Rainbow Chocolate Cake

5 from 9 votes

Nothing beats a decadent rainbow chocolate cake to celebrate any special occasion with your loved ones. I make it with cocoa powder, rich dark chocolate ganache, and vibrant food coloring to create a stunning layered dessert. This colorful creation is loved by both kids and adults alike.

Prep Time45

Cook Time45

Total Time1 30

Course: Baking, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: slices

Calories: 554kcal

Author: Anjali Shah

Equipment

Ingredients

For The Cake

¾ cup Almond Milk
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
½ cup Brown Sugar
1 cup Coconut Sugar
½ tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
⅔ cup Cocoa Powder
1¾ cup All-Purpose Flour
½ cup Light Flavored Olive Oil
1½ tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Eggs Room Temperature
½ cup Boiling Water
1 tsp Dried Instant Coffee

For The Buttercream

For The Ganache

12 oz Dark Chocolate
½ cup Heavy Cream

Topping

Rainbow Sprinkles

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F / 180 C. Line 2x6 inch round tins with baking paper and set aside.
Whisk together the almond milk and lemon juice, set aside.
In a separate mixing bowl whisk the brown sugar, coconut sugar, salt, baking powder and soda, cocoa powder and flour unti well combined.
Add the oil, vanilla extract and eggs to the almond milk mixture and whisk.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mix until combined.
In a separate bowl mix the boiling water and instant coffee.
Stir the coffee mixture into the cake batter and mix until incorporated.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared tins and bake for 35-45 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
Allow to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before removing and cooling completely on a cooling rack.
While the cakes are cooling prepare the buttercream: Whip the pasterized egg whites with the powdered sugar for 3 minutes. Add half the butter, whip until smooth. Add remaining butter and vanilla extract, whip for 4-5 minutes.
Divide the buttercream into 5 small bowls and add food coloring, mix well.
When the cakes are cold slice each cake horizontally into 3 even slices.
Spread a layer of buttercream over the base slice of cake, top it with another layer of cake. Repeat until all cake and filling has been used.
Prepare the chocolate ganache: Finely chop the dark chocolate and place in to a heat proof bowl.
Place the cream into the microwave and heat until steaming.
Pour hot cream over the chocolate and stir until smooth. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes to become a little firm but spreadable.
Cover the entire cake with ganache and top with sprinkles.

Video

https://youtu.be/1MZJbqVeUvI

Notes

My #1 Secret Tip for this rainbow chocolate cake recipe is to chill my cake layers completely before adding frosting. Cold layers prevent any sliding, melting, or color bleeding. This way, my layers stay distinct and clean.
Keep ingredients at room temperature: When it comes to baking, I like to keep my ingredients at room temperature. This ensures smooth blending and easy rising.
Do not overmix: Do not overwork your cake mixture. Overworked batter leads to a dense, stodgy cake.
Use gel coloring and a toothpick: Gel colors give the best hues, but they are quite intense. I use a toothpick to add small drops at a time. And adjust as I go. This gives me better control.
Wear plastic gloves: Since the gel colors are so intense, I protect my hands when working with the stuff. It can stain skin for days.
Trim the domes: If my cakes have formed domes, I trim off the excess for a level appearance and stable structure.

Nutrition