Psychedelic Cake

Preparation time: 2 hours plus cooling and chilling   Cooking time: 50 minutes     Serves: 16

Ingredients

• 340g (11 ½ oz) White vegetable fat such as Trex, softened
• 340g 11 ½ oz) Caster sugar
• 15ml (1tbsp) Dr. Oetker Valencia Natural Orange Extract
• 265ml (9 ½ fl.oz) Whole milk
• 6 Large eggs, beaten
• 2.5ml (1/2 tsp) Salt
• 450g (1lb) Plain flour
• 6 sachets (30g/6 tsp) Dr. Oetker Baking Powder (Gluten Free)
• Dr. Oetker Extra Strong Food Colour Gels: Violet, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange and Pink

To Decorate:

• 350g (12oz) Lightly salted butter, softened
• 700g (1 lb 10oz) Icing sugar
• 10ml (2 tsp) Dr. Oetker Sicilian Natural Lemon Extract
• 60-75ml (4-5 tbsp) Whole milk
• Dr. Oetker Extra Strong Food Colour Gels: Yellow, Green, Blue, Violet, Orange and Pink
• Dr. Oetker Bright and Bold Sprinkles 

 Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan assisted oven, 350°F, gas mark 4). Grease and line 3 x 6cm (2 ½ inch) deep 18cm (7inch) round cake tins. In a mixing bowl, beat the white vegetable fat with the sugar, Orange Extract and 175ml (6fl.oz) milk until thick and creamy in texture.
2. Beat in the eggs and salt. Sift the flour on top. Using a large metal spoon, fold in the dry ingredients to make a batter with a soft dropping consistency.
3. Divide the mixture equally between 6 bowls. Add 15ml (1 tbsp) of the remaining milk to each bowl and mix in sufficient colour into each batch to form pretty pastel shades. We used: for Violet, use 40 drops; for Blue, 30 drops; for Green, 35 drops; for Yellow, 30 drops; for Orange, 30 drops, and for the Pink, 30 drops.
4. Working with the colours in any order you like, spoon one third of one of the cake mixes into the middle of one of the cake tins. Spoon one third of another cake mix directly on top – try and keep the cake mix in a circular pool. Tap the tin gently on the work surface to allow the mixtures to spread a little.
5. Continue spooning one third of the quantity of each cake colour in the same way, directly on top of each other, tapping the tin to make sure the mixture spreads evenly, until you have used all 6. You will see the rings of mixture form in the tin, the more colours you spoon in.
6. Repeat the same process with the second and third tins, using up the remaining portions of cake mix. You can spoon the colours into the tin in any order you like. If you spoon the colours into all 3 tins in the same order, you will end up with a more uniform pattern; if you choose to spoon them in a different order you will achieve a more random effect.
7. Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes until golden and firm to the touch. Cool for 10 minutes then turn on to wire racks to cool.
8. To decorate, put the butter in a bowl and beat until smooth, pale and glossy. Gradually sift and beat in the icing sugar until creamy. Stir in the Lemon Extract and sufficient milk to make a smooth, spreadable icing.
9. Use 200g (7oz) of the icing to spread over two of the cakes and sandwich all three cakes together. Place another 700g (1lb 9oz) of icing in a bowl and set aside.
10. Spread and smooth the remaining icing round the sides of the cake to cover it thinly but evenly, making sure the top edge is smooth and neat. Running the warmed blade of a palette knife, flat against the side, around the cake, will help you achieve a smooth, neat effect. Chill the cake for 30 minutes to firm up the icing. This will give you a good base to add the rest of the icing to.

11. Meanwhile, put 200g (7oz) of the reserved butter icing into one bowl and add 15 drops Yellow Food Colour Gel. Mix well and set aside. Divide the rest of the icing equally between another 5 bowls and colour each portion individually as follows: 5 drops Green; 5 drops Blue; 7 drops Violet; 5 drops Orange and 4 drops Pink. Mix all the colours well to make soft pastel shades of icing.
12. Once the cake has chilled, spread and smooth the green icing round the bottom edge of the cake to cover the base icing completely. Work your way up the cake at approx. 2cm (3/4 inch) intervals using the different coloured icings as illustrated, finishing with the yellow layer and continue this smoothly over the top of the cake to cover it completely. Warm the blade of a palate knife in hot water and pat dry, use this to run flat against the side, around the cake, to help you achieve a smooth, subtly blended effect.
13. Pipe the remaining icing in small swirls round the top edge of your cake using a large closed star nozzle. Sprinkle over a few Bright and Bold decorations to finish. Your stunning centrepiece cake is now ready to serve and enjoy!

TIP: White vegetable fat is one of the best choices for cake making when you are trying to achieve a true, vibrant shade of colour. You can also use it in frosting as well but add a pinch of salt to the mix. When using butter or margarine in baking or icing with colour, choose the palest variety you can find for the truest colours – yellowy butter or margarine will alter the tone of any colour you use.