Rainbow Layer Cake

  • Prep 1 hr 5 min
  • Total 3 hr 5 min
  • Servings 12

Ingredients

Cake

Buttercream Frosting

  • 1 cup shortening
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 bag (2 lb) powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons milk

Steps

  • 1
    Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Spray bottoms and sides of 3 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray.
  • 2
    In large bowl, beat 1 box cake mix, water, oil and eggs called for on box, with electric mixer on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Divide batter evenly among 3 small bowls. Using food colors, tint batter in 1 bowl blue, 1 bowl red and 1 bowl green to desired shades.
  • 3
    Bake 17 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
  • 4
    Meanwhile, repeat with second box of cake mix, water, oil and eggs to make 3 more layers. Divide batter evenly among 3 small bowls. Using food colors, tint batter in 1 bowl yellow, 1 bowl orange (using red and yellow) and 1 bowl purple (using blue and red). Repeat baking and cooling.
  • 5
    In large bowl, beat shortening and butter with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. On low speed, gradually beat in powdered sugar. Beat in vanilla. Add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until frosting is smooth. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy.
  • 6
    Trim off rounded tops of cake layers to level, if necessary. On serving plate, place purple cake layer. Frost with 1/2 cup frosting. Repeat with blue, green, yellow, orange and red cake layers. Frost top and side of cake with thin layer of frosting to form a crumb coat. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Spread remaining frosting on top and side of cake. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

  • Be sure to cool cake pans completely, then wash, dry and spray with cooking spray before baking the second cake mix.
  • If you only have two 8-inch cake pans for this Rainbow Layer Cake recipe, bake the cakes in three batches instead.
  • To make sure cake layers bake up level, be sure to evenly divide the batter between the bowls when coloring.
  • Using half shortening and half butter for the buttercream frosting ensures that it will stay firm enough at room temperature.
  • Ever wondered how to make a Rainbow Layer Cake without having to fuss over the layers? For guaranteed easy unmolding, line each pan with baking parchment. Set one of the pans on the paper and trace a circle around the base with the tip of a sharp paring knife to create a round that fits inside the pan; repeat to make enough for all the layers.
  • To give your Rainbow Layer Cake a deeper red color, add a teaspoon or two of unsweetened baking cocoa to the red batter.
  • Make this Rainbow Layer Cake a party dessert and switch up the colored layers as requested by the birthday girl or boy.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving
Calories
990
Calories from Fat
440
Total Fat
49g
75%
Saturated Fat
17g
87%
Trans Fat
1g
Cholesterol
135mg
45%
Sodium
520mg
22%
Potassium
45mg
1%
Total Carbohydrate
131g
44%
Dietary Fiber
0g
0%
Sugars
102g
Protein
6g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
10%
10%
Vitamin C
0%
0%
Calcium
15%
15%
Iron
10%
10%
Exchanges:
1 Starch; 0 Fruit; 7 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 9 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
9
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
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