Can I make this cake ahead of time?

Yes! Bake the cake layers up to 2 days ahead and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap at room temperature or refrigerate. Make the whipped cream frosting the day you assemble for the freshest, fluffiest results.

Do I need a stand mixer to make the whipped cream frosting?

A stand mixer or hand mixer both work great. You’re whipping heavy cream, so you do need some mechanical muscle — whisking by hand would be quite the arm workout!

What is Whip It stabilizer and where do I find it?

Whip It (by Oetker) is a powdered whipped cream stabilizer that keeps your whipped cream firm and slice-able for much longer than plain whipped cream. You can find it at many grocery stores, specialty baking shops, or online. It’s a total game-changer for whipped cream frosting on layered cakes.

Can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour?

You can in a pinch, but cake flour is strongly recommended here. It’s what gives this cake its signature light, airy, tender crumb. If you absolutely must substitute, use this swap: for every 1 cup of cake flour, use ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour + 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.

How many servings does a 5-layer 6-inch cake yield?

A 6-inch cake typically yields about 10–12 servings depending on how you slice it. The tall, dramatic slices are perfect for showing off those rainbow layers!

How many layers should I make?

Totally up to you! This recipe works beautifully as 2, 3, 4, or 5 layers. I used a set of 6-inch cake pans for the five-layer version pictured.

Can I use a different size pan?

Absolutely! The recipe works in 8-inch pans for a shorter, wider cake. You’ll likely get 2–3 layers instead of 5 at that size. Adjust baking time accordingly and keep an eye on the toothpick test.

How do I store a whipped cream frosted cake?

Because the frosting is made from real whipped cream, this cake must be refrigerated. Keep it covered in the fridge and bring it out shortly before serving. It’s best enjoyed within 2–3 days.

Can I freeze this cake?

You can freeze the unfrosted cake layers — wrap each one individually in plastic wrap and then foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. The whipped cream frosting, however, does not freeze well and is best made fresh.

Can I make this cake without food coloring?

Absolutely! The food coloring is purely for that rainbow wow factor. Leave it out and you’ll have a classic, beautiful vanilla layer cake that tastes exactly the same.

Can I color the frosting instead of the cake layers?

A: 100%! You can skip coloring the cake layers and instead tint each layer of frosting a different color for a different kind of rainbow surprise. Or do both — chaos and color, no rules here.

Vanilla Cake Recipe with Whipped Cream Frosting

Rainbow Vanilla Layer Cake

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Move over, buttercream — there’s a new frosting in town, and it’s basically a cloud. This Rainbow Vanilla Layer Cake is stacked five layers high with light, moist, cake-flour vanilla cake and sandwiched between billows of stabilized whipped cream frosting. With a swipe of food coloring and a set of 6-inch cake pans, every slice is a full-on rainbow reveal. It’s the kind of cake that makes people gasp before they even take a bite.

Author: Ellen
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale

Cake

2 1/2 cups (285 grams) cake flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks; 170 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups (340 grams) granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup (120 grams) sour cream
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, room temperature

Frosting

1 quart of heavy whipping cream, very cold
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
4 packages of Whip It whipped cream stabilizer
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
sprinkles, cookies, vanilla chips, chopped candy bars or berries for decoration

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease your cake pans and line them with parchment paper and grease the parchment as well.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Set aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix on high speed for another 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula. Add the sour cream and mix on low speed for another minute. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low until just barely combined. With the mixer on low, drizzle in the milk and stop the mixer once are done with all the milk. You can continue to fold the batter by hand with a silicone spatula to finish mixing and scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl.
Divide the batter evenly into cake pans. There will be approximately 1350 grams of batter. Use a food scale and divide 1350 by the number of cake pans you are using to help you get even layers.

Notes

The amount of frosting from 4 cups of heavy cream yields approximately 1040 grams. For a six inch round, five layer cake, I used 1/2 cup (65 grams) of frosting between the layers.

Find it online: https://moderateposh.com/rainbow-vanilla-cake/