rainbow cake

This was my first attempt at baking a rainbow cake. Da and I like how the cake ended up with a lovely design.

I would have liked to use more colours but I had limited types of food colouring available in my refrigerator.

Speaking of rainbows, do you remember how your teacher in school used to make you remember the colours of the rainbow? Till today, I remember the colours of the rainbow!

I have two ways to recall the colours:-

(a) ROYGBIV - I must have memorised this so much as a child that I can remember this by heart; or

(b) "Richard of York Goes Boating In Venice".

INGREDIENTS

200g self-raising flour

55g milk powder

175g butter (softened)

180g castor sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla essence

1/2 cup evaporated milk

For colouring:

1/2 tbsp cocoa powder (sifted)

coffee emulco

pandan paste

strawberry essence

orange food colouring

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees celsius.

2. Grease and line the base of an 8" round cake pan. Grease and flour the sides of the cake pan. Set aside.

3. Sift the self-raising flour and milk powder in a bowl. Set aside.

4. Cream the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl using an electric mixer until it becomes light and fluffy.

5. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well with each addition.

6. Add the vanilla essence and mix until blended.

7. Fold in the flour mixture using a wooden spatula and mix until well blended.

8. Separate the batter into four portions.

(a) For the first portion, add the cocoa powder and a few drops of the coffee emulco. Mix well.

(b) For the second portion, add a few drops of the pandan paste. Mix well.

(c) For the third portion, add a few drops of the strawberry essence. Mix well.

(d) For the fourth portion, add a few drops of the orange food colouring. Mix well.

9. Scoop a spoonful of the first portion and gently pour it in the centre of the prepared cake pan.

10. Scoop a spoonful of the second portion and gently pour it in the centre of the prepared cake pan. The second portion will therefore be above the first portion and the weight of the second portion will push the first portion outwards.

11. Do the same with the third portion and fourth portion, and repeat the entire process until all the batter is used up.

12. Bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.