Double Rainbow Swirl Cake (Hannah's Wedding Cake)

Wedding Cake Murder

## Ingredients

* 1 and 1/2 cups softened butter ***(3 sticks, 12 ounces, 3/4 pounds)***
* 2 cups white ***(granulated)*** sugar
* 4 large eggs
* 1/2 cups ***(8 ounces)*** cream cheese ***(I used Philadelphia cream cheese in the silver, brick-shaped package--half of it is equal to a half cup)***
* 8 ounces white chocolate chips ***(I used half of an 11-ounce package of Ghirardelli white chocolate--it's about a cup and that's close enough for this cake)***
* 1/2 cup unflavored yogurt ***(I used Mountain High)***
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 cups cake flour ***(DO NOT SIFT--use it right out of the box--just scrape it out and swoop, leveling off the top with a table knife.)***
* 1 small package ***(makes 4 half-cup servings)*** raspberry Jell-O powder
* 1 small package ***(makes 4 half-cup servings)*** orange Jell-O powder
* 1 small package ***(makes 4 half-cup servings)*** lemon Jell-O powder
* 1 small package ***(makes 4 half-cup servings)*** lime Jell-O powder
* 1 small package ***(makes 4 half-cup servings)*** berry blue Jell-O powder
* 1 small package ***(makes 4 half-cup servings)*** grape Jell-O powder

## Directions

* Generously butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. ***(Don't use Pam or any other nonstick cooking spray. Andrea says the Pam Baking Spray, the one with flour added, works just fine for her. But you can also butter the inside of the layer pans and sprinkle in flour to coat the bottom and the sides--that will work fine, too. Shake off any excess by thumping the bottom and sides of the pan and you're good to go.)***

**Personally, for a wedding cake, I don't want any browning on the top, bottom, or sides of the layer. The only way I know to prevent this is to line the layer pans with a circle pf parchment paper in the bottom, and a strip of parchment paper around the sides that extends at least two-inches over the top of the pan. Once you've coated all the parchment paper with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray, you've done all you could to prevent browning.**

* Beat the softened butter and white granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer until it is light and fluffy.***(You can mix this cake by hand, but it takes some muscle.)***
* Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until they're light and fluffy. Make sure they're well mixed.
* Soften the cream cheese in a microwave-safe container on HIGH for 1 minute. Let it sit in the microwave for 1 minute longer without heating.
* Add the white chocolate chips, the half-cup unflavored yogurt, and the salt.
* Heat the mixture you made on HIGH for 1 minute more and again, let it sit in the microwave for 1 minute. Then try to stir it smooth with a heat-resistant rubber spatula. If you can't stir it smooth, heat it in 30-second increments with 30 seconds of standing time until you *can* stir it smooth.
* Add this to the contents of your mixing bowl. Beat until everything is thoroughly combined.
* Add the baking powder and the vanilla extract. Mix until they're incorporated.
* Add the cake flour one cup at a time, beating after each addition. Mix until the resulting batter has no lumps.
* Divide the cake batter into 6 smaller bowls.

**Hannah's 1st Note: This is easier if you first divide the butter evenly into 2 larger bowls and then divide each of those bowls into 3 smaller bowls. They do not have to be perfect. The cake batter police will not be knocking on your door to measure each bowl. Just do it as best you can.**

* 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, 3 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.**

* Set 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 the 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°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 if 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.