Rainbow Steam Cake Recipe
A super-easy Rainbow Steam Cake that comes out of the oven looking like this! That’s right, there’s no need to bake all those different coloured cakes separately & level layers! With this recipe, all you do is trim the edge and pour on the ganache. Really it is that simple!
It’s school holidays in Australia so we’ve had grandparents visiting from out of State. Seeing them in person is much better than phone calls, especially for our littlest one. You can’t have cuddles down the phone, nor can you go to the shops together and come home with an awesome Lego set! (Thanks Nanny and Granddad)
Rainbow Steam Cake Recipe
Deep loose based round cake tin 20.5cm (8.07 inches) x 9.5cm (3.74 inches)
(if you are in AU or NZ you can get one here)
2 cups or 320g (11.29 ounces) plain all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups or 327g (11.53 ounces) sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 ½ tsp or 7.5g (0.26 ounces) gelatine (powdered – we are using the gelatine as an emulsifier in this recipe)
1/2 cup or 125millilitres (4.23 fluid ounces) vegetable oil such as canola oil
1 cup or 250millilitres (8.45 fluid ounces) cold water
7 egg yolks
7 egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
Gel colouring I used purple, blue, yellow and red to make the colours you can see.
Ganache to decorate
50g (1.76 ounces) milk chocolate
50g (1.76 ounces) dark chocolate
30millilitres (1.01 fluid ounces) cream (what cream to use?)
To decorate (optional)
macarons
additional 50g (1.76 ounces) melted chocolate
Preheat the oven to 160C (320 degrees Fahrenheit).
Add the sugar, baking powder, salt and gelatin into the flour and stir it with a whisk.
Make a well in the centre and pour in the oil, egg yolks and water but don’t mix it.
Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites and whisk to soft peaks.
Mix the flour mixture on low until it is just combined.
Mix in a third of the egg whites. Then fold in the rest in two batches until just combined.
Split the mixture evenly between 6 bowls. Add a little colour to each bowl and gently fold through.
Pour the purple mixture into the lined tin and place in the oven on the middle shelf. Put an empty tray on the top shelf to stop it browning and a tin of boiling water on the bottom of the oven. This makes the oven steamy and keeps the cake moist.
After 9 minutes add the next layer and return to the oven for another 9 minutes. Repeat with the remaining layers baking the top one for 11 minutes. Allow to cool in the tin and then tip out.
To make the ganache pouring hot cream over the chocolate and leave for 1 minute, then stir together until smooth.
Place a bowl or something slightly smaller than the cake on top and use it as a guide to cut off a thin layer all the way around.
To make some simple syrup put equal parts of sugar and water into a cup and microwave until the sugar has dissolved.
Using a pastry brush add generous amounts to the cake.
Pour your ganache on top right in the center then let it drip down over the edge.
To decorate the top of the cake dip the base of some macarons in melted chocolate and add them in a circle going around the top of the cake.
Recipe by Ann Reardon
2015
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What is the tartar for? And what i can use instead? Or can i do it without the tartar cream?
I know the colours won’t be as intense but could you use natural food liquid colours rather than gels? Would you need to adjust other ingredient quantities if you used liquid rather than gel?
Hi Kat, We haven’t tested this recipe with the natural liquid colours so you would need to experiment. Yes the colours would be more muted. Some types of colours are more effective. Liquid colours generally need more to have the same impact and the extra liquid can impact on your mix.
Hi, would this cake be suitable to use fondant on? I want to make a Hotwheels themed cake for my son but also wanted something more Interesting than a vanilla sponge as the cake.
Hi Sue, Yes you could use fondant.
Ann, could I just use a regular butter cake recipe and cook it in this layer technique instead of this steam cake?
Hi Emma, Ann hasn’t tested the recipe with a typical butter cake. If you try it let us know how it goes.
Hi,
I wanted to use this recipe in a dolly varden tin, any idea if I would need to adjust the cooking times for the layers and what that might be?
Thanks
Toni
Hi Tony, as the layers vary in size, I imagine that the lower layers would need shorter cooking times. It will be trial and error as we haven’t tested the recipe in that kind of tin.
Hello,
I’m making a birthday cake to serve 25 children.
How many inches tall would this cake be using the recommended tin? If I wanted to make it taller to serve more people, do you think I could bake 2 of the cakes and put them on top of each other, secure with wooden skewers and cover with fondant?
Thank you for your help 🙂
Hi Heather, the cake ends up around 8-9cm tall depending on the tin you use. I haven’t tried stacking them to make a taller cake, but if you did it would definitely require supports and cake boards between the cakes to keep it stable. This recipe may be more suited to what you want to achieve: https://www.howtocookthat.net/public_html/rainbow-unicorn-cake/
Can I use liquid food color instead?
Hi Ymilia, for best results, use gel colors.
Could you please post the recipe for these colorful macarons. I know you already posted a recipe for macarons, but I always seem to mess up colorful macarons. Thank you!
Hi Virginia, the trick with making colourful macarons is to use powdered or gel food colouring only and just a small amount. The colour will impact the mix and liquid colours just wont work.
Hey Ann! I was just wondering, can I make this using a steamer? I’m planning to make this on my sis’ birthday. Thanks Btw!
Hi Amya, Ann hasn’t tested this but in principle it should work. However using a steamer is best for cakes or puddings that wont rise a lot. A steamer dish may make the layers bleed into each other.
Yo thanks for the reply! And don’t worry, I’m not gonna use a steamer dish, hehe..
Hi Ann, is it possible not to put the tray and tin of water in the oven with the cake? This looks really fun to make but my oven isn’t big enough.
Hi Tash, You would need to use a different recipe as for a steam cake you need steam.
What happens when you don’t leave the tray of water below the actual cake? Does it become not as moist?
Hi Noodles, It will be quite dry.
Hello there. I would like to make this cake however i do not consume gelatine. Can i leave it out or can i substitute something else?
Hi Samira, If you don’t have gelatine for cultural reasons you can replace it with Halal gelatine which is made from beans. If necessary you can leave it out but the texture of the cake will not be as good and it will be more crumbly.
Thank you so much for the reply Ann.
Dear Ann, thank you for this recipe- I made it last weekend and it’s so light and delicious!! I was wondering if this cake can be frozen and for how long if possible? Thank you!
Hey! greetings from Argentina 🙂 thanks so much for sharing this…just wondering how far ahead this cake can be made?…my nephews first birthday is next week and i wondered if i could make it a few days ahead!
Thanks so much for everything…i cook so much of your stuff…i gave Thomas the tank engine a go and it was amazing!!
Thanks, K
Hi Kristy, Cake is always best fresh. You could make it the day before serving.
I couldn’t find gelatin powder at the shops what should I do?
Hi Mia, Look for it online or ring your local supermarket and find out who stocks it. This is a very common product and you should find it in supermarkets and cake decorating stores.
Hi Ann, love your videos! Just wondering what the chocolate ganache is like on top of the cake, does it set and go hard on the top, or does it stay nice and runny? I’m wondering what I should use to make my cake look like it has a smooth glaze on top. Thanks!!
Hi Tara, This recipe the ganache sets pretty firm, though not rock hard. If you pour it on when it is still a bit runny and then let it firm up in the fridge you should get a nice smooth top. You can coat again if needed.
Hi Ann, My name is Jack.
I’m just wondering because I watch your YouTube channel and your sons. Even though I am 10 years old, and I come from England, would you be able to add white chocolate in the genache, Also what cream do you use: single or double.
Thanks a lot! You inspire me.
Hi Jack, You can use white chocolate to make ganache. Ann usually uses pure cream which is 35% fat. Single cream usually has a much lower fat content than this so it wont whip and wont be suitable for most of Ann’s recipes.
Hey, I was wondering if I could add frosting instead of ganache, and what type of frosting. Thanks
Oops, I said it twice…
Hi Kyla, You can use whatever frosting you like. Here are a few you could consider: https://www.howtocookthat.net/public_html/?s=frosting
We tried the rainbow steam cake for a birthday cake this weekend. I had the same problems as another user. I had to cook it much longer than called for so that the center was done and it shrank significantly in the cooling stage. Bday girl loved it.
Thanks Elizabeth. Glad the birthday girl enjoyed it.
Hello,
May I know if a flavouring like Vanilla Extract may be added to this cake batter?
Thank you.
Hi Jack, you can add vanilla if desired.