| Steps | Directions
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| This is for one Wilton character cake pan or a 9 by 13 cake pan. You will have left over batter with the character pan which can be used for cupcakes or will fill a loaf pan nicely, just make sure the batter isn't too deep. |
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You need TWO Betty Crocker "WHITE" cake mix (yes it has to be Betty Crocker, we've tested and tried using others on many different occasions and nothing else comes out with the same flavor and same moist results.)
The instructions on the box tell you the basic ingredients - eggs, oil, water.
You need the amounts listed on the box.
The eggs should be egg whites ONLY and EXTRA LARGE eggs
Additionally you need to add
- almond extract (a generous TBSP)
- vanilla extract (a generous TBSP)
Tones variety works for the extract - as long as it is "pure" for the almond and golden or clear color for the vanilla the brand is not of extreme importance. McCormick's is also a good brand. The one we got we bought in bulk from Gordon Foods in Michigan. They may have an online ordering site, I don't know. I have not tried making it with the "organic" extract so I suggest you stay away from it, I suspect it will be too strong.
Mix both cake mixes, the ingredients as listed on the box, plus the two extracts I mention. Make sure you double what it says on the box since you are using two mixes, my extract measurements should not be doubled. |
| Now you need six CLEAR bowls. The ideal is to use the #2 rubbermaid bowls that I think are discontinued. To keep your expenses down, you're probably better off buying some of the ziploc reuseable bowls - you want the larger ones that hold at least three cups. It is easiest if whatever bowls you get have a smooth surface on the bottom as you'll need to be able to scrape the mix back out of it. |
| You also need 6 spatulas. Again, the rubbermaid ones are ideal because they are more flexible but any of the plastic ones work just fine. There are some silicone spatulas out there at the Dollar Store that work quite well.
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 | To mix the ingredients I strongly encourage starting with the egg (it's easiest to catch any egg shell if you do the eggs first). If you are nervous about separating the eggs, use a two cup liquid measuring cup to crack the eggs into (for whatever reason this was easier for me as a kid). You can purchase a utensil called 'egg separator' which looks kind of like a cup measure with slots in it. If you crack the egg into it, it is designed to catch the egg yolk but let the egg whites drip off the sides, through the slots and into the bowl.
I separate the eggs by using the shell and passing the yolk from half shell to half shell. You can also do it by making a clean break in the egg, dumping the entire egg into the measuring cup and then using a regular eating spoon to "fish" the yolk back out. You have to be careful not to break the yolk though as it gets messy quickly. (I started doing this when I was seven and I don't think I finally mastered the art of egg separation until at least a year later and let me tell you, it brought me to tears on more than one occasion.) |
 | Once your eggs are all set (I believe it's six total, but again, check the box). Then add the water, oil and extract. Add about 2/3rds of the first bag of mix and start the mixer. Start on low and work your way to a higher setting so that the powder doesn't simply fly out of the bowl. As the mix starts to mix up, pour the rest of the powder (1 1/3 bags) into the mixing bowl. You'll want to have all the powder into the bowl within the first minute of starting the mixer.
Then turn the mixer to a higher setting (usually something resembling med-high) to "liquify" the batter. Using the spatula scrape the sides of the bowl periodically during mixing to make sure everything is getting mixed in - if you're using a kitchen aide or an industrial strength mixer make sure you scrape the ingredients off the bottom of the bowl as things do gather down there because of poor design. We use Oster mixers and they are by far the easiest but I don't think they are available anymore. I have used a kitchen aide mixer when at friends houses and they have a ridge in the bowl that makes it a little tricky but nothing that can't be managed.
The mixing to liquify should not be any longer than 2 minutes. Usually try to keep it around 1 1/2. If you go beyond two the mix is too liquify and your consistency of your cake will be different once baked. |
| Now that the mix is all mixed up - evenly distribute it into the six bowls. You can add the coloring. |
 | For coloring you need:
You can use Wilton paste colors or you can use ChefMaster liquid colors. The liquid colors are easier to mix up in the batter, however they are also easier to put too much in. If you are using the liquid colors, try to mix the batter in the big bowl closer to the minute and a half mark instead of the 2 min mark. |
 | For the paste colors you need :
- Sky Blue,
- Orange,
- Leaf Green,
- Violet,
- Lemon Yellow, and
- Pink.
Usually Michael's is a good place to get the coloring in the paste form. |
 | For liquid ChefMaster brand is the one we typically use. Their colors are richer with less after taste. I don't think their blue is called Sky Blue though, it seems to me it has a different name but I can't remember what it is. You want a blue that is lighter like a baby blue or sky blue crayon. The standard blue (like what you get in the four color pack at the store by tones) is too dark. The Purple also needs to be a violet. If you get "purple" you are more likely to end up with a Barney color or red purple when the rainbow is more of a blue purple. |
 | When mixing... If using paste coloring take a pairing knife and use that to get the coloring out of the bottle. Start with about two centimeters of coloring on the tip of the knife and add it to the bowl. Yellow will take more than this. Pink takes the least. As you stir in the colors you'll be able to get an idea of how intense the coloring is. Bold colors are desired, but not dark.
Keep in mind when baking the colors will darken - like wood does when it gets wet. Use a spatula to stir in the coloring. Since the bowls are CLEAR you can see when you have mixed up all the sides (no more white streaks). IF you are going for the traditional rainbow you want the colors to be similar to the wax color of a Crayola crayon with the exception of the purple. Purple should be slightly darker thank a purple crocus but lighter than a purple iris. IF you are going for the pastel rainbow cake (like a wedding shower or bridal shower) than you want more of a Lavender color. The blue coloring also has a tendency to get dark quickly. I remember mixing it and thinking it needed a lot more coloring and then adding too much all at once which made too dark. Always add coloring in tiny amounts unless it is yellow.
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 | The rules are pretty much the same with the liquid coloring. To get it out of the bottle just give the bottle one squeeze. Use less with the blue and pink in the beginning to be sure not to add too much. Again, if using the liquids, don't stir your batter quite as long (with the mixer) as if using the paste because the added liquid of the color can make the batter more 'runny' than it should be. |
| Once all your colors are ready, now you need to prepare your cake pan. If the pan is square or round it is simpler if you put down a piece of baking parchment paper on the bottom of the pan. Cut the paper to size so it doesn't curl up on any of the edges. Then you need to "grease your pan." If you don't have paper that is fine, just make sure you grease well - specially in the center of the pan. |
 | Greasing the Pan
This can be done in a couple of ways. We used the non-stick cooking spray that Hawkeye Food Source distributes. The name brand starts with a V and is like Vasoline but I don't think that is quite right. It is a non-flavor cooking spray and it coats pans evenly. The local grocery store has PAM and others. PAM has a tendency to leave a bit of a flavor behind and it doesn't like to spray as finely so it also gathers in large pools at the seam of the cake pan. Mazola has Cooking Spray that does a fairly good job. Ideally if you can't get the V spray, and you're cooking in a very basic (flat, not textured) pan, then you can do things the old fashioned way...
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| Use a paper towel. Wrap it around your three fingers, dip it in a vat of Crisco (not butter crisco but the white stuff) shortening. Rub a thin layer of the Crisco all over the inside of the pan (make sure to get the walls well). When it looks like your skin does just after putting on lotion, it's ready. Now take a couple of TBSP of flower and put it in the center of the pan. Then, by tilting the pan and patting the sides spread the flower all around so it sticks to the Crisco. This way of "greasing the pan" is the least flavorful, yet can be the biggest pain in the behind when using a more contoured cake pan.
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| Once your pan is lightly greased, all seams and sides - then you pour in your batter.
It is always best to either pour in the rainbow order - Pink, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple OR to pour in contrasting color order according to the color wheel. Yellow, Purple, Orange, Blue, Pink, Green. But it really doesn't matter all that much. When you pour your colors you want to drizzle them into the pan creating patters that are random and might remind you of a Spiro-graph. The colors will spread out into the pan as you add more.
The big thing to do is make sure you drizzle the color all around the pan and that you don't leave any large holes as you add the next color. Pour the colors in a thin pour. I usually use a spatula to control how fast the color drizzles out of the bowl. You should be able to pass over the pan twice with each color. By which I mean go through your order twice.
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 | The pan will be FULL when you have between 1 and 1 1/4 inch of batter in it. (A small plastic 6 inch ruler is best for this). Once you have determined your pan is full (you will have left over batter) you then need to "crack" the pan. This is a light to firm tapping of the pan level on the counter top. (don't drop the pan on the counter top as it is likely you'll end up wearing cake batter) You'll notice the colors settling in the pan and kind of merging together. Keep tapping. You'll also notice some bubbles come up to the surface of the batter and pop. Once you don't see any more bubbles coming up, you'll have tapped the pan enough. |
| Now you can bake it.
The cake should be cooked at 325 degrees. Some ovens run hotter then others so it is recommended that you have a oven thermometer inside to double check your temperature. The box that your mix came in has a time estimate for cake baking.
Start with the smallest amount and set a timer for that. At that time, check the cake - depending on how full your pan is you make need to cook it longer. You can tell when a cake is done based on how "set" it is. If the cake still jiggles (kind of like Jello) then you need at least 7 more minutes, probably closer to 10. If the cake looks set but when you lightly (and I mean lightly) tap the surface in the center with your index finger, you leave a small depression, then the cake probably needs to cook another 5 or so minutes.
To know when the cake is done, you should use a cake tester. These are available at Michael's and other places. It's basically a wire with a handle on it. If you don't have one of these you can use a toothpick, but the tester is easier to "read." Stick the tester (or tooth pick) into the cake in 2 or three different places, one of them in the "thickest" section. If the tester comes out "clean" then the cake is done. If the tester has some crumbs on it from the center but no where else then 2 more minutes should be plenty of time. If the tester has any liquid like batter on it then 7 more minutes at the very least.
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| Once the cake is done you want to take it out and set it on a cooling rack (like what you use for making cookies). The cake should sit on the rack for at least 30 minutes. At that point, use a large bread knife to "level" the cake. Lying the knife so the blade is smooth against the edge of the cake pan, saw accross the cake - keeping the knife as level as possible. (usually a basic square or round cake has a big hump in the center from baking). The part of the cake that has been cut off can be set aside and eaten as desired. (otherwise known as scraps).
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| Now take another cooling rack and lay it face down on the surface of the freshly cut cake. Holding it tight to the pan, pick up the pan and 2nd cooling rack. Flip the pan over so the cake is "dumped" onto the cooling rack. (by holding the rack on the pan for this process instead of simply flipping the cake onto the rack you are able to prevent "cracking" or "breaking" of the cake.) Now gently lift the pan off the cake. If it does not release easily, flip the cake over and try using a pairing knife along the edges to "free" the cake from the pan. Then flip the cake again. |
| Once the pan is off you now need to transfer the cake to whatever you will be presenting it on. For us, we used cardboard covered in tin foil. Cardboard can be anything - we recycled a lot of boxes. Michael's etc does sell "cake boards" that have a white waxy coating on one side and are cardboard. These work as well. I still put the foil on the board though - it looks better, and it's easier to serve off of. When putting the foil on the cardboard you want the shiny side out. (the dull side shows finger prints etc much easier). Keep the foil flat and pull it tight when securing it to the cardboard. (Like wrapping a Christmas present.) You only need to cover one side.
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| Now, using the first cooling rack - place it over the cake again. This should be the "baked" side or "pan side" of the cake. Flip the cake over so the "cut side" is exposed. Remove the second cooling rack. Replace the second cooling rack with the foil covered cardboard (foil against the cake). Flip the cake back over. (smooth side up) and remove the first cooling rack. You are now done with all the cooling racks and the cake pan.
Okay, now for the frosting. |
| First start by making a "batch" of white frosting. The frosting Cakes By Michaelyn used was a powdered sugar frosting. To make it you need 2 plastic one pound bags of sifted powedered sugar. We usually got C&H I believe. We also bought it in bulk (50 lb bags) and sifted it ourselves. You also need 1lb of white Crisco. (we usually bought the 3lb can)... use the butter crisco only if you need to make a "cream" color frosting or "winne the pooh colored" (in which case use the cream color base and add Golden Yellow coloring)... otherwise it distorts the colors you make. Milk, 2% milk is the best though we have done it with skim milk as well. And lastly the vanilla and almond extract used for the cake making process.
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 | In a mixer bowl put one pound of crisco. Add less than 1/2 tbsp of vanilla and less than 1/2 tbsp of almond. Add 3/4 cup of milk. Pour in about 1/2 a lb of powdered sugar. Start the mixer on low and bring it to a higher speed (whip) slowly so you don't cause the powdered sugar to "fly" out of the bowl. As it begins to mix up add more powdered sugar. Once you have a full bag of the powdered sugar in the bowl use a spatula to make sure all ingredients from the sides and bottom of the bowl are getting mixed in. Then continue adding powdered sugar from the second bag. After you've added about 1/3rd of the second bag, test the frosting. To test it, you tap it with your index finger. If the frosting sticks to your finger or grabs it, it needs more powdered sugar. If the frosting is really squishy and doesn't want to hold it's shape, it needs a lot more powdered sugar. If the frosting is really thick and doesn't seem like it will spread easily or like it can be squeezed through a frosting bag easily, add milk. Typically it takes a full cup of milk to get it right, but it depends on how humid the atmosphere is and how cold. Generally you'll have about 1/3rd of the second bag of powdered sugar left. |
| | To make colors - take some of the white frosting and put it into a smaller bowl. Using either liquid coloring or paste coloring you can make whatever color you wish. Be careful of Black and Red.
For black coloring you should use a paste coloring called Jet black that is supplied by wilton and ChefMaster. However, you also need to use a chocolate frosting from the store. You can use whichever chocolate frosting you like, I'm fond of the Pillsbury Fudge frosting. This should be mixed about 1/3rd of a container with about 2 cups of our white frosting... then add the black coloring... then powdered sugar to achieve the desired texture. The color will look brown-black, almost smokey. When it dries it will blacken up further. If you use too much black coloring the frosting will take on a bitter aftertaste. If this happens, add more milk (tiny amounts at a time), more powdered sugar and more chocolate frosting. |
 
| For Red coloring there are many MANY different options out there. The best one we've found is a paste called "christmas red" and the second best is "no taste red red"... there is also a "no taste" liquid red that works fairly well. I believe they are both by Wilton but I'm uncertain at the moment. I'll double check with mom. When making red frosting you need a jar of merichino cherries. Use the juice from the cherries to make the final flavor more acceptable. No matter what red coloring you use it will have a taste... and it is a bitter BITTER taste. The more coloring you use the more cherry juice you'll need to balance the flavor. Unfortunately this is only learned through trial and error and tasting the frosting yourself.
Use a couple cups of the white frosting as your base. As you color it and add the cherry juice the frosting will get runny. Add powdered sugar. If your cherry juice flavor gets overwhelming, add more milk and powdered sugar. Again, add in small amounts. When trying to achieve a solid red color, keep in mind frosting darkens as it dries. A powdered red cherry look generally dries into a nice red frosting (ie. something you may use for Santa's suit). |
 | Things to keep in mind. Using a lot of green or purple die will not change the flavor very much, however these colors are not digested by the human body very easily... so well, you can do what you wish with that information. The more red and black frosting used on a cake, the more compromised your cake flavor will be. When using these colors try to keep the layer of frosting as thin as possible. |
 
| When decorating a cake - the general public tends to use a spatula to spread the chocolate frosting over the top of the cake. This can lead to a very thick frosting layer. If spreading frosting, try to keep your layer close to 1/8 of an inch thick. If you are getting cake crumbs in your frosting, the cake is still too warm. Putting it in the fridge for a few minutes can help. Also, adding milk to the frosting can help. On humid summer days, it is always easier to put a smooth layer of frosting on with a spatula if the spatula is dipped in water... but only a small amount.
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| If you are decorating a cake with frosting bags and cake tips (like cakes found in wilton cake decorating books), the supplies are sold at Michael's and other craft stores. When decorating this way, keep in mind the 'star' tip (numbers 13 through 18) is designed to deliver a "thick" drop of frosting. Gently pushing toward the cake as you stop squeezing the frosting bag just before you pull back to release the drop of frosting, helps keep the 'stars' thinner so you do not get too much frosting on a cake.
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| One of the most important 'tiny' details about making Michaelyn's Rainbow Cake is that if you don't use Betty Crocker it really honestly isn't the same. I can't explain why, it just isn't. We don't receive any money from Betty Crocker for insisting that it is the only brand to use but we have done many taste tests over the years (in an attempt to find more cost effective ways to make the cake) and I assure you, Betty Crocker is the ONLY way to go. |
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