Magic Rainbow Piñata Birthday Cake

This cake is the mother of all naughty birthday cakes. You should make it and not feel bad because whoever you make it for will think you are a god. It appeals to actual small children and metaphorical ones of the larger, taller kind. Either way, it’s irresistibly fun, and you will feel like Willy Wonka when you wheel it out and everyone is filled with wonderment. Warning and disclaimer: definitely a sometimes food. Poh not responsible for any post-ingestion chaos that ensues from sugar high.

FEEDS UP TO 40

CAKE BATTER

1.125 kg (2 lb 12 oz/7 ½ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted

3 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), sifted

990 g (2 lb 3 oz/4 ½ cups) caster (superfine) sugar

1½ teaspoons salt

185 ml (6 fl oz/¾ cup) white vinegar

750ml (26 fl oz/3 cups) milk

3 teaspoons vanilla extract OR vanilla essence

600 g (1 lb 5 oz) unsalted butter, melted

6 eggs, lightly whisked

1–2 teaspoons each of 6 shades of food colouring (for the artistically challenged, mostly red with a little blue makes purple, mostly yellow with a little red makes orange, mostly yellow with a little blue makes green)

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

750 g (1 lb 10 oz) cream cheese, softened

150 g (5½ oz) butter, softened

310 g (11 oz/2 ½ cups) icing (confectioners’) sugar OR to taste

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

BITS & PIECES

About 3 ½ scant cups of small mixed chocolates OR lollies (sweets/candies) of choice

1 ½ scant cups of mixed sprinkles of choice

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 160°C (315°F) fan-forced. Grease and flour the sides of six identical 20 cm (8 inch) round cake tins. Line the bottom of each tin with baking paper.

To make the cake batter, combine the flour, bicarbonate of soda, sugar and salt in an extra large mixing bowl. Whisk briefly to mix and aerate the ingredients. In a jug, combine the vinegar, milk and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients together with the melted butter and eggs. Whisk until the batter is combined.

Using a measuring cup, divide the batter very evenly among six medium mixing bowls. Whisk the food colouring into each bowl until you reach the intensity of tone you like, then transfer the different-coloured batters to the prepared tins – with a single colour in each tin.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until an inserted skewer in each cake comes out clean. Be careful you don’t overcook the cakes, as the intensity of the food colouring fades when the cake browns more. If your oven is too small, you can bake three tins on a middle shelf, then when they come out bake the remaining three. Don’t worry, this batter is very forgiving, and the ones waiting to be baked will not be affected. Carefully remove the cakes from their tins, and cool completely on wire racks before using.

To make the cream cheese frosting, combine the cream cheese, butter, icing sugar and vanilla in a large bowl, and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until smooth.

To prepare each layer of cake for stacking, carefully slice the domed part of each layer away, so you have a nice flat surface to work with. Stack the colours in the order you like, then set your selected top layer aside. Using an 8–9 cm (3¼–3½ inch) pastry cutter, carefully cut a circle at the centre of each remaining layer. Set the cut-out circles aside for later.

Begin to assemble the cake by placing the first layer on a serving plate or cake board. Spread a 5 mm (¼ inch) layer of the frosting between each layer, making sure you leave a 5 mm (¼ inch) border around the inner circle. Before you place the final layer (with no hole punched out of it) on top, pour your mixed chocolates or lollies into the hole. Spread a thin layer of cream cheese frosting over the entire surface of the cake. Place the iced cake in a large, clean cardboard box with 10 cm (4 inch) sides (and no holes) and gently cup the sprinkles against the edge so they stick to the frosting. Repeat this until the side of the cake is covered well.

To make the letters, slice each coloured cake circle in half horizontally. Using a small paring knife, carefully cut out the letters you need. Use a combination of toothpicks and bamboo skewers to give the letters stability and a variety of heights, but also to enable you to secure them to the cake (be careful that nobody accidentally eats one once you cut the cake!).

When cutting the cake, make sure a fair-sized wedge is cut and removed, to give the chocolates or lollies room to tumble out of the cake nicely. Good luck – I guarantee you’ll have as much fun making this as the receiver will cutting it!