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Hi Bold Bakers!

I’m Gemma Stafford, a professionally trained chef from Ireland. I want to show you how to create over-the-top sweet and savory recipes that are sure to impress. My first recipe is an out of this world RAINBOW CAKE that is as beautiful as it is delicious. I know what you’re thinking…Rainbows. Irish. Yes, there’s definitely a pot of gold at the end of this recipe so watch and find out how to begin boldly baking outside of the boxed cake!

Watch The Recipe Video!

Rainbow Cake

4.96 from 23 votes

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My Rainbow Cake recipe is an easy birthday cake idea or you can use it for any special occasion!

Author: Gemma Stafford

My Rainbow Cake recipe is an easy birthday cake idea or you can use it for any special occasion!

Author: Gemma Stafford

Ingredients

Amazing Rainbow Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
3 2/3 Cups all purpose flour (or cake flour)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 Cup granulated sugar
1/2 Cup light brown sugar
1 Cup unsalted butter , melted
2 Large egg
1/2 Cup yogurt plain or sour cream
1 1/2 Cup Buttermilk
2 Tbsp vanilla extract
Food dye (Good quality and concentrated) red, yellow, orange, violet, blue and green
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 lb cream cheese (at room temperature for easy creaming)
1 stick (1/2 Cup) salted butter (at room temperature)
2 1/2 Cups powdered sugar , sifted
1 Tbsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Grease and line a 10 inch springform or baking pan. Set aside.
In a medium bowl mix together all the dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, baking soda, both sugars and salt.
In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt butter in the microwave and set aside.
In a jug ,Whisk in the wet ingredients minus the butter- egg, yogurt, buttermilk, and vanilla extract until combined.
Slowly mix the wet ingredients into the dry. Towards the end of mixing in the melted butter. The batter will be thick. Do not beat or over mix as this will toughen your cake.
Divide the batter into 6 bowls. Add a generous drop of food dye to each bowl. Mix until you have reached your desired color. Try to add enough at the start to avoid over mixing your cake batter.
Now for the fun part- Spoon the batter into prepared cake pan, alternating the color. Lay the colors over each other to create a beautiful marbled effect in the end cake.
Bake for 1hr 10- 1hr 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. This is a thick cake so it will take some time.
To make the frosting, beat cream cheese on medium speed with an electric or stand mixer.Add in Butter and beat for 4 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add in the sift powdered sugar spoonful by spoonful and vanilla extract with the mixer running, for 4 minutes roughly.
Frost cooled cake as desired. There may be leftover frosting depending how much you wish to use. Cover cake and store at room temperature for up to 7 days.

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Deirdre Querney

2 years ago

Hi Gemma!
If you decided to make individual cakes (5 cakes in six inch pans, each in a different colour of the rainbow), would there be enough batter in this recipe and how might the cooking time change?

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Katie Goldring

3 years ago

We haven’t made this recipe yet, but my son (age 5 3/4) loves your website and wanted me to write a comment. He says “I like rainbow cake!!” We will try this recipe for his birthday. I have never been much of a baker but he is making me learn and improve! Thank you bigger, bolder, baking!!

Emilee

I have been looking for this! Nothing else even came close to what I had in my mind, until I came across THIS! You’re a lifesaver Gemma. You’re going to make this auntie the favorite auntie❤.

Megean

Thank u for sharing ur expertise w/us all , I luved making this cake & it turned out wonderful, I have learned alot from u, I make my own buttermilk, & all ur naks, I am Irish ( grandfather was from Dublin), we r a big family & I have been baking & cooking in the kitchen since I was 8yrs.old, I luv baking, sometimes I want something more involved & sometimes I want something easier, I luved the make ur own cookie flavor & it was fun to do w/ the kids ( 4,17,22 & 25 yrs. old,lol), I… Read more »

Sarah

Hi, Gemma. I’m planning on making this for my son’s birthday in 3 6inch rounds. How long should I bake them if I put them all in the oven at once?

Sasha

Hi Gemma, can I make the different colour layers separately and can I make them in the microwave? I recently tried your microwave red velvet and it was a big hit !!

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Tom Kucera

Great idea! Even better instructions.

Roohi

What’s the alternative of cream cheese

Chris Charles

Hi… If I halve the recipe, how long should I bake?

Gosia

Hello Gemma,
One question: can I refrigerate the batter before baking?
I wonder because there is butter in the Ingredients and I worry that it will solidify.