Best Italian Rainbow Cake Recipes

ITALIAN RAINBOW COOKIE CAKE

Steps:

• Make the ganache: Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring the cream and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil in a small saucepan, then pour over the chocolate. Shake the bowl so the chocolate is fully submerged in the cream, then let stand 1 minute. Using a small rubber spatula, slowly stir the chocolate and cream in the center of the bowl until it forms a shiny, smooth ganache. Cover the ganache with plastic wrap and let stand in a cool place in your kitchen until it is thick like pudding, but still pourable and spreadable, up to 2 hours. (See Cook's Note about timing.)
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut three 8-inch circles out of parchment paper. Using 2 tablespoons butter, grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans and line each pan with a round of parchment paper.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl until evenly combined. Combine the sugar and remaining 14 tablespoons butter in the bowl of a mixer and beat on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the almond filling, lemon juice and almond and vanilla extracts and beat until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour mixture, then stir with a rubber spatula until the batter is combined.
• Divide the batter equally among 3 bowls. Add the green, yellow and red food colorings to the batter in their separate bowls, then stir the colorings. Scrape each batter into a prepared cake pan and smooth the top with a small offset spatula or rubber spatula. Bake until the cakes are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the middle of each cake comes out clean, 20 minutes.
• Transfer the cake pans to a wire rack and let cool 15 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the rack, remove the cake pans and discard the parchment paper rounds. Let the cakes cool completely, about 30 minutes. Flip the cakes right-side up and trim the top of each cake with a serrated knife so that it is flat, if necessary.
• Place the green cake on a cake stand and spread 1/4 cup jam evenly over the top. Place the yellow cake over the green and spread the remaining 1/4 cup jam evenly over the top. Place the pink layer on top, then loosely wrap the cake in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Unwrap the cake and scrape the ganache on top (the ganache will be the consistency of thick pudding). Using an offset spatula, spread the ganache evenly over the side and top of the cake, leaving a slightly thicker layer on top. Once the ganache is smooth all around, drag the tines of a fork in a wavy pattern across the top of the entire cake. Refrigerate the cake to set the ganache, about 30 minutes. Allow the cake to come to room temperature before serving.

ITALIAN RAINBOW COOKIE ICE CREAM CAKE

Steps:

• Cut the cookies to form 1-by-1-by-1/2-inch squares. Line a 9-inch springform pan with plastic wrap. Arrange the cookie squares all the way around the sides of the pan with the color lines running perpendicular to the bottom of the pan. Repeat with an additional ring of cookies above the first ring, lining up the colors as much as possible, so the cookies come 2 inches up the sides of the pan and almost completely cover them.
• Lay one cookie square in the middle of the bottom of the pan. Arrange a second cookie square next to it, with the color lines perpendicular to the color lines in the first cookie. Continue arranging cookie squares to create a parquet floor pattern. Fill the bottom of the pan with cookies, cutting some to fill in any odd-shaped areas. Chill until cold, about 30 minutes.
• Combine the chocolate and oil in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until melted, about 2 minutes. Using a pastry brush, coat the cookies on the bottom and sides with a thin layer of chocolate. Chill until set, about 5 minutes.
• Spread one of the pints of vanilla ice cream in an even layer over the chocolate-coated bottom cookies. Freeze until hard, about 1 hour. Spread the chocolate ice cream in an even layer over the vanilla. Freeze until hard, about 1 hour. Spread the remaining pint of vanilla ice cream in an even layer over the chocolate ice cream. Cover with the remaining cookie pieces. Freeze until solid, 6 hours to overnight.
• When ready to serve, invert the cake onto a plate so the bottom layer of cookies is on the top. Remove the pan and peel off the plastic wrap. Cut with a hot dry knife.

ITALIAN RAINBOW CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and lightly coat with coconut oil. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, potato starch, arrowroot, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt. Add 1 1/4 cups of the coconut oil, the agave nectar, applesauce, vanilla, the almond extract, if using, and the hot water. Stir with a rubber spatula until the batter is smooth.
• Divide the mixture evenly among 3 medium bowls. Add several drops of one food coloring to each bowl and mix until the color is evenly distributed and to your liking.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 12 minutes, rotate, and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 15 minutes more. Let cool in the pans on a rack for 30 minutes. Run a knife along each cake's edges to remove it from the pan.
• To assemble, place the green cake layer on a serving plate. Spread the raspberry preserves over it. Place the yellow cake layer on top of it. Spread with the apricot preserves. Top with the red cake layer and pour the chocolate sauce on the top and on the sides, spreading it evenly over the entire cake with a rubber spatula.
• Chill the cake for 20 minutes to harden chocolate glaze.