Seahawks Cake with Natural Dyes
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Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 8+
 
Make a Seahawks centerpiece with this naturally-dyed blue and green layer cake.
Ingredients
Natural Dyes
  • 3 Tbsp spinach juice (roughly ½ bag of spinach leaves)
  • 4-5 Tbsp blueberry juice
White Cake {Courtesy of Cooking Light}
  • ◦3½ cups flour
  • ◦2 tsp baking powder
  • ◦½ tsp baking soda
  • ◦1¾ cups sugar
  • ◦¼ cup butter
  • ◦1½ Tbsp oil
  • ◦2 egg whites
  • ◦1⅔ cups milk, divided
  • ◦½ cup plain, fat-free yogurt
  • ◦2½ tsp vanilla
Buttercream Frosting
  • ◦3¾ cups powdered sugar
  • ◦½ cup butter, softened
  • ◦1 tsp vanilla
  • ◦3 Tbsp milk
Whipped Cream Frosting
  • ◦2 cups heavy cream
  • ◦¼ cup powdered sugar
  • ◦⅛ tsp salt
  • ◦1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Natural Dyes
  1. Juice spinach leaves in a juicer.
  2. Microwave roughly ¾ cup frozen blueberries in 30 second intervals until they start to burst, straining out 4-5+ Tbsp of blueberry juice.
White Cake {Courtesy of Cooking Light}
  1. Cream the butter, oil and sugar.
  2. Add the egg whites and beat well.
  3. Add the vanilla, 1 cup milk and yogurt alternately with the flour, baking powder and baking soda.
  4. Pour two 1 ½-cup portions of cake batter into two separate bowls.
  5. Mix the spinach juice into one bowl and the blueberry juice into the other, stirring well to combine and adjusting the color by using more or less dye according to your preference.
  6. Reserve the remaining batter for a different use. {You will either need to add roughly 4½ Tbsp milk to the remaining batter or the equivalent in natural dye.}
  7. Pour ½-cup naturally-dyed batter into a greased and floured 5½-inch cake pan.
  8. Bake the cakes for 10-15 minutes or until the top of the cake springs back to the touch and a toothpick comes out clean.
  9. Let the cakes cool for five minutes in the pan and then gently slide a knife around the edges and invert the cakes on a wire rack to cool completely.
  10. You could also make cupcakes by layering the colored batter into each lined cupcake tin.
Buttercream Frosting
  1. Mix the ingredients and beat for several minutes until a smooth, creamy frosting forms.
  2. Adjust the consistency by adding more powdered sugar or milk.
Whipped Cream Frosting
  1. Beat the cream, sugar and salt at medium speed until stiff peaks form.
  2. Fold in the vanilla extract.
Blue and Green Seahawks Layer Cake
  1. Assemble the cake once the layers have completely cooled.
  2. Place a blue layer on the serving cake platter.
  3. Spread a couple of spoonfuls of buttercream frosting over the top of the layer, smoothing it until it is even.
  4. Place a green layer on top and repeat the process until all cake layers have been used.
  5. Place the layered cake in the freezer for five minutes to let the icing set so that when you ice the exterior of the cake the layers won’t slide around.
  6. Using a knife, generously coat the top and sides of the cake with buttercream frosting, smoothing it with a spatula or a table knife, making sure that it is completely covered but getting rid of excess frosting.
  7. Then spread the whipped cream frosting on top for a finishing coat, either spreading it smooth with a knife or spatula or pulling it into soft peaks using a knife or the back of a spoon.
  8. Serve the cake immediately.
Recipe by Itsy Bitsy Foodies at http://itsybitsyfoodies.com/seahawks-layer-cake-with-natural-dyes/