About That Giant Rainbow Cupcake...

So I am finally getting around to posting more details about Nathan's birthday cake. Based on the Facebook comments, comments here, and bunches of emails... y'all want more specifics on exactly how I did it.

I'm hoping this is because you all want to make one yourselves, not because you are eyeing me suspiciously and need me to prove that *I* actually made this cake. I promise I did. As proof you can note the burned edges. Everything I bake has burned edges; I'm not so much a baker. We call that cajun style so that I don't feel bad about myself.

Anyway.

First, I should say that I got the idea from Rachel, who is the food editor here. Because she doesn't know me very well (meaning... only online), and therefore doesn't know I'm not a great baker or decorator (did you see last year's cake? case in point), she totally pumped me up and made me feel like I could make my giant cupcake into a rainbowy sprinkly fresh-baked pan of goodness.

The premise is simple: just buy gel food colorings, divide your batter into several different colors, layer, and bake.

The reason it looks neat is because of the gel food colorings, not because of anything special I did.
You can find the gels in the bakery aisle, or in the cake-decorating aisle in the craft section of stores like Target or Wal-Mart or whatever. The kind I got said icing food coloring, but I used it in the batter since I am a rebel like that. Plus it's all I could find. (Note: buy the no-taste-red gel, not the red-red.)

Here's exactly what I did:

1.) Since I had read online that a thicker batter would be easier to prevent the colors running together, I made a white cake mix and "combined" it with the wet ingredients from my grandmother's sour-cream cake recipe instead of following the directions on the box. This means I added 2 eggs, a cup and a half of sour cream, 1/3 cup of milk (I used skim), and 1/4 cup of vegetable oil.

2.) After I mixed up the batter, I chose five colors and divided the batter into bowls. At the time, I was very concerned about making each bowl equal, but then I realized that doesn't really matter, since it's all going back into the same pan. (For normal-sized cupcakes, if you want them to all look alike, you'd need to be more concerned about having equal amounts of each color.)

3.) I put on an apron (those colors get on everything!), then used a toothpick to add a bit of gel to each bowl, then dyed the batter separate color with my cake mixer. Honestly that was the most annoying part of the process -- washing off the mixer after each color. But I was worried it wouldn't blend as well if I mixed it by hand.

4.) I layered half of each color into the cupcake mold's bottom, then the other half into the cupcake mold's top, reversing the color order for when I put the two halves together later. Again -- in hindsight that didn't matter at all. I was also very concerned about spreading each layer evenly into the mold, all the way to the edges. But since the cake changes shape when you bake it (duh, Erin), I could have just dumped them all in there on top of each other for a similar tie-dye effect (just don't stir it, of course).

5.) I baked for about 40 minutes, at 350. Clearly a little too long (note the brown outside). I was following the instructions on the mix box for a bundt pan, but should have gone just shy of that.

6.) When it cooled, I "glued" the two halves together with icing, then iced the top and sprinkled it. I used icing in a can, instead of a tub. It tasted just as good (to me), and it made the cupcake so much prettier than other ways I have iced them in the past. Though clearly I am still not the best at cake decorating, as you can see. :)
7.) Then Mark did the dishes. I think. Wait, maybe I did them. Nah, that doesn't sound like me. Let's assume it was him. :)
8.) Then we ate it. And it turns out Nathan didn't care what it looked like. But Mark and I were pleased with how pretty it was, so that counts for something. Right? ...Right? For more recipes and other people's culinary brilliance, you can head over and visit Rachel herself; it's Mouthwatering Monday!