Rainbow Confetti Birthday Pie Food

INSTANT POT CONFETTI BIRTHDAY CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Coat a 7-inch round cake pan with 3-inch sides with nonstick spray. Line the bottom of the pan with a parchment, coat the paper.
• Whisk together the flour, sprinkles, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl to combine.
• Beat the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until pale yellow, 2 minutes. Add the confectioners' sugar and beat on high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the vanilla and egg, scraping down sides and bottom of the bowl, and continue to beat until creamy, about 2 minutes (the mixture will look curdled but will come back together after it has been beaten for 1 or 2 minutes).
• With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the sour cream in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
• Place two 18-inch pieces of twine criss-crossing one another on a clean work surface. Place the cake pan over the twine, then lay a clean dish towel over the top of the cake pan and tuck the ends under. Take the 2 ends of 1 piece of twine and tie them into a tight knot over the top of the cake pan. Repeat with the remaining twine so that you have two twine handles to support and lift the cake.
• Set a rack inside the Instant Pot® and add 2 cups water. Using the twine handles, place the cake inside the pot. Follow the manufacturer's guide for locking the lid and preparing to cook. Set to pressure cook on high pressure for 40 minutes (see Cook's Note).
• After the pressure cook cycle is complete, follow the manufacturer's guide for natural release for 15 minutes and then quick release and wait until the cycle is complete. Be careful of any remaining steam and unlock and remove the lid.
• Lift the cake out of the pot. Cut the twine and unwrap the cake pan, then transfer to a wire rack. Let the cake cool in the pan, 30 minutes, then invert the cake onto a rack, peel off the parchment and let cool completely.
• Invert the cake again so that it is right-side up. Horizontally trim the top dome from the cake with a long serrated knife to create a flat surface. Slice the cake in half horizontally to make 2 layers. (Cake can be baked 1 day ahead.) Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature.
• For the buttercream: Beat the confectioners' sugar and butter with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape in the seeds from the vanilla bean, then add 2 tablespoons cream and continue to beat on high speed for 1 minute more, adding more cream if necessary for a spreadable consistency.
• Place 1 cake layer on a cake stand or large plate. Spoon 1 1/2 cups buttercream over the top. Smooth the buttercream to the edge of the cake using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, creating an even layer. Place another cake layer on top. Spread the remaining buttercream over the top and sides of the cake. Decorate with sprinkles as desired.

RAINBOW CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray the bottom and sides of six 8-inch round cake pans; dust with flour and tap out excess.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
• Beat the butter, sugar and oil in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla seeds, until combined.
• Transfer the creamed mixture to a very large mixing bowl, then alternate folding in the flour mixture and the milk with a spatula, adding the flour in 3 additions and the milk in 2, starting and ending with the flour, just until smooth. Divide the batter equally among 6 mixing bowls. Using gel food colors, tint each bowl with one of the colors of the rainbow. Pour each color into its own prepared cake pan.
• Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove the cakes to the rack to cool completely.
• Level the tops of any cake layers that have domed by slicing the domes off with a serrated knife. Put some buttercream into a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Put the bottom cake layer onto a cake plate. Pipe around the edge of the cake layer to create a frosting "dam." Fill the center with a thin layer of jam (about 1/2 cup). Top with another cake layer and repeat until you have stacked and filled all the layers. Frost the outside of the cake with the remaining buttercream and decorate as desired.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the confectioners' sugar, butter, milk, vanilla seeds and salt. Beat on low speed for a while. When the sugar is incorporated, turn the speed up and beat until the buttercream is fluffy and smooth. If it's too wet, add a bit more confectioners' sugar. If it's too stiff, add a bit more butter. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl once or twice to make sure everything is combined.
• Use immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 24 hours or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Rewhip cold buttercream before using.

CONFETTI CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Grease bottoms and sides of two 8-inch round cake pans with shortening or cooking spray. Make cake batter as directed on box. Pour into pans.
• Bake as directed on box for 8-inch rounds. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• On serving plate, place 1 cake, rounded side down. Spread with frosting. Top with second cake, rounded side up. Frost side and top of cake with remaining frosting. Arrange sprinkles over top of cake. Place candle in top center of cake.

FUNFETTI CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and grease and line 4 x 20cm cake tins. If you don't have 4, halve the sponge recipe and bake in 2 batches.
• Put the sugar, butter and vanilla paste in a large bowl and beat with an electric whisk (or in a table top mixer) until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs gradually, beating between each addition until fully incorporated. Add a tbsp or 2 of flour if the mixture looks like it's curdling.
• Sift in the flour and baking powder with a tsp of salt and fold into the cake batter. Pour in the milk and beat to loosen the mixture. Scatter over the sprinkles and ripple through the cake batter before dividing between each cake tin. Bake for 25-30 mins until golden and the sponge springs back when you press it lightly. Swap the tins around in the oven after 15 mins to ensure they cook evenly. Cool on wire racks completely before icing.
• Meanwhile, make the icing by beating the butter with half of the icing sugar until combined and fluffy. Add the cream cheese and the rest of the icing sugar, beating again until fully combined. Drizzle over the vanilla paste and beat until incorporated. Put a large round nozzle into a piping bag and spoon in the icing.
• When the cakes have cooled put a blob of icing onto a cake board and sit 1 of the sponges on top. Pipe blobs of vanilla icing in a circle covering the whole base of the sponge, then top with the next sponge. Repeat with all 3 layers, scattering over some extra sprinkles on the top. Serve in slices.