Buttermilk

Rainbow Layer Cake

by:
June 25, 2014
4
1 Ratings
Rainbow Layer Cake
  • Serves 8-10
Author Notes

We don't covet the pot of gold. We want the rainbow. Yes, the rainbow, especially when we consider Chef Lisa's Rainbow Layer Cake, four sweet layers of brightly colored cake coated in a creamy vanilla icing and decorated with Skittles candy. While this cake is jaw-droppingly impressive, it's also surprisingly simple to make. What are you waiting for? Chase the rainbow!!! —bitememore

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Vanilla Cake
  • 1 cup vegetable shortening
  • 2½ cups sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 4 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1½ cups buttermilk
  • green, pink, yellow and blue food coloring
  • Vanilla Frosting
  • 1 cup butter
  • ½ cups vegetable shortening
  • 5 cups icing sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 tablespoons whole milk
  • assorted skittles for decorating
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat four 8-inch round baking pans with non-stick cooking spray. Place parchment paper along the bottom of each for easy removal.
  2. For the cake, using an electric mixer, cream together vegetable shortening and sugar for 2 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time and add vanilla extract. Continue to beat for 2 minutes more. Add flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk. Beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Divide batter evenly among 4 small bowls. Using food coloring, tint batter green, pink, yellow and blue. Pour batter into cake pans. Bake 18-22 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool completely before assembling.
  3. For the frosting, using an electric mixer, cream together butter and shortening. Add icing sugar on low speed until well combined. Add vanilla extract and milk, mixing until smooth and desired consistency. Place the green cake layer on a serving plate. Spread with ¾ cup frosting. Place pink layer on top and spread ¾ cup frosting over top. Place yellow layer and spread with ¾ cup frosting. Top with blue layer and spread a light coat of frosting on top and sides of the layer cake to seal in the crumbs. Use remaining frosting to cover completely. Decorate the sides of the cake with corresponding Skittles colors and cover the top with your choice of colored Skittles.
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4 Reviews

Jennifer S.
Jennifer S. December 19, 2014
I hate to say this, but this cake was dreadful. Actually, to be fair, it looked beautiful, and it was easy to make, so not entirely dreadful. But though the batter tasted pretty nice before going in the oven, after cooking it was just so bleh. I bake cakes for friends all the time, and this was the first time I've ever thrown 2/3rds of a cake away. But it sure was pretty.
 
bitememore
bitememore December 19, 2014
Hi Jennifer! We're so sorry to hear that it didn't turn out for you. You may have better results (color and taste-wise) getting a proper concentrated gel food coloring, like those made by Wilton (www.wilton.com). You need to use much less of cheaper brands so you don't run the risk of flavoring the food. As well, you want to make sure that your food coloring has not been sitting in the drawer too long which could also create an off taste!
 
anne
anne June 29, 2014
what kind of vegetable shortening. butter, oil???
 
bitememore
bitememore June 30, 2014
Crisco vegetable shortening!