Kidzworld Kitchen: Let’s Make a Cake!

Who says cakes are just for birthdays?! A special cake can make any event way more fun!

Show your creativity by baking and decorating a cake perfectly suited for any occasion. Going to the baking aisle of your local grocery or craft store will show you all the fantastic colours, sprinkles, candies and other decorations you can add to your creation. It will definitely inspire you and give you tons of ideas! This is also a great activity to do if you have some friends coming over. Share the work, have a blast decorating it together and then dig in as a team!

Rainbow Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 boxes vanilla cake mix
• 2 cups of water
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 6 eggs
• Assorted food colours

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 3 (8-inch) round or square cake pans with cooking spray
2. In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally
3. Divide batter evenly among 6 small bowls, about 1 1/3 cups each
4. Using food colors, tint batter in 1 bowl blue, 1 bowl red, 1 bowl green, 1 bowl yellow, 1 bowl orange (using red and yellow) and 1 bowl purple (using blue and red). (Hint! If you would like to make a hombre style cake in 1 colour, use a different amount of the same colour in each bowl)
5. You may not have enough pans or oven space to bake all the cakes at the same time so be sure to refrigerate the batter until ready to bake
6. Bake each cake for 18 to 20 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center and begins to pull away from side of pan
7. Cool 10 minutes then remove from pans to cooling racks
8. Wash cake pans. Spray with non-stick spray, bake and cool remaining layers

Buttercream Icing

Ingredients:

• 1 cup salted butter, at room temperature
• 2½ cups powdered sugar (Hint! Powdered sugar is sometimes called ‘icing sugar’)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Using a electric handmixer or standup mixer beat butter on medium speed
2. Reduce speed to low and slowly add the sugar
3. Add vanilla
4. Beat for approximately 2 minutes until the icing is light and fluffy

Decorating

Instructions:

1. With a serrated bread knife even off each cake layer so that it is flat and will stack up neatly
2. Using a pretty plate place the first rainbow layer down and spread some buttercream evenly over the cake right to the edge
3. Repeat until all the layers are stacked
4. Using a clean knife or spatula spread a thin layer of buttercream over the entire outside of the cake. This is called a crumb coat and will hold all the little crumbs in so they do not ruin the perfect look of your finished cake
5. Make a thicker coating of buttercream on top of the crumb coat. Making as even as possible
6. For the very polished look of a pro cake purchase a simple icing bag and tip set (Hint! Can be found at any craft/baking/supply/discount or department store)
7. Tint the remaining buttercream any colour you would like and fill the icing bag (Hint! Be sure not to get any air bubble in your bag
8. With any of the tips in your kit you can make a pretty border along the bottom and top edges of your cake.
9. Add writing, flowers, sprinkles or any other decorations that you like to make your cake perfect.
10. Serve and enjoy!

Remember, be creative, have fun and above all, safety first! Always talk to the adult in charge before you get your chef on! Happy cake baking!

Recipes courtesy of Love Sugar Cakes