Monday Makery - A little Slice of Rainbow

This cake is by no means an original Idea on my behalf. I've seen dozens of these on pinterest and though the idea is quite simple the effect is brilliant. This weather has got us baking more than usual and this weekend the girls wanted to make their favourite rainbow.
I am hopeless at decorating cakes and a messy butter-cream topping is the best I can do so this cake has been my 'go-to' cake when it comes to birthdays and school bake sales for a while now. The squeals of surprise and joy at all the colours forgives its not so pretty exterior. Whilst its enormous height with its seven layers of colours and more butter-cream filling lends itself to a fanciful mad hatters tea party both children and grown ups love it.
Use your own go to recipe for the vanilla sponge or if you'd rather cheat - there are definitely times when I have - buy ready made mixes and just add your colours as you go.

I use Nigella's Victoria sponge recipe as this is my go to basic cake recipe but if you have your own  favourite use that.

Here's what you'll need:

• 675g unsalted butter 
• 675 caster sugar
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 12 large eggs 
• 600g self raising flour
• 75g cornflour
• 3tsp baking powder
• 9-12 tbsp milk
• natural food colourings: blue, yellow, red, which you can then mix to get the blue, orange, green, indigo and violet; I'm sure the children can help to mix the right colours together.

For the topping:

• 240g unsalted butter 
• 750g icing sugar
• 3 tsp milk
• a few drops vanilla extract

When making the butter cream icing I've never before actually weighed the ingredients - for me its a case of adding a large lump of butter at room temperature, a whole lot of icing sugar and then a few teaspoons of milk at a time til I get the consistency and taste I like. So the above ingedients are a rough estimate and you may need to make a whole lot more too....its a very big cake! 

Here's how:

1. Turn on your oven to 180 oC/ gas mark 4.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together until smooth and all the ingredients are mixed to a good consistency.
3. Add the vanilla and the eggs one at a time adding a few spoonfuls of flour in-between each egg.
4. Fold in the remaining flour and baking powder and mix well.
5. Divide the mixture into 7 bowls and add a few drops of food colouring into each bowl to make your coloured layers.
6. Scrape each coloured mixture into its own cake tin - round ones work best.
7. Pop into the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the edges start to come away from the edge and the sponges have a good bouncy spring to the touch..
8. Once the cakes are done leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely. 
9. While waiting for the cakes to cool you can get started on the butter-cream topping.
10. Put your butter into the food mixer adding a little icing sugar as you go, add a few teaspoons of milk and a few drops of vanilla extract. To prevent your icing sugar from powdering your kitchen place a damp tea towel over the mixer.
11. You may want to put the frosting into the fridge for a little while to harden a little. Then start to ice the cake starting with the violet layer at the bottom, all the way up to red at the top.
12. Once you've layered the sponges cover the top and sides in more butter-cream frosting.
13. Serve. Cut. Squeal. Eat!

Oona, is that slice for me?

errr.....ummmmm....

uuuummmmm well........

 Thankfully, there's enough to go round!

Happy Making

---

This is part of our weekly Monday Makery where we bring you a recipe to bake or a craft to create. Visit our Monday Makery when you're in need of inspiration for something to do on a rainy day or to use as interception of the words 'I'm bored', or just because being creative with your children is something you all love to do.

Our other popular blogposts include 'The story behind our collections', 'Tell us its Tuesday' , An A-Z of Sisters Guild, The Art of Living posts bring you all the things we are passionate about and the things we discover in our lives as mamas, and our 'Once upon a week' gives you a glimpse into life behind the scenes at Sisters Guild. 

www.sistersguild.co.uk

Sign up for future news and offers: