Open the first Jell-O package and add 2 Tablespoons of the raspberry Jell-O powder to the batter in the bowl. Mix until it is thoroughly combined and the red color is deep and even.
Repeat with the next 5 Jell-O flavors, adding 2 Tablespoons of the orange Jell-O powder to the 2nd bowl, two Tablespoons of the lemon Jell-O powder to the 3rd bowl, 2 Tablespoons of the lime Jell-O powder to the 4th bowl, 2 Tablespoons of the berry blue Jell-O powder to the 5th bowl, and 2 Tablespoons of the grape Jell-O powder to the 6th bowl.
Hannah’s 2nd Note: Lisa, Michelle and I prefer adding Jell-O powder rather than food coloring. The Jell-O powder gives a nice, intense color and it adds its own flavor to each bowl.
Seal up the packages of Jell-O that are left over and stick them in your pantry to use for the next Double Rainbow Swirl Cake you make.
To prepare your Double Rainbow Swirl Cake for baking, begin with the raspberry Jell-O bowl (the red one). Use a soup spoon to empty it in a puddle in the 1st layer cake pan near the outside edge of your cake.
Throw away the bowl if you used a paper bowl or rinse it out in the sink if you didn’t.
Move on to the 2nd bowl flavored with lemon Jell-O (the yellow one). Use a soup spoon to empty that bowl in a puddle next to the raspberry puddle.
Move on to the 3rd bowl, the orange one. Spoon out the batter in a puddle on the space that remains in your cake pan.
Here comes the fun part. Pick up your cake pan and stand at the counter near your sink. Hold the pan up about 4 inches from the surface and then drop it on the counter. This will “settle” the batter. (I’m not really sure you have to do this, but it’s fun!)
Leave the cake pan on the counter and take a table knife from your silverware drawer. Insert the tip of your knife about 1-inch from the inside edge of your pan. Run the knife around in a circle, dragging it against the bottom of the cake pan, but don’t close the circle. Instead just jog up 2-inches or so to start another circle. You’ll be making a spiral that ends in the center of your cake pan. Don’t make too many circles. You don’t want the cake batter to mix into the other colors too much. Three spirals is just about right for this size of cake pan.
Move on to the empty layer pan. Using the same technique, make puddles from the green, blue, and purple bowls. When you have your 3 colored puddles in the pan, drop the 2nd layer pan, “settle” it the same way you did with the 1st layer pan.
Use the rinsed table knife to repeat the swirling process with your 2nd layer pan.
Bake your layers at 325 degrees F. for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester or thin wooden skewer inserted one inch from the center of the pan comes out clean and the top is a light golden brown.
Cool in the pans on a wire rack or on a cold stovetop burner for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the inside edges of the pans to loosen the cakes. Then turn them out on a wire rack.
After the cakes are completely cool, it’s time to frost your cake.
WHITE CHOCOLATE BUTTER CREAM FROSTING
? cup (1 stick, 8 ounces, ? pound) salted butter, softened to room temperature
? teaspoon salt
? cup (4 Tablespoons) white Crème d’Cacao (I used Mr. Stacks)
3 and ? to 4 cups confectioner’s (powdered) sugar (don’t pack it down when you measure it—just scoop it out and level it off on top—my frosting used the whole 4 cups of powdered sugar.)
Hannah’s 1st Note: If you’re watching your salt intake, you can add less salt than is called for in the recipe. But remember that the reason the salt is there is because it cuts down on the sweetness of the frosting and enhances the flavor of the white chocolate.
Hannah’s 2nd Note: If you don’t want to use a liqueur in this frosting, you can substitute ? cup heavy cream for the white chocolate crème d’cacoa. If you do this, add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to your frosting and call it Vanilla Buttercream Frosting.
Use an electric mixer to make this frosting. You can do it by hand, but you’ll really have to stir fast and furious to get it to the creamy consistency you need.
Place the softened butter and the salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat at HIGH speed until the butter is smooth and creamy.
Add 2 cups of the confectioner’s sugar. Beat the resulting mixture until it is smooth and has no lumps.
Gradually add the white crème d’cacao, beating until the mixture is thoroughly combined.
Add another cup of confectioner’s sugar. Beat until it is thoroughly incorporated.
Add another half-cup of confectioner’s sugar and beat until everything is smooth and creamy.
If your frosting has reached a good spreading consistency, stop beating and proceed to frost your 2-layer cake. If it has not, you may add up to another cup and a half of powdered sugar.