When searching online for possible food options, I came across a recipe that I absolutely had to recreate: a rainbow "Leprechaun Trap" cake.
This cake is so colorful, so creative, and perfect for a Saint Patty's day celebration. I knew I was setting myself up for a baking challenge, but was willing to take the chance.
Luckily, my cake turned out great! I didn't know how the rainbow would look until I cut into it, but I was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't an easy cake to make, but I followed the instructions almost exactly and had very good results, so I would recommend this recipe to anyone with a creative flair, patience, and a steady hand!!
With out further ado, the recipe for this marvelous cake (taken from the website Not Martha, with a few alterations by me).
Rainbow Leprechaun Trap Cake
I started by whipping up one box of white cake batter, mixing as directed. I added one teaspon of almond extract to my batter, 'cause that's how I roll.
To form the rainbow in this cake, you have to separate your cake batter, color each section, then pour it into your cake pan one color on top of the next.
Separate the batter into eight bowls and use food coloring to dye the desired colors:
- 6 ounces – red
- 5 ounces – orange
- 4 ounces – yellow
- 3 ounces – green
- 2 ounces – blue
- 1 ounce – purple
- 1 ounce – to be kept white
- the rest of the batter, also kept white
First, pour the larger amount of white batter into the pan. Then pour the red batter in, making it a wide ring of batter. Then pour the orange over that, keeping it inside the red.
Pour in each color, creating narrower and narrower rings. As you go along snip smaller corners off the bags, it will help you control the narrower shape you are trying to make.
Put the cake in the oven, you might consider baking it at 325 instead of the usual 350 as it will dome a bit less when baked at a lower temperature. I set it at 325 and it turned out okay. As for timing, I can't remember how long mine was in the oven, but follow the box instructions and watch it.
After it's finished baking and has cooled completely, level off what will be the bottom of your cake, this will also help shape the base of the rainbow arch as the batter will curve under itself creating more of a rainbow horseshoe. My cake turned out to be very soft, so a piece of of broke when I was cutting the top off. No worries though, if that happens, you can "glue" it back with icing.
To frost the cake I made a half batch of the Magnolia Bakery buttercream frosting recipe found at MarthaStewart.com. First I did a crumb layer, followed by a few minutes in the freezer.
I used a star decorating tip and make various patterns on the cake. You can get creative here and use different tips, or just smooth the icing on with a knife.
Magnolia Bakery Vanilla Buttercream Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 6 to 8 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Directions
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter, 4 cups sugar, milk, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually add remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating for about 2 minutes after each addition, until icing reaches desired consistency; you may not need to add all the sugar. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
