About the Recipe
A Gluten-Free Exploding Rainbow Cake is a visually captivating and whimsical dessert that’s perfect for festive occasions like birthdays and anniversaries. This cake features multiple colorful layers made from light vanilla or butter cake batter, dyed with food coloring to create a rainbow effect.
The cake’s most unique feature is its playful surprise: cutting into it reveals a hidden assortment of candies, sprinkles, or treats like gummy bears and chocolate candies. This unexpected element creates a captivating visual and joyful experience for the cake’s guests.
This customizable cake can be tailored to suit various themes, aligning with a party’s color scheme or incorporating preferred candies. It can be adorned with whipped cream, edible glitter, or themed decorations to enhance its appeal.
Creating this cake requires proficiency in layering and concealing treats, followed by frosting with creamy icing. Additional candies or decorations can be added to complete its festive appearance.
Ingredients
Cake
½ cup + 1 tablespoon sweet rice flour
½ cup white rice flour
½ cup + 1 tablespoon tapioca flour
¼ cup brown rice flour
¾ teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature or ½ cup oil
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½ cup room temperature buttermilk
8 oz sour cream, room temperature
Icing
4 ½ cups of confectioners sugar
2 sticks of unsalted butter
1 stick salted butter
3-4 tablespoons of heavy cream
1 ½ teaspoons of vanilla extract
Preparation
For the Cake
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mix all the cake ingredients together in a large bowl until smooth.
Divide the batter evenly into five small bowls. Add a different food coloring to each bowl and mix until the colors are vibrant.
Spray five small cake pans with non-stick cooking spray.
Pour each colored batter into its own prepared pan.
Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the cakes cool completely before assembling.
To assemble the cake
Place one full cake layer on a cake stand or serving plate. Spread a layer of frosting evenly over the top.
Use a round cookie cutter to remove the center from the next three layers (leave the top layer uncut). Discard or save the cut-out centers for another use.(Cake Pops)
Stack the cut-out cake layers on top of the base, adding frosting between each layer. Make sure the holes line up to form a tunnel down the center.
Before adding the final top layer, fill the center cavity with your favorite large sprinkles or candy.
Place the uncut top layer on the stack and frost the entire cake.
Decorate as desired with more sprinkles, piping, or cake toppers.
Notes
For coloring the cake layers
½ teaspoon Super Red
¼ teaspoon Lemon Yellow
¼ teaspoon Leaf Green
¼ teaspoon Americolor Gel Royal Blue
½ teaspoon Americolor Gel Violet
¼ teaspoon Americolor Gel Orange
Natural Dyes
Red: 1–2 tablespoons beet juiceOrange: 1 tablespoons carrot juice
Yellow: 1 egg yolkGreen: 1 tablespoon spinach juice
Blue: 1+ tablespoon blueberry juice
Purple: 1+ tablespoon blackberry juice
Or
Natural Dyes
red: ½ teaspoon red yeast rice powder + ½ teaspoon red beet powder
orange: ¼ teaspoon red yeast rice powder + ¾ teaspoon golden berry powder
yellow: 1 teaspoon golden berry powder
green: 1 teaspoon matcha powder
blue: 2 teaspoon butterfly pea powder
violet/purple: 1 teaspoon purple sweet potato powder