Recipe Idea
NHS Rainbow Cake
Have you woken up with a craving for a Skittles covered cake? then you're going to LOVE this rainbow creation.
Forget layers of multi-coloured cake sponge (as much as we love that), we've interpreted rainbow cake in a whole other way, creating the perfect jam sponge, and cutting into a rainbow arch shape, complete with marshmallow clouds of course.
MAKES:10 - 12
PREP TIME:0 HOURS 40 MINS
TOTAL TIME:1 HOUR 20 MINS
INGREDIENTS FOR THE CAKE
125 g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease
150 g caster sugar
2 medium eggs
100 g sour cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
150 g self-raising flour
50 g strawberry jam
Large pinch of salt
FOR THE BUTTERCREAM
225 g unsalted butter, softened
400 g icing sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. milk
FOR THE DECORATION
Skittles, around 320g
100 g white marshmallows
DIRECTIONS
- Grease and line a 20.5cm (8in) round cake tin. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan).
- In a large bowl, using a hand-held electric whisk, combine the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, around 4 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at time, beating well after each addition. Add the sour cream, vanilla and a large pinch of salt. Fold in the flour. Add the mixture to the tin and spread out evenly.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool in tin for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the buttercream, beat the butter until light and fluffy, around 4 minutes. Add the icing sugar a bit at a time, beating well after each addition to incorporate. Add the vanilla, milk and a large pinch of salt. Leave to one side.
- Once cooled, cut the cake in half down the middle, so you have two half moons. Place one half on a cutting board and spread with the strawberry jam. Sandwich the other half on top. Spread a small amount of the buttercream along the cut side of the cake.
- Carefully transfer the cake stack to a serving platter or cake board, cut side down. Spread the buttercream evenly all over the sides and top of the cake in a thin crumb coat. Put into the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up. Spread the remaining buttercream evenly over the cake.
- To decorate, sort the skittles into different colours and arrange on both sides of the cake, working your way from the outside in, in this order - red, orange, yellow, green, purple. Cover the top in the same way as the sides.
- Arrange the marshmallows in a cloud shape at the two ends of the rainbow on the cake on both sides, tearing them up if desired to create different shapes. Serve in slices.