Homemade Rainbow cake is a fun, bright and colorful cake that is perfect for any occassion. This easy cake recipe starts with a vanilla cake and turns it into a beautiful colorful cake that everyone will love to look at and eat. This vanilla rainbow cake is the perfect addition to any party, get together or just because you want a beautiful cake for dessert.
Homemade Rainbow Cake Recipe
If you are looking for an awesome birthday cake that is sure to wow everyone then you want to make this homemade rainbow cake. Make with a homemade vanilla cake recipe, food coloring and homemade buttercream frosting you will have the most amazing looking cake!
When you are having a party you want to have a beautiful cake to. This rainbow cake has an amazing vanilla cake flavor and the most beautiful, bright and fun colors when you cut into it. For years I have been making my kids rainbow cakes and they always love them.
This rainbow cake can be made with boxed cake mix or the from scratch vanilla cake recipe I have included. Of course I love homemade cakes, but if you are short on tiime feel free to take that little cheat and use a boxed cake mix to make a beautiful raiinbow cake.
I am going to warn you now, this post is photo heavy because I can not get enough of just how beeautiful this rainbow cake is. All the bright colors, with the white frosting and then colored frosting swirls. It really just makes me smile a lot to look at!
What size cake does this recipe make?
You can use this cake recipe to make sheet pan rainbow cake and bake it in a 9×13 baking dish.
You can make a double layer rainbow cake by baking this recipe in two 8 inch round cake pans. If you are making a double layer cake then I suggest putting a layer of frosting between the cake layers.
You can use this recipe to make rainbow cupcakes, fill the paper liners until 3/4 full. Bake the cupcakes for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Tips for Making this Recipe
Grease the pan well. Grease the baking pans well or line with parchment paper. This is important in making sure the cake does not stick to the pan when baking and makes it easier to remove when done baking.
Cool Cake Completely. It is important that the cake is fully cooled before you start frosting them otherwise you will have issues with frosting as you frost the cake.
Do not over mix. Over mixing the batter will lead to having tough and flat cake. When making cake you have to be careful that you don’t over mix the batter when you are folding in the flour mixture. If you over-mix your cake batter your cake will turn out flat.
Tips for decorating Cakes
Frosting Swirls. When you are making this cake you are going to want to make frosting swirls on top of the cake, to do this you will do it in the same way as making frosting swirls on top of cupcakes. If you have never done frosting swirls check out how to make an icing swirl.
Variations of this Recipe
If you do not want to make a homemade vanilla cake you can use a boxed white cake or a boxed vanilla cake instead of the homemade cake. Just skip the directions for making a cake, and start with the coloring of the cake batter. You can also use the Best cake mix hack, to make a boxed cake taste like a bakery cake as well.
Usee any colors food coloring. You don’t have to stick with the colors I used, you can use any colors that you want to.
What Frosting goes with vanilla Rainbow cake?
When making this rainbow cake I like to use vanilla buttercream frosting. If you are looking to change up the frosting and keep the rainbow theme in the frosting then you will want to use white frosting. I suggest using almond buttercream, marshmallow buttercream, whipped vanilla frosting, and cream cheese frosting.
If you are only wanting the cake to be colored then you can use any frosting that you want to. Some of our favorites to pair with vanilla cake are:
- Chocolate Buttercream
- Blackberry Buttercream Frosting
- Pink Lemonade Frosting
- Peanutbutter Buttercream Frosting
- Mint Buttercream
- Caramel buttercream
- Raspberry buttercream
- Mocha buttercream
If you are wanting to get the exact frosting design of this cake, then you will want to use this tutorial on swirling different colored frostings and frost with a white cake frosting.
What Food Coloring is Best for Coloring Cake?
I prefer to use gel food coloring when I am coloring cakes. You need a lot less gel food coloring than liquid food coloring to get a bright color without watering down the batter.
How to Store Homemade Cake
It is best to store the homemade cake in an airtight container on the counter. The cake is best to be enjoyed within 48 hours of making. It won’t be bad to eat after 48 hours but they will start to dry out and not be as fresh.
How to Freeze Homemade Cake
You can make this chocolate cake and freeze it to use later. You will want to freeze the cake without any frosting. Wrap the cake layers individually with plastic wrap and freeze on a baking sheet. Then the cake is solid store in a zip-close freezer bag. It will keep for up to 2 months when frozen.
To use, just defrost the cake in the fridge and then decorate as desired when thawed.
Rainbow Cake Ingredients
- 1.5 cups self rising flour
- 1 1/4 cups cake flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 eggs
- Food Coloring in desired colors
How to Make homemade Rainbow cake
Heat the oven to 350.
Place your self-rising flour, cake flour, and sugar in the bowl of your mixer. Mix them together for a minute or two until they are well combined.
Cut your butter into tablespoon pieces. Slowly add your butter into the flour mixture one piece at a time continue mixing until you have reached the texture of sand.
Pour half of your milk into the flour mixture and mix just until the milk is incorporated. Use your rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of your bowl. Add your remaining milk and the vanilla to your batter and mix until combined.
Slowly add in one egg at a time to the cake batter, making sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next egg.
Spray cake pan with no stick spray. After the cake batter is made get 6 bowls and divide the cake batter evenly among them.
Add food dye to each bowl to get your desired color and mix well to color the cake batter.
Once all of your batters are the colors you wanted and mixed well, get out your baking pan. Grease the baking pan and then take the first color you want to use drop spoonfuls of cake batter into the pan. Then repeat with the rest of the cake mix until all your cake mix is in the cake pan.
Bake for 30-35 minutes.
Check with a toothpick by poking the toothpick in the center of the cake and when it comes out clean it is done baking.
Allow cake to cool completely. Decorate as desired.
Cake Recipes
Rainbow Cake
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups self rising flour
- 1 1/4 cups cake flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 eggs
- Food Coloring in desired colors
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350.
- Place your self-rising flour, cake flour, and sugar in the bowl of your mixer. Mix them together for a minute or two until they are well combined.
- Cut your butter into tablespoon pieces. Slowly add your butter into the flour mixture one piece at a time continue mixing until you have reached the texture of sand.
- Pour half of your milk into the flour mixture and mix just until the milk is incorporated. Use your rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of your bowl. Add your remaining milk and the vanilla to your batter and mix until combined.
- Slowly add in one egg at a time to the cake batter, making sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next egg.
- Spray cake pan with no stick spray. After the cake batter is made get 6 bowls and divide the cake batter evenly among them.
- Add food dye to each bowl to get your desired color and mix well to color the cake batter.
- Once all of your batters are the colors you wanted and mixed well, get out your baking pan. Grease the baking pan and then take the first color you want to use drop spoonfuls of cake batter into the pan. Then repeat with the rest of the cake mix until all your cake mix is in the cake pan.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes.
- Check with a toothpick by poking the toothpick in the center of the cake and when it comes out clean it is done baking.
Comments & Reviews
Bella Taul says
I love this so much. I am definitely going to do it. Fun!!!