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The Easiest Rainbow Roll Cake Recipe

The Easiest Rainbow Roll Cake Recipe

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This Easy Rainbow Roll Cake has all the colors of the rainbow, red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple. With a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top, it’s sure to delight making with kids!

How do you make a rainbow roll cake?

One little leprechaun, two little leprechauns, three little leprechauns, four – I spy a Rainbow Roll Cake I know that you’ll adore! We’re back with another recipe from my son Dash Bakes The Greats! 

You can make this cake easily using your favorite cake mix! We used Betty Crocker white cake mix. This is a super easy rainbow cake recipe you’ll love making with kids!

After you follow the simple instructions, divide your cake batter into 6 small bowls. Add your food coloring (red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple), one color for each bowl and then mix. Pour each colored batter into a decorating bag or resealable food-storage plastic bag. Simply cut one corner off each bag, just before you’re about to squeeze that particular color so the pancake mix doesn’t run out of the other colored bags. 

Starting with red, squeeze a straight, thick line from top to bottom of a parchment-lined baking pan. Repeat with other colors, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple to create your rainbow and fill the pan. Tap the pan on the counter so your cake can settle and for even baking. 

Bake as directed or until top of the cake springs back when touched. This shouldn’t take more than 12-15 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven since it’s a flat layer.

Remove the cake from the oven and carefully run a spatula around the edges of the pan. Turn the cake onto the kitchen towel. Immediately roll up the cake and towel from the narrow end. Allow cakes to cool for 30 minutes.

While the cake is cooling, mix your cream cheese frosting. Dash couldn’t resist dipping his little fingers in to make sure it was tasty.

Once the cake is cooled, unroll and spread your frosting to cover the entire cake. Sprinkle powdered sugar on top. Slice in uniform rolls and enjoy your special treat!

Rainbow Roll Cake Recipe

Rainbow Roll Cake Recipe

Rainbow Roll Cake Recipe

Rainbow Roll Cake Ingredients

Your favorite white cake mix

Food gel coloring in rainbow colors

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 Ounces cream cheese

8 Tablespoons unsalted butter

4 Cups powdered sugar

1 Teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 Teaspoon kosher salt

What does rainbow cake taste like?

Delicious! Although it would be even more delightful for each color of the rainbow to have a specific taste, the food coloring for each color of the rainbow is tasteless, therefore tasting as you would expect a white cake to taste. The cream cheese frosting is, shall we say, the icing on the cake and the sprinkle of powdered sugar on top is the perfect addition. 

How do I get my rainbow cake to be the perfect shape?

The colors of the rainbow cake don’t have to be perfect by any means, but tapping the pan on the counter before baking will help. Make sure your frosting is evenly spread on the cooled cake and as you’re rolling, keep the uniformity of each side the same when possible. 

How do I get my colors of the rainbow cake to be a true, deep hue of the color, specifically red?

Use gel-based food coloring tends to add a deeper color hue to baking. 

How can I make my rainbow cake even tastier?

I think staying with a base of white cake mix and food coloring is the best option, without any substitutions in terms of what flavor of cake mix. However, some other yummy options for the frosting would be a combination of whipped topping and rainbow chip frosting, whipped marshmallow fluff, or even white buttercream frosting. 

What does a rainbow cake symbolize?

A rainbow cake symbolizes happiness, peace, and equality. All of the beautiful colors in harmony together. 

Pro tips:

Batter will fill in any spaces during baking if the cake batter mix colors aren’t perfectly close to each other. 

For a nice, uniform sprinkle of powdered sugar on top, we often use a sifter, holding it above the cake as we sprinkle, creating an extra fine powder and not in excess. 

Sprinkle powdered sugar over the kitchen towel before placing the cake on it, to avoid the cake sticking. 

Rainbow Roll Cake Recipe

Rainbow Roll Cake Recipe

Rainbow Roll Cake Recipe

Rainbow Roll Cake Recipe

This Easy Rainbow Roll Cake has all the colors of the rainbow, red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple, and with a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top, it's sure to delight making with kids!
Course Dessert

Ingredients
  

  • Your favorite white cake mix
  • gel coloring in rainbow colors

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 8 Ounces cream cheese
  • 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 Cups powdered sugar
  • 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 Teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions
 

  • 1. Make cake according to package and separate into 6 small bowls.
    2. Add food coloring in rainbow colors
    3. Add cake on parchment-lined baking pan in a flat cake layer by color.
    4. Bake in a preheated 350 degree over for 12-15 minutes.
    5.Cool for 10 minutes before rolling into a rolled shape.
    6. Turn the cake onto the kitchen towel dusted with powdered sugar. Immediately roll up cake and towel from narrow end. Refrigerated cake in rolled form for 30 minutes. 
    7. While the cake is cooling, mix your cream cheese frosting by blending all the cream cheese frosting ingredients into a bowl.  Mix on high-medium speed using a hand or stand mixer for 5-7 minutes until smooth and creamy. 
    8. Once the cake is cooled, remove from the refrigerator, unroll and spread your frosting to cover the entire cake. Re-roll and sprinkle powdered sugar on top. Slice in uniform rolls and enjoy your special treat!

Video

Keyword rainbow roll cake
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Agnes Hsu is a mom of three and has been inspiring parents and kids to get creative with easy activities and family friendly recipes for over 10 years. She shares her love for creative play and kids food to her 2MM+ followers online. Agnes' commitment to playful learning and kindness has not only raised funds for charity but also earned features in prestigious nationwide publications.

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