The Rainbow Cake

I was just about at the end of my rope with shingles when things finally started to improve.  Hands down the most difficult thing I have ever been through in my life.  I've never known pain like that and the number of days it drug on just about did me in!  I'm happy to say I am better, and although the pain has not left me completely, I'm in a whole lot less pain than I was.  I do believe I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  

Our youngest child turned three over the weekend.  It's hard for us to believe she is already three years old.  Time goes by so quickly, and seems to be picking up speed for our family. 

We celebrated with a "Rainbow Party" at her sweet request.  Because I was suffering so badly with shingles this little birthday party was a learning experience for me - learning to let go of perfectionism, learning to let others do things I prefer to do myself, learning to focus on what's really important.  All of us worked together to make it a special party for our gal and she was thrilled.  Today I thought I would share with you our Rainbow Cake.

I mixed up some white cake batter (two cake mixes) and divided the batter into four equal parts.    

I used food coloring to make each layer of the cake a different color of the rainbow.  (Here's my favorite kind to use.  I like this gel because it doesn't affect the taste of the cake at all.)  

I baked the cakes according to the directions for the cake mix.

After the cakes cooled I froze them.  This is a little trick I do to help with the decorating.  When you freeze your cake you greatly reduce, or even eliminate, fighting with those little pesky crumbs.  I found out a couple of years ago how much easier it is to decorate a cake after it has been frozen.  For my rainbow cake I used non-stick aluminum foil on a cookie sheet - placing a piece of foil between each layer of the cake and finishing it off with a piece of foil on top.  

I baked on Saturday, froze overnight, and frosted on Sunday.  Easy-peasy.  :)

Here's another little tip for icing cakes - slide some non-stick aluminum foil or wax paper under the edges of your cake when you decorate.  When you finish, carefully slide the foil or wax paper out from under your cake.  Your cake plate/cake stand will be perfectly clean!

Here's the first slice...

It was super yummy, and fun, and the best part was our birthday girl LOVED it!

This post is linked up with Chef in Training and A Wise Woman Builds Her Home!