This gorgeous rainbow cake is the best way to add a splash of color to any special occasion! Not only is this cake beautiful to look at, but it’s extra moist and topped with luscious homemade buttercream. It’s the perfect dessert for birthdays, Saint Patrick’s Day, and more! Festive cakes are my favorite. They look great, taste great, and are so fun to put together! If you’re looking for other show-stopping cakes, try this Easter cake, pink velvet cake, or homemade funfetti cake for more fun color!
Rainbow Layered Cake
If you’re looking for a show-stopping dessert, this rainbow cake is pretty hard to beat. I mean, look at it! It almost looks too good to eat with the wash of rainbow in each slice. My youngest is obsessed with everything rainbow, so cutting into it to reveal the colorful inside is like magic. It’s actually surprisingly easy to assemble, so don’t be intimidated! The cake itself is vanilla flavored, but feel free to add in different flavor extracts to switch things up! The cake is super soft and moist. You’re going to love it! Each rainbow layer is frosted with my tried and true buttercream recipe, which is absolutely to die for. So not only does this rainbow cake look great, but it tastes even better! This is the best dessert for birthdays or Saint Patrick’s Day parties. (You just need to add a pot of gold!) Let’s get started with everything you need to put it together!
Ingredients for Rainbow Cake
Between the cake and the frosting, this rainbow cake uses a bunch of simple ingredients. As long as you have food coloring, you may have everything you need to put it together! Check out the recipe card below for exact measurements.
For the Vanilla Cake:
Cake Flour: I used cake flour here, but you can also use all-purpose flour. It will just give the cake a slightly different crumb.Granulated Sugar: Gives each layer of cake the perfect sweetness.Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Helps the cake turn out light and airy.Buttermilk: My secret weapon for cakes! It makes them extra tender and also adds a slight tangy flavor.Milk: I recommend using whole milk. The higher the fat content, the more moist your cakes will be.Vanilla Extract: Adds a sweet, floral flavor.Vegetable Oil: For moisture!Egg Whites: Help to leaven the cake and add structure. Make sure they’re at room temperature so they mix together smoothly with the batter.Food Coloring: I like using gel food coloring to color my cakes because it makes them so vibrant!
For the Buttercream Frosting:
Unsalted Butter: Let it come to room temperature before you use it. This way, you’ll end up with smoother frosting.Powdered Sugar: For sweetness and a smooth texture.Vanilla Extract: Gives the frosting a delicious flavor.Salt: Just a pinch!Heavy Cream: Adjusts the consistency of the frosting.Food Coloring: You can use a drop of purple food coloring to counteract the yellow in the frosting. This will make it look nice and bright!
How to Make a Layered Rainbow Cake
I know it may look like a lot of steps, but this easy rainbow cake is actually very straightforward to make! Whip this up for your next party and everyone will be impressed.
Making the Buttercream Frosting/ Assembling the Rainbow Cake
Thickness of Layers: To achieve flatter cakes, let them cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before flipping upside down on a cooling rack. Let cool for 20 minutes before flipping back right side up. This will give you a nice flat top on your cake layers.Freezing Layers: Freezing the cake layers overnight helps prevent the cakes from crumbling as you frost them.Adjusting Colors: You can control how much coloring you want in the cake layers and frosting. It can be bright, neon, or pastel! Whatever shades you want for your rainbow, go for it. Remove Excess Frosting: When frosting the cake, scrape off excess frosting on the side of a bowl as you go so you have a clean edge to smooth better with.Use Homemade Cake: This cake is best made from scratch. Store-bought cake mixes lack the structure needed to support so many layers. If you use cake mix, you will risk ending up with a crumbling cake that won’t hold it’s shape as you stack and cut into it.
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All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
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