Rainbow Hawaiian First Birthday Smash Cake

    

I was asked to make a swirled colorful cake that was also chocolate flavored, which was quite the challenge.  I decided to make my usual white cake recipe (re-posted below) as well as a dark chocolate fudge cake recipe.  After separating and coloring the cake batter I put them in the cake pan and swirled them with an offset spatula. 

White Cake recipe

1 c plus 2 Tbsp butter

4 ½ c cake flour  

1 ½ c milk

9 large egg whites, lightly beaten

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

2 Tbsp baking powder

1 ½ tsp salt

2 ¼ c sugar

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour three 9-by-2-inch round cake pans, tapping out excess flour.

2.  In a medium bowl, stir together, milk, egg whites, and extracts. Into a second medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

3.  Place butter in a medium bowl and using an electric mixer beat the butter on medium speed for 30 seconds, gradually add the sugar. Continue beating until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

4.  Add one-third of the flour mixture and one-third of the milk mixture, and beat on low speed until just incorporated. Add remaining flour and milk mixtures in 2 separate batches beating between additions to fully incorporate.

5.  Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake until top of cake springs back when lightly pressed and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.

6.  Let cakes cool in pans on wire racks for 5 minutes before gently removing the cakes from their pans.  Allow to cool completely before adding any frosting, filling, or other decorations.

(*recipe adapted from a Martha Stuart Cookbook*)

   

I was asked to make two cakes using the method as described above.  The first cake was a “smash cake” for a 1 year old baby and had to look like a giant cupcake but with the rainbow colored cake inside.  The second cake was to be a rectangular single layer cake that I frosted first with chocolate frosting and then piped on detailed swirls and flowers (It was a Hawaiian themed party).