Rainbow Petal Cake

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CLASSIC VANILLA CAKE

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 3/4 cups sugar
9 egg whites, at room temperature
4 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted twice then measured
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla bean paste

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Prepare three 8″ round pans with butter, parchment and flour.
2. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.
3. Stir vanilla bean paste into buttermilk.  Set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium-high using the paddle attachment.  Cream until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
5. With the mixer on low, add egg whites one at a time.  Mixing well after each egg.
6. Add one third of your dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
7. Add one half of your buttermilk.  Mix.  Alternate ingredients again. Dry, wet, dry and mix gently.  Do not over mix.
8. Divide batter between the three prepared pans.  Bake 30-33 minutes, rotating pans once.  Cake is finished when a toothpick comes out clean.
9. Cool 10 – 20 minutes before inverting cakes from pans.  Cool completely before assembling cake.  Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate if not using until tomorrow

RAINBOW BUTTERCREAM PETAL CAKE

Materials:

• 6″ crumb coated cake, chilled.
• Cake board or plate
• Skewer / Toothpick
• Ruler
• 3 cups Buttercream
• Icing / Frosting food color
• 6 zip lock bags
• A teaspoon
• Paper towel
• Scissors
• Turntable (optional)
• 6 glasses/cups

STEP ONE:  Take your chilled, crumb coated cake and place on your turntable. Measure the height of your cake and using the skewer or toothpick mark mid height all the way around, holding the skewer against the ruler for a guide. This cake was exactly 4″ therefore the marking is at a height of 2″. This marking will be your guideline to help keep you piping dots in a consistent and even manner.
STEP TWO:  Divide the buttercream into 6 x 1/2 cup amounts. Tint buttercream as desired. For this tutorial the ‘Electric’ range of gel colors by Americolor were used. Fill the zip lock bags with each individual color and snip off roughly a 1/4″ from the tip of each bag.
STEP THREE:   Place each bag of buttercream into a glass and line them up in the order you wish to pipe. This simple tip will keep your workspace tidy as well as helping you keep track of the color order.
STEP FOUR:  Pipe your first row of dots onto the cake. Use the guideline to help get even sized dots by piping 3 dots above the line and 3 dots below.
STEP FIVE:  Take the teaspoon and using the back gently swipe each dot evenly to the right or left. Using the paper towel clean the teaspoon between each swipe so that the colors stay separated.
STEP SIX:  Continue to pipe and swipe rows of dots. Stop and check that you’re keeping a nice vertical line every few rows.
STEP SEVEN:  When you have reached your starting point finish up with a row of unswiped dots. This will be the back of the cake.
STEP EIGHT:  At this point chill the cake for 10 minutes before starting on the top. Once chilled, pipe a circle of dots around the outer top edge and swipe into the center.
STEP NINE:  Continue in this manner until finishing with a single dot of color right in the very center. Alternatively you might like to finish the top in a snail style, swirl pattern. In this case you would start again from the outer edge, pipe a single dot, swipe and repeat until you’ve reached the center. Again finish with a single dot.
STEP TEN:  Step back and admire your rainbow creation.  Then serve and enjoy!