, make the frosting: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk with 1/2 cup/100 grams granulated sugar, stirring occasionally, until the mixture comes to a simmer. Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar with the cornstarch and salt in a large bowl until combined. Add the egg yolks and whisk until smooth.
• Pour about 1 cup of the hot milk into the yolk mixture and whisk to combine. Add the yolk mixture to the saucepan and whisk to combine. Reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula, until it thickens enough to coat the back of the spatula, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium heat-safe bowl. Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap or a wet paper towel and refrigerate until no longer warm, about 1 hour. If making the piped version, make a separate half-batch of the custard now (see Tip 2).
• When the cakes are baked, cool them in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert them onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
• When the custard has cooled, finish the frosting: Transfer the custard to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment, and beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. With the mixer running and a splash guard attached or a kitchen towel draped over your mixer to contain splashes, add the butter about 2 tablespoons at a time, mixing until the butter is combined between each addition, about 20 seconds.
• Increase the speed to medium-high. The mixture may look uneven and lumpy, but keep whipping until it becomes silky smooth and lightens in color, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix to combine. (If making the piped version, finish the extra half batch of frosting now. Combine batches before dividing, coloring and frosting.)
• Use a serrated knife to slice each cake horizontally into two even rounds to form six cake layers: Place the first cake on a cake decorating turntable or flat plate. Use the knife to cut into the cake by holding the knife horizontally with the sharp side facing the cake, halfway up the side of the cake. Lightly cut into the cake by slicing into the outer perimeter of the cake all the way around, rotating the turntable or plate as you score it. Once you've created a marker around the outside of the cake as a visual guideline, continue rotating and moving the knife deeper into the cake to divide the cake into two even layers. Repeat with the other two cakes.
• Evenly divide the frosting into six bowls (you should have about 1 1/4 cups each). Use food coloring gel or paste to color the frosting red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple. Start with a few drops and add more as needed. Mix thoroughly.
• Working with one cake round on the cake decorating turntable or flat plate, use a pastry brush to brush away any extra crumbs that have collected before frosting. Scrape about 1/3 cup red frosting on top of the cake layer, in the center, and use a medium offset spatula to spread it into an even layer, spreading it all the way to the edge of the cake. Wipe the spatula clean. Top with another layer of cake, bottom-side up, then scrape about 1/3 cup orange frosting on top of the cake layer, in the center, and spread into an even layer. Continue this process, spreading three more cake layers with 1/3 cup of the yellow, green and blue frostings and wiping the spatula clean after each application. Top with the final cake layer, bottom-side up. (You'll use the purple frosting later.)
• Run a clean offset spatula around the sides of the cake to flatten the edge and smooth out excess frosting between layers that has leaked out on the sides. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to help the frosting set.
• Starting at the bottom of the cake, use a small offset spatula to apply a 1-inch thick stripe of red frosting. Wipe the spatula clean and repeat this process just above the red frosting with the orange frosting. Repeat, wiping the spatula clean between each application, with the yellow frosting, green and blue. The blue should be at the top edge of the cake and around the outer edge of the top surface of the cake. Cover the remaining top of the cake with the purple frosting. (If making the piped version, refer to Tip 3.)
• Hold a clean spatula horizontally flush against the top surface of the cake and slowly rotate the cake to smooth the surface. Clean the spatula and do the same to the sides of the cake, holding the spatula vertically. The colors will blend together to create an ombré effect. Add extra frosting to fix smudges and smooth the surface again. If desired, chill another 15 minutes before serving (this will make it easier to slice).

RAINBOW LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 3 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray.
• In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Divide batter evenly among 6 small bowls, about 1 1/3 cups each.
• Using food colors, tint batter in 1 bowl blue, 1 bowl red, 1 bowl green, 1 bowl yellow, 1 bowl orange (using red and yellow) and 1 bowl purple (using blue and red).
• Refrigerate 3 colors of batter until ready to bake. Pour remaining 3 colors of batter into cake pans.
• Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center and begins to pull away from side of pan. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pans to cooling racks; cool completely.
• Wash cake pans. Bake and cool remaining 3 cake layers as directed.
• In large bowl, beat shortening and butter with electric mixer on medium speed until light yellow. On low speed, gradually beat in powdered sugar. Beat in vanilla. Add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until frosting is smooth. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy.
• Trim rounded tops off cakes to level, if needed. On serving plate, place purple cake layer. Spread with frosting to within 1/4 inch of edge. Repeat with blue, green, yellow, orange and red cake layers. Spread light coat of frosting on top and side of cake to seal in crumbs, then frost with remaining frosting.

RASPBERRY RIBBON CAKE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, heat 2 cups cream over medium heat until bubbles form around side of saucepan. Pour over chocolate, whisking until melted; whisk in remaining cream. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. For filling, using a fine sieve, press raspberries into a large bowl. Discard seeds. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. , Let egg yolks and egg whites stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Sift flour and salt; set aside. For each cake, in a large bowl, beat 6 egg yolks until slightly thickened. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar, beating until thick and lemon-colored. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add 1/2 cup of the flour mixture; mix well. , In another bowl, beat 3 egg whites and 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in 1/4 cup sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Fold a fourth of egg whites into the batter, then fold in remaining whites. Gently spoon into parchment-lined 15x10x1-in baking pan; spread evenly. Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool on a wire rack. Repeat for second cake., In a large bowl, beat 3 cups chilled white chocolate mixture until stiff peaks form; refrigerate. In a bowl, refrigerate the remaining white chocolate mixture. In a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over cold water; let stand 5 minutes. Dissolve gelatin over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Stir gelatin into strained raspberries. Place bowl into a large bowl filled with ice water. Let cool until mixture is syrupy, stirring occasionally. Remove from water bath. Stir a fourth of reserved 3 cups whipped chocolate mixture into raspberry mixture; fold in remaining three-fourths of whipped chocolate mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until set. , Invert cooled cakes onto wire racks. Trim edges; cut each lengthwise into thirds. Spread one strip with a heaping cup of raspberry mixture to within 1 in. of short sides and 1/2 in. of long sides. Starting at the short end, roll up. Stand on end in center of serving plate. Spread remaining raspberry mixture over remaining strips. Working with one strip at a time, and starting at the edge of the last strip, coil around center roll. Cover and refrigerate., Beat reserved white chocolate until stiff peaks form. Spread over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Garnish with raspberries and mint., ,

EASY SIX-LAYER RAINBOW CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease six 9-inch round cake pans and dust with flour.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
• Beat 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter, milk, sugar, egg whites, and vanilla extract in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Stir in flour mixture and mix until just combined.
• Divide cake batter evenly between 6 bowls. Mix in different food coloring to each bowl, creating 6 different colored batters. Start with just 1 to 2 drops of food coloring in each bowl, then mix; you can always add more.
• Bake each cake in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Beat cream in a chilled glass or metal bowl with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Stir together confectioners' sugar and mascarpone cheese in a separate bowl, then fold gently into the whipped cream until smooth.
• Spread frosting on each layer of cooled cake, placing one on top of the other. Cover the top and sides with the remaining frosting. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

ITALIAN RAINBOW CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and lightly coat with coconut oil. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, potato starch, arrowroot, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt. Add 1 1/4 cups of the coconut oil, the agave nectar, applesauce, vanilla, the almond extract, if using, and the hot water. Stir with a rubber spatula until the batter is smooth.
• Divide the mixture evenly among 3 medium bowls. Add several drops of one food coloring to each bowl and mix until the color is evenly distributed and to your liking.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 12 minutes, rotate, and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 15 minutes more. Let cool in the pans on a rack for 30 minutes. Run a knife along each cake's edges to remove it from the pan.
• To assemble, place the green cake layer on a serving plate. Spread the raspberry preserves over it. Place the yellow cake layer on top of it. Spread with the apricot preserves. Top with the red cake layer and pour the chocolate sauce on the top and on the sides, spreading it evenly over the entire cake with a rubber spatula.
• Chill the cake for 20 minutes to harden chocolate glaze.