Celebrating good things to come/-/ Rainbow Red velvet layer cake and rainbow sprinkle macarons

I am so excited about the coming months. You would think that the end of the Australian summer, return to university and lack of Pink lady apples would dampen my spirits (well the last one is a bit upsetting); but nope! I am in high hopes.

March is month of great things. Autumn comes in a delivers us a wonder change in temperature from the normal sticky heat we have been experiencing. I go back to University, I love my gender study classes and the insight delivered by the lectures into the workings and schemas of societies gender binary. Winter fashion is something I am in love with, tailoring and a return to bold colours is what I am taking about. None of this fluoro and tight pant business, which leaves very little to the imagination.

Something extra special this month is my older sister is getting married! I am so excited for her and new journey in her life she about to embark on. 16 days until the big day.

I am one her bridesmaid which I am thrilled about it, but I am not so thrilled about wearing high heels and a long dress. High heels are unmarked territory to me; I live in boots, thongs and bare feet. Therefore, you can only guess how much trouble I get into when trying to wear them (blisters and hot foot bathes are in my future)



For this special event, we recently had a Hen’s day and guess who done the desserts for this event?

ME!

The theme was wild make up and popping colour. The only cake that reminds me of this theme has to be red velvet, the deep and dark red tints a rich chocolate cake and is offset by the tang of cream cheese icing. For something different, instead the white outsides; I took the colour theme of rainbow and made them super bright. For this tiny 8 layered 13cm cake, constructing a tower was hard work. Almost had an accident when it was close to tipping over. Thankfully, it saved itself. I used lemon curd on the inside, because I just like the tang on anything sweet; plus this cake is so deeply sweet it can take it.

Macarons are just a special treat for my sister, she loves these cookies more than anything. As her sister, I feel it is my way of saying congratulations on reaching a new landmark in life. I used the normal go to recipe for macarons and butter cream as outlined here, here and here. (Yes I make a lot) 

I tried to ice it like the pastel swirl way, described here. My cake is far from the perfection on internet right now, but every day I am getting better! Follow her instructions to a T because that is what I used and her description is most likely the best you will come across. Mine is a little loop sided but hell it gives it character.

Red velvet cake, lemon curd filling and Swiss butter cream, cream cheese icing all say party cake in my books. Good bye February and hello marvellous March! Here is a cake to you! 

Rainbow Red velvet cake with rainbow swirl icing and lemon curd filling.

Red velvet cake

Adapted from Taste.com.au

Double this recipe in order to make eight 13cm layers



300g plain flour

30g cocoa powder

1tsp bicarb soda

1tsp baking powder

300g caster sugar

150ml Greek yoghurt

100ml butter milk

200g unsalted butter, melted

1tbs white vinegar

2tsp vanilla extract

Red food paste about ½ tsp.



Preheat oven to 170°C.

Line and grease your tins of choice.

Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl.

Stir through the sugar.

Whisk the buttermilk, yoghurt, butter, eggs, vinegar and vanilla in a large jug until combined. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture. Add the buttermilk mixture. Stir until just combined. Stir in the food colouring. DO NOT OVER MIX.

Pour in to prepared tins and bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when poked and the cake is slightly coming off around the edges.

Cool in tin for 10 minutes then turn out to cool completely.



Cream cheese butter cream
Taken directly from the instructions on Bravetart’s website. Found here.



280g egg whites

280g caster sugar

450g unsalted butter

500g full fat cream cheese icing, room temp.

Zest of one lemon.


Her instructions for this variant on butter cream is outlined on her web page.



Lemon curd

6 egg yolks

200g caster sugar

125ml lemon juice

The zest of two lemons

250g butter

0.5 salt



Place eggs, sugar and lemon juice in a glass bowl over pan of simmering water. Whisk continuously.

Add butter in small cubes one at a time until fully combined.

Whisk for about 5 minutes until it thicken and can coat the back of spoon.

Remove from heat, then place in bowl of ice water to hold cooking.

Allow to cool to room temperature before refrigeration. Store in jars in fridge for about one week.