Recipe Station

Here's everything you need for this decadent rainbow surprise cake. You can make the layers a day ahead ; the finished cake keeps up to five days in the refrigerator.

Ingredients to Gather

For the cake layers:
Cooking spray
4 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon fine salt
3 cups granulated sugar
3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 large egg yolks
2 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
6 teaspoons gel food coloring (6 colors, 1 teaspoon each, such as Cake Craft Coloring Gel Startup Kit)

For the American buttercream (makes about 6 cups):
1 pound (2 cups) unsalted butter, at room temperature
7 to 8 cups powdered sugar, divided
2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the filling and topping:
About 2 cups of a variety of edible sprinkles or candy-coated chocolate, such as:

Wilton Gold Pearlized Sprinkles Mix
Wilton Pearilized Sugar Food Decorative, Gold, 5.25 oz
Wilton Edible Glitter, Gold Stars,
Gold Sixlets Candy 1LB Bag
Equipment
Measuring cups and spoons
Scale
Whisk
Stand mixer with a paddle attachment
Large and small mixing bowls
2 to 6 (9-inch) round cake pans
Rubber spatulas
Plastic wrap
Cake stand
3-inch round cutter
Offset spatula
Serrated knife
Parchment paper
Wire cooling rack
Long, sharp knife

Instructions to Follow
Day 1: Bake the cake layers

Prepare your cake pans: Line 2 to 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with parchment paper rounds and coat with cooking spray. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350°F.
Combine the dry ingredients: Place the cake flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
Cream the butter and sugar: Place the butter and sugar in stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until the mixture is lightened in color and slightly increased in volume, about 5 minutes.
Add the egg yolks: Stop and scrape down the sides of the mixer with a rubber spatula. Return the mixer to low speed and add the egg yolks one at a time, allowing each to fully incorporate into the batter before adding the next.
Combine the milk and vanilla: Stop and scrape down the sides of the mixer. Combine the milk and vanilla in a measuring cup.
Alternate beating in the dry ingredients and milk mixture: Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the mixer and combine on low speed. Stop and scrape down the mixer. Add 1/2 of the milk mixture and incorporate on low speed. Stop and scrape down the mixer. Add another 1/3 of the flour mixture to the mixer and combine on low speed. Add the remaining milk mixture and incorporate on low speed. Stop and scrape down the mixer, then add the remaining flour mixture.
Mix for 3 minutes on medium speed: Stop the mixer and give the whole bowl another good scrape. Get down to the bottom of the bowl where butter and sugar tend to hide and will make your cakes color and bake unevenly. Return the mixer to medium speed and beat until the batter is completely smooth, about 5 minutes.
Divide and color the batter: You'll be baking 2 or 3 cakes at a time, depending on the number of cake pans you have and what your oven will hold. You'll have about 4 pounds, 13 ounces of batter, so weigh out 12 1/2 ounces of batter (about 2 cups) into a small bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of gel food coloring and mix well with a rubber spatula. Pour the colored batter into a prepared cake pan. Repeat with another cake layer's worth of batter, a clean bowl, and another color of food coloring. If you have a third cake pan, repeat again with a third layer of cake batter. Cover the remaining cake batter with plastic wrap and set aside while baking the cakes; it's best if you only portion the batter you need at a time.
Bake the cakes: Bake the 2 to 3 colored cakes you have portioned and dyed until the cake is set, springs back when touched, and pulls away from the sides of the pan, 15 to 20 minutes.
Cool and wrap the cakes: Remove the cakes to a cooling rack and cool for about 30 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans, keep the parchment paper on, and immediately wrap each still slightly-warm cake separately in plastic wrap. Set aside at room temperature.
Repeat dividing the batter, coloring it, and baking: Wash and dry your cake pans and line again with parchment rounds and cooking spray, set aside. Repeat dividing the batter, coloring it, and baking until all of the batter is used up. Cool and wrap the remaining cakes. Set aside at room temperature for up to 1 day.

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