One of our family’s favorite cakes, “Rainbow Layer Cake” features layers of delicious cake topped with fluffy whipped frosting with subtle flavors of chocolate, cherry and pistachio. Make it from scratch or make it easy on yourself and use a box cake mix. It can even be made gluten-free!
Doesn’t this cake just say spring? This is what I call a “recipe redux,” where I take a vintage recipe and recreate it to the best of my ability.
The original version came from the Pillsbury Family Cook Book my mom Carol received as a wedding shower gift in 1967. It’s official name is “rainbow layered cake” even though it’s a more muted, pastel version of the rainbow cakes that pop up in a Google search today.
This is my mom’s very vintage cookbook she received as a wedding shower gift more than 55 years ago. This is a well-used, much-loved cookbook with recipes that serve as the foundation for many of our family’s favorite meals and celebrations.
I especially love the not-too-sweet frosting made from a combo of whipped cream and powdered sugar in three flavors. The recipe calls for a white cake but my mom has also made it using a chocolate angel food cake.
I often refer to it as “the other cake” as it is somewhat second fiddle to my mom Carol’s special chocolate cake in our family. But this old-fashioned cake is worthy of some much-deserved love too! It regularly shows up at our birthday celebrations and other get-togethers.
A very versatile cake, this version is actually gluten-free!
Some tips for making Vintage Rainbow Layer Cake
The beauty of this cake is that it can be made so easy by using a box cake mix! But you can make it even easier on yourself by purchasing a pre-made angel food cake from your grocery’s bakery section.
To make this cake (or any baked goods) gluten-free, I highly recommend checking out the manufacturer’s website for whichever gluten-free flour you have on hand and use recipes that align with the brand of flour you are using. There are so many variations of gluten-free flour and they are not interchangeable if you want baking success! Manufacturers like King Arthur, Bob’s Red Mill and Cup 4 Cup have great recipes that have been tested with their products. For this recipe, I adapted a white cake recipe on King Arthur’s website using the brand’s gluten-free, all-purpose flour.
If you don’t have pistachio pudding mix…the original recipe calls for tinting one cup of the whipped cream with green food coloring and some chopped walnuts.
If you find splitting cake layers to be a pain, try this: Freeze the cake layers for 30 minutes so they sturdy up a bit. Then, use a ruler to line up toothpicks halfway up the layers, placing them around the entire cake. Next, use a serrated knife to gently “saw” into the cake just above the toothpicks, inserting the knife about halfway through while rotating the cake.
Pretty in pastels, this tasty and versatile cake can be made with a box mix or even gluten-free.
Ingredients
Cake (Box Mix Version)
1 package white cake mix, (plus additional ingredients like eggs and oil per directions on the package)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Cake (Gluten-Free Version)
2 1/4 cups King Arthur Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
4 eggs, room temperature
1 cup milk, room temperature
Frosting
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup powdered sugar, Plus 2 tablespoons
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons chopped maraschino cherries, reserve 1 tablespoon of cherry juice to tint
1 tablespoon pistachio pudding mix
1 tablespoon milk
2 tablespoons cocoa
Method
Cake (Box Mix Version)
1)
Make cake according to package directions, adding a 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract. Bake in two 8-inch round pans. You can use 9-inch pans if you want thinner layers.
2)
Once the cake has cooled in the pan (10-15 minutes), gently remove cake from pans and allow it to cool a bit more (15 minutes) before splitting each layer in half*.
3)
For best results with splitting layers, I put my cake layers in the freezer for 30 minutes before splitting them. Then, I use a ruler to line up toothpicks halfway up the layers, placing them around the entire cake. Next, I use a serrated knife to gently “saw” into the cake just above the toothpicks, inserting the knife about halfway through while rotating the cake.
Cake (Gluten-Free Version)
1)
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two 8-inch round cake pans. You can use 9-inch pans if you want thinner layers.
2)
In small bowl, whisk together the flour and xanthan gum.
3)
In a mixing bowl or using a stand mixer, beat the sugar, butter, salt, baking powder, vanilla and almond extract until smooth.
4)
Add eggs one at a time, beat until mixture is fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
5)
Alternate the milk and dry ingredients while mixing on low speed, adding about 1/3 of each at a time, and ending with the dry ingredients.
6)
Place the batter into the cake pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the cake springs back when touched lightly in the center, and a cake tester (or toothpick) inserted into the middle comes out clean.
7)
Once cake has cooled in pan (10-15 minutes), gently remove from pans and allow to cool a bit more (15 minutes) before splitting each layer in half*.
8)
For best results with splitting layers, I put my cake layers in the freezer for 30 minutes before splitting them. Then, I use a ruler to line up toothpicks halfway up the layers, placing them around the entire cake. Next, I use a serrated knife to gently “saw” into the cake just above the toothpicks, inserting the knife about halfway through while rotating the cake
Frosting
1)
Whip heavy cream until thick; blend in powdered sugar (1/3 cup) and vanilla extract.
2)
Place two portions, with about one cup each, in small bowls.
3)
Fold cherries and a drop or two of red food coloring into one; for a more muted pink color you could just use juice from the maraschino cherries.
4)
Fold in pistachio pudding mix into the other small bowl.
5)
Fold together the remaining whip cream with cocoa and powdered sugar (two tablespoons).
6)
Stack layers, spreading tinted whipped cream between, with cocoa whipped cream on the bottom and top
