Simple and Easy Rainbow Cake Recipe

Simple and Easy Rainbow Cake – Baking from Scratch Series

Nothing beats having a rainbow cake to celebrate your kids birthday party. This rainbow cake is not just simple, easy and delicious but also uses my one bowl vanilla cake batter that makes preparing the batter super quick and effortless.

One of the fun things about making a rainbow cake is having the kids join in the fun. right? Which means you need a batter that can take a little kid abuse of over beating or under mixing!  Know what I mean?

I have always had my kids bake a rainbow cake with me. I mean they are the ones that get excited about it, so why not get them to mix! They love mixing and over mixing that color. My Rhea can beat the life out of the cake batter before she hands it over for baking.

BAKING A CAKE FROM SCRATCH

Yes, this is one more addition to my baking from scratch series. By now you know I’m on a mission to get everyone to bake from scratch not just because it’s always better but because it’s so EASY!!

Here’s more more of my ONE BOWL RECIPES for you. This is a vanilla and it’s pretty much the basic formula that works every single time.

One Bowl Vanilla Cake Recipe 

Can you think of a cake recipe more easier than just adding all the ingredients in a bowl and mixing? Nah!
And yes, it works perfectly every single time. That is why this recipe has always been most popular with everyone on this blog.

THE SWEET SUCCESS TO ONE BOWL RECIPES.

I know you have heard me say it a zillion times but I’ll say it again. The key success to baking a one bowl recipe is the temperature of all your ingredients. yes! All your ingredients must be at room temperature. If you see the other recipes in my baking from scratch series I have always given you my tips and even shared pictures on what to and what not to do.

Baking Pans for your rainbow cake. 

I often get people say and ask – I don’t have so many baking pans of the same size, so is is ok to mix the batter and leave it out while I reuse the pan and bake in batches.

First, Yes, this recipe can wait while  you bake in batches but – why re-use baking pans when you can actually buy disposable baking trays. Yup!! I always use disposable baking trays for my rainbow cake. That way I do not have to wash my pans in between baking.

Ain’t that cool?

Natural Food Coloring option:

I always use gel food colors but I now many of you would like to consider the option of natural food colors. These days you do get some brand of natural gel colors that are available in the market too. Here I am sharing with you some option of fruit puree/juice that you can use to obtain colors naturally.
Start with 2 tbsp of fruit puree/juice and add more if needed.

It is very important to understand though that natural food color is not flavorless. Which means your batter will not only obtain the color of the fruit but also the taste and flavor.  Here are some options to consider.

• Green – Juice of Kale or Spinach
• Blue –  Juice or puree of Blueberries
• Purple – Juice of puree of Black berries, grapes.
• Red – Beetroot juice
• Pink – red currents or Strawberries
• Brown – Coffee or Chocolate
• Orange – Carrot juice
• Yellow – yellow beet / turmeric or Saffron.

Quick Buttercream Frosting 

I love a good Swiss Meringue Buttercream with my Rainbow Cake, you can try either my Swiss Meringue Buttercream or my Italian Meringue Buttercream. Or I would highly recommend you try my Velvet American Buttercream Recipe. All these work absolutely amazing

Below I have given you a quick and easy – which I call lazy buttercream recipe for those of us that like to do things on the fly sometimes – quick and easy.

Disposable or Foil baking pans – I used these 7″ round – which made these 6 layers

Recipe – One Bow Vanilla Cake Recipe – Quick Vanilla Buttercream

Tools

• Mixer – Hand Mixeror Kitchen-Aid or K-mixwhich ever works for you.
• Bowls
• Whisk
• Spatula
• Cake Pans
• Parchment Paper
• Baking Tray
• Cooling Rack

Ingredients – Rainbow Cake Recipe

For the Batter 

• All purpose flour – 360 grams  (3 cups)
• Unsalted butter – 226 grams (1 stick )
• White fine grain sugar  – 300 grams (1 1/2 cup )
• Large eggs – 5 nos
• Sour cream – 3/4 cup
• Vanilla – 2 tsp
• Baking powder – 2 tsp
• Baking soda – 1 tsp

Quick Vanilla Buttercream

• Unsalted butter – 226 grams ( 2 stick)/ 1 cup
• Powder sugar /confectioners sugar – 500 grams (4 cups)
• Whipping cream – 1/4 cup
• Vanilla – 1 tsp

Method

Prepare Batter

• Preheat oven – 160 C / 320 F
• Grease and line your baking pans / foils
• Ensure all ingredients are at room temperature especially butter and eggs.
• In a mixing bowl – add all ingredients – butter, sugar, flour, eggs, sour cream, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla
• Mix the batter well using a paddle attachment of an electric mixer or a hand whisk in a bowl.
• You want a smooth creamy batter with not lumps.

For the Rainbow Cake

• Divide you batter between six bowls approximately. I use similar bowls and a measuring cup.
• To make a Rainbow Cake we need six colors!
• Add the six colors – Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue and Purple.
• Start with two drops and if needed; add more.
  Note: The colors will darken during baking so do not over do the colors.
• Pour the batter from the six bowls into the six foils/pan and spread evenly.

Bake Pans /foils

• Bake in a preheated oven on the center rack
• You can bake them in batches of two or three.

Make Buttercream

• Mix all buttercream ingredients in a bowl
• Mix to combine then
• Whip on high for three minutes until light and fluffy.

Assemble

• Once all layers are baked and cooled completely
• Simple syrup the layers (simple syrup is sugar syrup which helps keep the layers moist)
• Place one layer on a platter /cake board
• Spread about 1/2 to 3/4 cup buttercream
• Spread evenly before you stack the next later and repeat the whole process.
• Once you stack the layers place it in the fridge so the buttercream will hold the layers without moving – about 10 mins
• Put the remaining buttercream in a piping bag with a star tip and pipe swirls just like you do on a your swirl cupcakes.
• Chill the cake so the buttercream will set.
• Serve cake at room temperature.

Save this recipe for later;  you can find a collection of recipes and tutorials here on Pinterest 

Recipe Card – Simple and Easy Rainbow Cake Recipe 

This was my simple rose swirl Cake – but you must check out my other buttercream tutorials for cake decorating tutorials