Six Layer Cake Food

RAINBOW LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease six 6-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside (if you don't have six pans, you can bake in batches).
• Sift the flour and baking powder together into a large bowl, then lightly stir in the salt and set aside. Whisk together the heavy cream and sour cream in a large measuring cup and set aside.
• Cream together the butter, coconut oil and granulated sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and almond extract, if using. Reduce the mixer to medium-low and add the dry mixture and cream mixture in 3 alternating additions, stopping right after you add the last of the dry mixture and cream mixture; don't mix them in completely, because when you mix in the food coloring you'll continue to mix, and that's when everything will get fully combined. (Prevent overmixing at all costs!)
• Divide the batter among 6 medium bowls (using a scale is the most efficient way to do this) and stir in good big plops of food coloring until the batter is bright. Distribute the batter among the cake pans and spread it out evenly.
• Bake until the tops of the cakes are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs on it; begin checking for doneness at 22 minutes and try your darnedest not to let it overbake.
• Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
• Level the tops of the layers with a serrated knife, then place a layer on a cardboard cake round. Stack layers up with a thin layer of Strawberry Buttercream in between each. Frost all over and decorate with sprinkles as desired. Enjoy!
• Beat together the butter and preserves in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until creamy, about 4 minutes. Gradually add the powdered sugar, then mix in the salt, vanilla, heavy cream and pink food coloring, if using. Mix until creamy.

EASY SIX-LAYER RAINBOW CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease six 9-inch round cake pans and dust with flour.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
• Beat 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter, milk, sugar, egg whites, and vanilla extract in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Stir in flour mixture and mix until just combined.
• Divide cake batter evenly between 6 bowls. Mix in different food coloring to each bowl, creating 6 different colored batters. Start with just 1 to 2 drops of food coloring in each bowl, then mix; you can always add more.
• Bake each cake in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Beat cream in a chilled glass or metal bowl with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Stir together confectioners' sugar and mascarpone cheese in a separate bowl, then fold gently into the whipped cream until smooth.
• Spread frosting on each layer of cooled cake, placing one on top of the other. Cover the top and sides with the remaining frosting. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

GERMAN CHOCOLATE 6-LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine the chocolate with 1/2 cup boiling water in the top of a double boiler until the chocolate is melted.
• Cream together the sugar and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed, 3 minutes. Fold in the melted chocolate. Add the egg yolks.
• Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Add to the butter mixture and stir to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Stir in the buttermilk.
• Beat the egg whites in a clean bowl with cleaned beaters until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the cake batter. Divide the batter among the prepared cake pans and bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Invert the pans onto racks and cool well.
• For the frosting: Combine the sugar, evaporated milk, butter, egg yolks and vanilla in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring continuously, being careful not to scorch the frosting. Lower the heat and cook, 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the coconut and pecans. Spread the frosting in a shallow pan, and place in the refrigerator to cool completely.
• To assemble the cake: Slice each cake layer in half horizontally, making a total of 6 thin layers. Place the first cake layer on a cake plate, then spread about 1/4 inch of the frosting over the top of the cake. Place the next cake layer over the frosting. Repeat the layers, alternating cake and frosting, until all the layers have been used. Frost the outside of the cake.

RAINBOW LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter 2 x 20cm round sandwich tins and line the bases with baking parchment. Tip all the sponge ingredients, apart from the food colouring, into a mixing bowl, then beat with an electric whisk until smooth.
• Working quickly, weigh the mixture into another bowl to work out the total weight, then weigh exactly half the mixture back into the mixing bowl. Pick two of your colours and stir a little into each mix. Keep going until you are happy with the colour - the colour of the batter now will be very similar to the finished cake, so be brave! Scrape the different batters into the tins, trying to spread and smooth as much as possible - but try not to waste a drop of the batter - a rubber spatula will help you. Bake on the same oven shelf for 15-20 mins until a skewer poked into the middle comes out clean. Don't worry if that sponges are thin, there are many layers.
• Gently turn the cakes out onto a wire rack to cool. Wash the tins and bowls thoroughly, and start again from step 1 - this time using another two colours. Unless you're making the optional pink layer, repeat one more time to get 6 sponges, all of different colours. Leave them all to cool.
• To make the icing, very briefly beat the vanilla and soft cheese or mascarpone with an electric whisk until smooth. Sift in the icing sugar and gently fold in with a spatula. Be careful - the more you work it, the runnier it will get, increasing the chance of splitting.
• Smear a little icing on your cake stand or plate - just a splodge to stick the first sponge. Start with the red, then spread with some icing right to the very edge. Repeat, sandwiching on top the orange, yellow, green, blue and finally purple sponges. Spread the remaining icing thickly all over the sides and top of the cake. For more expert advice on how to create the perfect rainbow cake, check out our tips, below.
• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter 2 x 20cm round sandwich tins and line the bases with baking parchment. Tip all the sponge ingredients, apart from the food colouring, into a mixing bowl, then beat with an electric whisk until smooth.
• Working quickly, weigh the mixture into another bowl to work out the total weight, then weigh exactly half the mixture back into the mixing bowl. Pick two of your colours and stir a little into each mix. Keep going until you are happy with the colour - the colour of the batter now will be very similar to the finished cake, so be brave! Scrape the different batters into the tins, trying to spread and smooth as much as possible - but try not to waste a drop of the batter - a rubber spatula will help you. Bake on the same oven shelf for 15-20 mins until a skewer poked into the middle comes out clean. Don't worry if that sponges are thin, there are many layers.
• Gently turn the cakes out onto a wire rack to cool. Wash the tins and bowls thoroughly, and start again from step 1 - this time using another two colours. Unless you're making the optional pink layer, repeat one more time to get 6 sponges, all of different colours. Leave them all to cool.
• To make the icing, very briefly beat the vanilla and soft cheese or mascarpone with an electric whisk until smooth. Sift in the icing sugar and gently fold in with a spatula. Be careful - the more you work it, the runnier it will get, increasing the chance of splitting.
• Smear a little icing on your cake stand or plate - just a splodge to stick the first sponge. Start with the red, then spread with some icing right to the very edge. Repeat, sandwiching on top the orange, yellow, green, blue and finally purple sponges. Spread the remaining icing thickly all over the sides and top of the cake. For more expert advice on how to create the perfect rainbow cake, check out our tips, below.

SIX-LAYER CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut three 9-inch rounds of parchment paper to line the bottoms of three 9-by-2-inch round cake pans. Coat pans with cooking spray. Line with parchment rounds; coat parchment with cooking spray. Flour pans, tapping out excess; set aside.
• Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together into a bowl; set aside.
• Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low; mix in creme fraiche and vanilla. Add flour mixture and eggs in alternating additions; mix well, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary, until batter is smooth.
• Reduce speed to low. Pour in melted chocolate in a slow, steady stream; mix until combined. Remove bowl from mixer; scrape down sides (batter will be thick). Stir by hand until well combined.
• Divide batter among pans, smoothing tops with an offset spatula. Bake until a cake tester inserted into centers comes out with moist crumbs, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Let cakes cool in pans on wire racks 30 minutes. Unmold cakes; peel off parchment. Let cakes cool completely.
• Trim tops of cakes with a long serrated knife to make the surfaces level. Using a ruler to measure halfway up sides of 1 cake, insert toothpicks around cake?s middle at 3-inch intervals to mark 2 equal layers. Rest serrated knife on the toothpicks; halve cake horizontally using a sawing motion. Carefully slide top cake half onto a cardboard cake round or a plate. Repeat with remaining 2 cakes.
• Put 1 bottom cake half on a cake plate. Using a small offset spatula, spread 3/4 cup frosting on top. Carefully set top cake half back in place. Spread 3/4 cup frosting on top. Repeat, stacking remaining 4 cake halves on top and spreading 3/4 cup frosting between each. (Do not frost top of last layer.)
• Spread top and sides of cake with 2 cups frosting in a thin smooth layer. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Spread remaining frosting over top and sides; apply with the offset spatula using an S motion to create a textured appearance.

6 LAYER CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Make the cake: Butter three 9-inch round cake pans, and dust with flour, tapping out excess.
• Sift flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and 1 1/2 teaspoons course salt into the bowl of a mixer.
• Beat on low speed until just combined.
• Raise speed to medium, and add eggs, buttermilk, 1 1/2 cups warm water, oil, and vanilla.
• Beat until smooth, about 3 minutes.
• Divide batter among pans.
• Bake until cakes are set and a toothpick inserted into the center of each comes out clean, about 35 minutes.
• Let cool in pans set on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
• Turn out cakes onto racks, and let cool completely.
• Make the caramel: Combine granulated sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan over high heat.
• Cook, without stirring, until mixture is dark amber, about 14 minutes.
• Remove from heat, and carefully pour in cream (mixture will spatter); stir until smooth.
• Return to heat, and cook until a candy thermometer reaches 238 degrees, about 2 minutes.
• Pour caramel into a medium bowl, stir in 1 teaspoon coarse salt, and let cool slightly, about 15 minutes.
• Stir in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the frosting: Whisk together cocoa and 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water in a bowl until cocoa dissolves.
• Beat butter, confectioners' sugar, and a generous pinch of coarse salt in a clean bowl with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy.
• Gradually beat in melted chocolate and then cocoa mixture until combined.
• Let stand for 30 minutes before using.
• Trim tops of cakes using a serrated knife to create a level surface.
• Cut each in half horizontally to form 2 layers.
• Transfer 1 layer to a serving platter, and spread 3/4 cup caramel over top.
• Top with another cake layer, and repeat with remaining caramel and cake layers, leaving top uncovered.
• Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.
• Frost top and sides of cake in a swirling motion.

TRISHA YEARWOOD'S 6-LAYER CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• FOR THE CAKE: Preheat the oven to 350°F Grease the bottom of three 9-inch, round cake pans with cooking spray, line with circles of parchment paper, and grease the paper with cooking spray.
• With an electric mixer, cream the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla. Sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the sugar mixture. Add the walnuts, coconut, carrot puree and pineapple. Beat until smooth.
• Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans and bake for 40 to 45 minutes at 350°F or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Cool the layers in the pans for about 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of each pan and turn the layers out onto wire racks that have been sprayed with cooking spray. Cool the layers completely before frosting. (Note: After the layers have cooled, cutting will be much easier if you wrap each cooled cake layer in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.).
• CREAM CHEESE FROSTING: Combine the cream cheese and butter in an electric mixer and beat until smooth. Slowly add the confectioners' sugar and continue beating until fully combined. Add the vanilla.
• Slice each cake layer horizontally in half using an electric knife. Ease a piece of parchment between the layers and lift off the top portion. Frost the bottom slice then add the next layer. Continue until the entire cake is frosted.
• Press the chopped walnuts into the sides of the cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.