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 soufflé

Butter, unsalted, cubed, room temperature	3 tablespoons +
Sugar, castor	Dusting
Egg yolks	2 large
Sugar, granulated	3 tablespoons + 1 tablespoon
Cornstarch	1 ½ tablespoons
Milk, warmed	1/3 cup
Lemon zest	1 ½ teaspoons
Lemon juice	¼ cup
Vanilla extract	1 ½ teaspoons
Egg whites, room temperature	5
Cream of tartar	½ teaspoon
Salt, kosher	Pinch
Sugar, confectioners’	Dusting

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F; ensure a rack is mounted in the center, and position a rimmed baking sheet on a rack beneath. 
2. Using a pastry brush, butter four 10-ounce ramekins using an upward brushstroke. 
3. Lightly dust each ramekin with castor sugar, shaking out the excess. 
4. Place the ramekins in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes so the butter solidifies. 
5. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the yolks and 3-tablespoons sugar until the yolks have doubled in size and have become thick and yellow. 
6. Whisk in the cornstarch, then slowly add half of the warm milk to temper the eggs, whisking constantly to prevent the yolks from curdling. 
7. Return the mixture to a 2-quart saucepan with the remaining milk over medium-low heat, whisking constantly until slightly thickened, about 5 to 6 minutes. 
8. Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the butter, lemon juice and zest, and vanilla. 
9. Transfer to a large mixing bowl, and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pastry cream and allow it to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. 
10. In a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and a pinch of salt together until foamy. 
11. Continue to beat while gradually adding 1-tablespoon sugar until stiff, glossy peaks form. 
12. Stir one-third of the egg whites into the lemon mixture, then fold in the remaining whites until there are no streaks, ensuring not to overmix. 
13. Fill the batter to the top of each prepared ramekin and flatten using an offset spatula or butter knife. 
14. Using your thumb, wipe around the inside rim to remove any batter and help the soufflé rise evenly. 
15. Bake the soufflés for 12 to 14 minutes, or until firm, risen, and golden brown on top. 
16. Dust the tops with confectioners’ sugar and serve immediately (soufflé will begin to deflate within 5 minutes). 

Recipe adapted from Tasting Table.

S’mores bars with marshmallow meringue

Crust
Graham cracker crumbs	12 ounces
Butter, unsalted, melted	12 tablespoons
Sugar, light brown, packed	2 tablespoons
Salt, fine sea	¼ teaspoon
Brownie filling
Butter, cold, cubed	8 tablespoons
Chocolate, unsweetened, chopped	4 ounces
Sugar, granulated	1 ¼ cups
Vanilla extract	2 teaspoons
Salt, fine sea	¼ teaspoon
Eggs, room temperature	2 large
Flour, all purpose	½ cup
Meringue
Egg whites	3 large
Sugar, granulated	¾ cup
Vanilla extract	½ teaspoon
Cream of tartar	¼ teaspoon

1. Preheat to 350°F; line a 9-inch-square baking pan with foil, allowing 2 inches of overhang on two sides. 
2. In a medium bowl, using a fork, mix all of the crust ingredients until evenly moistened. 
3. Press the crumbs evenly into the baking pan. 
4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. 
5. Let cool complete; leave the oven on. 
6. In a heat-proof medium bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, melt 8 tablespoons butter with the chocolate over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth, about 5 minutes. 
7. Remove from heat, and whisk in the 1 ¼ cups sugar, vanilla, and salt. 
8. Whisk in the eggs until smooth, then stir in the flour until just incorporated. 
9. Spread the batter evenly over the cooled crust. 
10. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the edge is set but the center is still slightly jiggly. 
11. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely. 
12. Preheat the broiler. 
13. In a heat-proof medium bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, whisk the egg whites with the ¾ cup sugar until the whites are warm and the sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. 
14. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk. 
15. Add the vanilla and cream of tartar, and beat at medium speed until firm 
16. Increase the speed to high, and beat the meringue until stiff and glossy, about 5 to 7 minutes. 
17. Mound the meringue on top of the filling, swirling it decoratively. 
18. Broil the meringue 8 inches from the heat until lightly browned, about 1 minute. 
19. Cut into bars, and serve. 

Recipe from Food&Wine Magazine, April 2015.