Description
This vibrant Rainbow Cake features six colorful layers of moist, fluffy vanilla cake, each tinted with bright gel food coloring to create a stunning visual effect. Perfect for celebrations and special occasions, this homemade cake is baked to perfection with a tender crumb and balanced sweetness, ready to be frosted and enjoyed by all.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup milk
Other
- Gel food coloring (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease three 8-inch round cake pans thoroughly to prevent sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the room temperature butter and granulated sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy. This usually takes about 3-5 minutes.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Add the eggs one at a time to the creamed butter and sugar, beating well after each addition. Then add the vanilla extract and mix until incorporated.
- Combine Dry and Wet Mixtures: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture alternately with milk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix gently until just combined to avoid overmixing.
- Color the Batter: Divide the batter evenly into six separate bowls. Add a different gel food coloring to each bowl (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple) and stir until the colors are vibrant and uniform.
- Assemble the Cake Layers: Layer the colored batters into the prepared pans in order, starting with the red batter at the bottom, followed by orange, yellow, green, blue, and ending with purple on top. If your pans are three, bake in batches or layer two colors per pan as preferred.
- Bake: Place the pans in the preheated oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cakes; it should come out clean.
- Cool: Remove the cakes from the oven and allow them to cool completely in the pans on a wire rack before frosting and assembling.
Notes
- Use gel food coloring for vibrant colors without thinning the batter.
- Ensure butter is at room temperature for easier creaming.
- Do not overmix the batter to keep the cake tender.
- If you don’t have three pans, bake layers in batches to avoid overcrowding the oven.
- Let cakes cool completely before frosting to prevent melting.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: rainbow cake, layered cake, colorful cake, vanilla cake, celebration cake, birthday cake
