Rainbow Layer Cake

My sister and her two kids have been staying with me for the last two weeks and it has been so fun to have them here.  My niece had her 4th birthday while she was here, so of course I had to make her a fabulous birthday cake!  I saw the idea for this cake, and figured it couldn't be too hard.  I've seen recipes making this cake from scratch, but I decided to use cake mixes.  Just for simplicity.  And for my sanity. Sometimes the two go hand in hand.  I prepared the mixes using a whole egg instead of just the egg white called for on the package, and I baked the cakes in a 9 inch round cake pan.  For the frosting, you can use home made or storebought.  I made my own frosting, and I'll tell you what.  It totally elevated this cake.  This cake was devoured in record time, and it was enormous.  When you look at the frosting recipe, don't panic.  It looks like a gigantic recipe.  And it kind of is.  But keep in mind that this is a gigantic cake.  Six layers people. We're talking cake for days weeks.  If you decide to use storebought frosting, you will need 3 cans of whichever flavor you want.  For the colorful licorice, I had some technical difficulty.  Originally, I placed the licorice at an angle and trimmed the tops, thinking that it would be not to hard to cut the cake at an angle to match the licorice.  I was wrong.  After reducing several pieces of cake to a giant pile of crumbs, I repositioned the licorice to be straight up and down, which made it no big deal to slice.  This cake looks amazing when decorated, and is so fun when you slice into it!

Rainbow Layer Cake

Cake:

Pillsbury Red Cake Mix Pouch (8.25 ounces)

Pillsbury Orange Cake Mix Pouch (8.25 ounces)

Pillsbury Yellow Cake Mix Pouch (8.25 ounces)

Pillsbury Green Cake Mix Pouch (8.25 ounces)

Pillsbury Blue Cake Mix Pouch (8.25 ounces)

Pillsbury Purple Cake Mix Pouch (8.25 ounces)

4 cups water, divided (2/3 cup for each cake mix)

1 1/2 cups oil, divided (1/4 cup for each cake mix)

6 eggs (1 for each cake mix)

Frosting:

3 sticks butter

1 1/2 cups vegetable shortening (preferably Crisco)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract

1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract 

1 1/2 tablespoons meringue powder

3 pounds powdered sugar

4 tablespoon milk (optional)

3 packages of rainbow colored licorice

Gummy Bears

Rainbow Sprinkles

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Grease and flour 2 9 inch round cake pans.

For the cake, prepare the red cake mix using 2/3 cup water, 1/4 cup oil, and 1 egg.  Stir until well blended, then pour the batter into one of the prepared pans.  Repeat process with the orange cake mix, pouring the batter into the second prepared pan.  Bake the cakes in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.   Cool for several minutes in the pan, then turn the cake out of the pan and let cool completely on a cooling rack.  Repeat the process with the yellow, green, blue, and purple cake mixes, regreasing and flouring the pans between uses.  Cool all of the cake layers completely.

For the frosting, cream together the butter, shortening, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the lemon and almond extracts and beat until well blended. Turn off the mixer and add the meringue powder and half of the powdered sugar. Mix on low speed until blended. Mix in the remaining powdered sugar a little at a time, and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl, until all the sugar is mixed in. Turn the mixer up to medium and beat until smooth and creamy.  If the icing seems too thick to spread, beat in enough milk to reach the desired consistency.

To assemble the cake, level the cakes if necessary.  Spread a little bit of frosting on a serving plate to adhere the first layer to the plate.  Place the purple cake layer upside down on the plate.  Spread with a thin layer of frosting.  Place the blue cake layer upside down on top, and spread with a thin layer of frosting.  Repeat with the green layer, then the yellow layer, then the orange layer, then the red layer on the very top.  Spread frosting over the top and sides of the cake.  Press the licorice onto the sides of the cake, in the red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple pattern until the entire circumference of the cake is covered with licorice.  Using kitchen shears, trim off the licorice that extends over the top of the cake.  Sprinkle the rainbow sprinkles over the top of the cake, and place the gummy bears around the top edge of the cake.  Makes 36 - 48 servings.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy