Our Signature Tie-Dye Cake
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Our Signature Tie-Dye Cake
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Category
Sweet Recipes
Author:
Melissa Ben-Ishay
Brighten Up Your Day With This Tie-Dye Cake Recipe
I’ve been making tie-dye cupcakes for years. The first batch of tie-dye cupcakes I ever made were for my friend Michael’s birthday. He's a Deadhead, so I made him Grateful Dead cupcakes in red, white, and blue tie-dye.
Tie-dye was one of our original cupcakes. Before we came up with anything else for Baked by Melissa, we knew the tie-dye cupcakes would represent everything we stand for—fun and colorful sweets that put a smile on your face!
You don’t have to be a professional baker to make a tie-dye cake, and the most important thing to remember is: have a good time! That’s why I’ve put together oursignature tie-dye cake recipe for you to make your own.
When it comes to colors, I recommend adding no more than five. You risk overmixing, which might turn the whole cake a murky brown. That’s no fun.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
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4 sticks unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the cake pans
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4 cups sugar
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1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
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8 large eggs
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6 cups all-purpose flour
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1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
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½ teaspoon sea salt
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3½ cups whole milk
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Pink, green, yellow, and blue gel food coloring
For the icing:
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
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3 ¾ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
For the glaze (optional)
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2 cups powdered sugar
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¼ cup whole milk, at room temperature
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½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter three 9” cake pans or line them with parchment. (I recommend buttering the parchment paper, too. It makes lift-off way easier.)
Make your cake batter. With a hand or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add your sugar. Beat on high for 2 minutes, until light & fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again.
Add the vanilla extract. While mixing at medium-low speed, add the eggs one at a time. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl after each addition.
Combine the flour, salt, and baking powder in a separate bowl.
With the mixer on low, add a quarter of the flour mixture. When it’s mostly incorporated, add a quarter of the milk. Repeat with a quarter of the dry ingredients, then wet, scraping down the sides of the bowl with each addition, until all of the flour and milk are incorporated. Stop mixing once it’s smooth.
Divide the cake batter evenly among 5 small bowls. Add food coloring to each bowl, one drop at a time, until the desired intensity for each color is reached.
Transfer the cake batter into 5 disposable piping bags. Twist and hold the open end of the bag or close it with a rubber band or zip tie so the batter doesn’t escape. Snip the tip about ¾” from the point.
Pipe the first color into the bottom of the pans, then layer it with the next color. Repeat with all 5 colors. If you have any remaining batter, layer it on top. It doesn’t have to be perfect!
Once the batter is fully piped into the pans, drag a skewer through the batter from the center. Don’t over mix or the colors will get muddy.
Bake until the middle of the cake feels springy when you press your finger into it, about 35 to 40 minutes.
Remove the cake from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes, then remove the cakes from the pan to cool completely.
While the cakes cool, make the icing.
With a hand or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter on high for one minute. Add the vanilla and beat again just to incorporate.
Stir together the sugar and salt in a separate bowl. With the mixer on low, add the sugar one cup at a time until completely incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl between each addition. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
Level the cooled cakes with a serrated knife. Place one layer on a large plate or turntable and cover with about ¼ cup icing. Add the second layer and cover with another ¼ cup icing. Repeat with the third layer. Cover the top and sides of the cake with a thin layer of icing (the crumb coat) to lock in the crumbs.
Refrigerate the cake for about 15 minutes once you have the crumb coat on. Cover the outside with a final layer of vanilla icing and smooth the sides with a bench scraper.
OPTIONAL: If you want to add a drip to the cake, make the vanilla glaze. In a medium bowl, stir together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. I like to add a little less milk for a thicker consistency for layer cakes so the glaze doesn’t run down the sides.
Add food coloring to the glaze, one drop at a time, until you get your desired color. Spoon the glaze over the cake and push gently over the sides of the cake with the spoon to get the drip effect. Top with sprinkles. If you aren’t serving immediately, loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
What You'll Need
Before you begin, make sure your ingredients are at room temperature.
