Rainbow cake with pink frosting

Active: 20 minutes; Total: 40 minutes; Yield: 10 to 14 servings

Flour, cake	24 ounces
Sugar, granulated	24 ounces + 8 ¾ ounces
Salt	1 teaspoon + Pinch
Baking powder	2 tablespoons
Baking soda	1 teaspoon
Egg whites	10 ounces + 7 ounces
Oil, vegetable	6 ounces
Buttermilk, room temperature	8 ounces + 10 ounces
Butter, unsalted, room temperature	12 ounces + 16 ounces
Vanilla extract	1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons
Raspberries	10 ounces
Cream of tartar	¼ teaspoon
Food coloring gel	½ teaspoon per color layer

1. Preheat oven to 335°F; lightly butter and flour six 8-inch-by-2-inch cake pans, and place a round piece of parchment paper in the bottom of each pan. 
2. Combine 8-ounces buttermilk and the oil; set aside. 
3. Combine the remaining buttermilk, 10-ounces egg whites, and vanilla; whisk to integrate the eggs; set aside. 
4. Combine the flour, 24-ounces sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment; mix 10 seconds. 
5. Add the butter to the dry ingredients and mix on low until the mixture resembles coarse sand, about 30 seconds. 
6. Add milk-oil mixture, and mix until the dry ingredients are moistened, then increase speed to medium (setting 4 on a KitchenAid), and mix for 2 minutes. 
7. Scrape your bowl, and reduce speed to low. 
8. Add the egg-milk mixture in three batches, letting the batter mix for 15 seconds between additions. 
9. Scrape down the sides again to ensure everything has incorporated. 
10. Divide the batter into six bowls; weigh 15 ounces of batter for each bowl. 
11. Add ½-teaspoon food coloring (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple) to each bowl. 
12. Bake for 20 to 24 minutes, or until the edges just start to pulling away from the cake pan. 
13. Immediately tap the pan firmly on the countertop once to release the steam of the cake; this stops the cake from shrinking. 
14. Cool for 10 minutes inside the pans before flipping out. 
15. Freeze for 30 to 60 minutes before frosting. 
16. Press the raspberries through a sieve, discard the seeds; set purée aside.  
17. Using a hand whisk and the stand mixer bowl, whisk together 7-ounces egg whites, 8 ¾-ounces sugar, and cream of tartar.  
18. Place the bowl over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water.  
19. Gently whisk the mixture until it is very hot (130°F on a candy thermometer).  
20. Move the bowl to the stand mixer and, using the whisk attachment, whip the whites on medium-high speed until they have tripled in volume and are thick and glossy and hold stiff peaks, 3 to 4 minutes.  
21. Reduce speed to medium-low, and continue for another 1 to 2 minutes, until the bowl is just cool to touch.  
22. Increase speed to medium-high, and add 16-ounces butter, one piece at a time, adding the next piece just as the previous one is incorporated.  
23. Stop the mixer every so often to scrape down the sides.
 At some point, the buttercream appears curdled; don’t worry, this is normal.  
24. After all the butter is incorporated, and the frosting is light and fluffy, add the purée, 2-teaspoons vanilla, and pinch of salt.  
25. Rewhip the frosting by hand or with a mixer just before frosting the cake. 
26. For the crumb coat, top the purple layer with ¾-cup frosting, and spread to the edges for about ¼-inch thickness; repeat with the blue, green, yellow, orange, and red layers, then apply a thin layer of frosting all over; refrigerate 15 minutes. 
27. Frost with the remaining frosting. 

Modified recipe by Liz Marek on Sugar Geek Show.

Lemon pistachio cake with mascarpone frosting

Active: 20 minutes; Total: 1 hour; Serves: 8

Pistachios, roasted, shelled	¾ cup
Lemon zest	2 lemons
Flour, cake	1 ½ cups
Baking powder	1 teaspoon
Baking soda	¼ teaspoon
Sour cream	¼ cup
Vanilla extract	1 teaspoon
Milk, whole	1/3 cup
Butter, unsalted, softened	½ cup
Sugar	1 cup
Salt, kosher	¾ teaspoon
Eggs	3 large
Frosting
Mascarpone, softened	¾ cup
Sugar, powdered	¾ cup
Cream, heavy	1 tablespoon
Lemon zest	1 teaspoon
Lemon juice	1 teaspoon
Salt, kosher	1/8 teaspoon

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. 
2. Line the bottom of a buttered 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper, then butter the paper. 
3. Place the pistachios and zest into a food processor bowl; pulse until finely ground (but not buttered). 
4. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl, and add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside. 
5. Whisk together the sour cream, vanilla, and milk in a small bowl; set aside. 
6. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, and salt, about 3 minutes. 
7. Add the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. 
8. With the mixer on low, alternate adding the dry ingredients (in three additions) and the wet ingredients (in two additions), starting and ending with the dry. 
9. Pour the batter into the prepared pan; smooth the top. 
10. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. 
11. Cool 10 minutes. 
12. Carefully remove the cake from the pan, peel off and discard the paper, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. 
13. Combine all the frosting ingredients in a medium bowl. 
14. Mix until just smooth, being careful not to overman. 
15. Frost the cake, then sprinkle on extra crushed pistachios. 

Recipe from the Costco Connection magazine.

Cinnamon swirl & toasted pecan Bundt

Batter
Flour, cake, sifted	11.25 ounces
Baking powder	1 ½ teaspoons
Baking soda	1 teaspoon
Salt, kosher	¾ teaspoon
Butter, unsalted, softened	1 cup
Coconut oil, melted	¼ cup
Sugar, superfine	1 2/3 cups
Eggs, room temperature	4 large
Vanilla extract	1 tablespoon
Orange zest, finely grated	1 teaspoon
Sour cream, full fat, room temperature	2 cups
Filling
Pecans, lightly toasted, finely chopped	1 cup
Sugar, granulated	3 tablespoons
Sugar, brown	3 tablespoons
Cinnamon, Ceylon, ground	2 teaspoons
Cocoa powder, unsweetened	2 teaspoons
Salt, kosher	½ teaspoon
Glaze
Sugar, confectioners	1 cup
Vanilla extract	1 teaspoon
Butter, unsalted	3 tablespoons
Milk	1 teaspoon
Salt	Pinch

Batter

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center of the oven. 
2. Brush the inside of the Bundt cake pan with melted butter; dust with flour. 
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
4. In a stand mixer bowl, beat the butter and coconut oil on medium speed until smooth and light in color, about 1 to 2 minutes. 
5. Add the sugar, 1/3-cup at a time, creaming until light and fluffy; scrape the bowl. 
6. Add the eggs, one at a time, ensuring each one is fully incorporated before adding the next. 
7. Scrape the bowl, and add the vanilla and zest. 
8. On the lowest mixer speed, alternate adding the flour mixture and the sour cream in small amounts, beginning and ending with the flour mixture; do not over-mix the batter. 

Filling

1. In a medium bowl, combine the pecan meal, sugars, cinnamon, salt, and cocoa. 
2. Use your fingertips to blend until well combined. 

Bundt

1. Spoon two-heaping cups of the batter into the prepared Bundt. 
2. Smooth with the back of a spoon, spreading the batter to the sides of the pan first and then to the center cone to create a well for the filling. 
3. Sprinkle about ½-cup filling evenly into the well. 
4. Cover the filling with about 2-cups batter, dropping dollops around the pan and smoothing with the spoon. 
5. Sprinkle another ½-cup filling evenly over the batter, and cover with 2-cups batter. 
6. Repeat until you end with batter as your final layer; ideally you’ll have four layers of batter and three layers of filling. 
7. Insert a butter knife 1 inch from the side of the pan straight into the batter going almost to the bottom. 
8. Run the blade around the pan twice, without lifting, spacing your loops about 1 inch apart for optimal cinnamon swirling effect. 
9. Tap the pan firmly several times on a cutting board or counter top to release any bubbles from the batter. 
10. Bake until the top of the cake is golden brown, the sides are beginning to pull away from the pan, and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes. 
11. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool for 10 minutes before inverting the pan to release the cake. 

Glaze

1. Melt the butter; stir in the vanilla, salt, and sugar. 
2. Use up to 1-teaspoon milk to reach desired consistency, then pour over the cooled cake. 

Recipe from the Nordic Ware label that wrapped around my new Bundt pan.