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Seahawks Layer Cake with Natural Dyes

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Blue and Green Layer Cake with Natural Dyes

Blue and Green Layer Cake with Natural Dyes

Blue and Green Layer Cake with Natural Dyes

I have been looking for a reason to make another of my rainbow cake with natural dyes.  The Seahawks in the Super Bowl was the perfect opportunity to experiment again with the blue and green layers.  My color choice obviously reveals who I’ll be rooting for but I’ll give you Broncos fans a little hint: you can have your {blue and orange} cake and eat it, too, if you simply use carrot juice instead of spinach juice.  12th Man, make a wish!

Blue and Green Layer Cake with Natural Dyes

*Cake batter details: When making multiple layers of the same color I recommend coloring the batter in large color batches and then measuring it out into the respective prepared cake pans.  This will ensure that all of the same-colored layers remain just that — the same color!  The slightest variation in the amount of dye used can result in a visual difference of color.  Blueberries can seem a little tricky because they sometimes lend the batter a more purple hue.  I have found in my trials, however, that even when the batter looks more purple than blue, they bake up nice and blue (due at least in part to the reaction with the baking soda).  As a trial I experimented with one of the extra layers by adding some spinach juice to the blueberry batter (the spinach juice supposedly acts as baking soda would and helps make the blueberry juice appear more blue).  Though the batter did turn more blue than purple it looked more grayish/murky-blue once it cooked.  So, ultimately I like the clean blue look from just using the blueberry juice.

Seahawks Cake with Natural Dyes
Author: 
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.

Blue and Green Layer Cake with Natural Dyes

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One Response to “Seahawks Layer Cake with Natural Dyes”

  1. cp says:

    Most websites advise using red cabbage for blue. Have you tried red cabbage?

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