I love this cake! It might be the most fun and low stress decorating I’ve done in quite a while. All you need is a bunch of different colored buttercream, some grass tips and a bit of imagination. A friend of mine got a cake from Alana Jones-Mann, who bakes really cool cakes and cookies in Los Angeles, and I totally fell in love with the idea of a “Shag Rug” Cake! For those youngsters who don’t know, shag rugs were popular in the 70’s and have a really thick pile; comfy but a nightmare to clean! Anyhow the design is visually striking but super-easy to accomplish. It’s basically a camo pattern with any colors you like piped using a grass tip. The nightmare would be changing tips for each color so I got a set of 25 cheap grass tips from Amazon for about seven dollars, totally worth it!
This would also make a really cool camouflage cake if you switch the colors out to shades of green. I’m perfectly happy with a rainbow sherbet pallet but some people might want something “tougher”. Of course pink camo is a thing!
1. Preheat oven to 340 degrees F. Butter and flour three 6-inch pans. I use cake strips on my pans for more even baking as well. Sift the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Beat the wet ingredients together in a medium bowl. Add lemon zest.
3. Add the wet to the dry and mix until just combined. Fold in fresh raspberries at the very end and mix until just combined. Divide the mixture evenly into the cake pans. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until the centers are springy to the touch.
4. Beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the confectioners’ sugar. Beat until smooth.
5. Add vanilla and cream. Beat until combined.
6. Add rose water. Save some white buttercream. Add food coloring to create blue and teal> transfer to piping bags. Get out 6-8 bowls. Add about 1 cup of buttercream to each. Leave one bowl white. Use food coloring to dye each bowl a different color. Transfer all smaller batches to piping bags fitted with a grass tips.
7. Pipe rings of buttercream between the cake layers.
8. Cover the cake with a thin, crumb coat and chill for a few minutes.
9. Smooth with a bench scraper and offset spatula.
10. Using a large grass tip to pipe patches of each color to create a design.
11. You can really use whatever pattern you’d like just try to not repeat the colors in the same section to much.
12. Keep the patches of color on the smaller side.
A delicious raspberry vanilla cake with a colorful and shaggy exterior.
- 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour 213 grams
- 1 cup granulated sugar 190 grams
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 cup butter 190g, unsalted, room temperature, 170 grams
- 3 egg whites
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1/2 cup sour cream 120ml
- 1/2 cup heavy cream 120ml
- 1 cup raspberries fresh
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 3 lbs confectioners sugar 1300g
- 1.5 lb butter 681g, unsalted, room temperature,
- 2 tbsp vanilla bean paste
- 5 tbsp heavy cream
- 2-2 drops rose water optional
- multiple food colorings
- Preheat oven to 340 degrees F. Butter and flour three 6-inch pans. I use cake strips on my pans for more even baking as well.
- Sift the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Beat the wet ingredients together in a medium bowl. Add lemon zest.
- Add the wet to the dry and mix until just combined. Fold in fresh raspberries at the very end and mix until just combined.
- Divide the mixture evenly into the cake pans.
Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until the centers are springy to the touch.
Beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the confectioners' sugar. Beat until smooth.
Add vanilla, rose water and cream. Beat until combined.
Save some white buttercream. Add food coloring to create blue and teal> transfer to piping bags.
- Get out 6-8 bowls. Add about 1 cup of buttercream to each.
- Leave one bowl white.
- Use food coloring to dye each bowl a different color.
Transfer all smaller batches to piping bags fitted with a grass tips.
- Pipe rings of buttercream between the cake layers.
Cover the cake with a thin, crumb coat and chill for a few minutes.
Using a large grass tip to pipe patches of each color to create a design. You can really use whatever pattern you'd like just try to not repeat the colors in the same section to much and keep the patches of color on the smaller side.
How to Decorate a Colorful Cake
How to Decorate a Colorful Cake
Full Recipe: https://preppykitchen.com/colorful-cake/
I love this cake so much! I got the idea from a baker in Los Angeles named Alana Jones-Mann who makes these quir…
I have been following Alana for a while and have been so tempted to try a cake like this. Thank you for showing it and for saying that it’s low stress piping (definitely my kind of piping).
Brooke,
You are SO welcome! It’s so fun to pipe this rainbow cake! Hope you get to try it!
John
Hey John
So excited to make this fun cake. However, I could not find the large plastic grass tips on Amazon. They only offer a variety pack and then they are stainless steel. Can you give me more information on them.
Thanks so much,
Kathy
Kathy,
I bought a variety pack because I knew I would be piping multiple colors! It’s easier to buy multiples so you can alternate colors while you pipe the cake pattern!
John
You are an artist, your cake is so beautiful
Francia,
Thank you so much! You’re sweet!
John
Can you give me the link for the grass piping tips. I couldn’t find them on Amazon.
Thank you, Susan
Susan,
Here is the link to the piping tips! Hope you enjoy this cake!!
John
Beautiful Cake!
Thank you so much!
John
I made this today! I couldn’t find the big tip in the store and you know, I HAD to make this NOW, not in 3 days! lol.
My hands are KILING me! I’ll try to post a picture. I had a little bit of trouble getting the “strings” to stick every once in a while. I’m thinking it’s a technique issue? I’m excited to cut into this beauty after dinner tonight, the stripes are going to be fun. Thanks for the gloomy day project!
Merry,
I’m so happy you liked the cake! I’m sure it’s a work of art! Can’t wait to see it!
John