Double Complete Rainbow Cake (or Double White Chocolate Ganache Cake)

I live in a coastal community, which is peaceful and serene 9 months out of the year. During the 3 months of summer, however, our fair community is inundated with tourists. Absolutely lovely individuals, but this mass onslaught of summer folk increases our community’s population by at least tenfold.

The most interesting phenomenon occurs on the roads during this season, when those who perhaps have never seen the ocean before, which I can totally respect, tend to stop – not slow down, but come to a complete stop – at every cove and glimpse of the horizon.

“Whoa. That’s a full horizon,” I imagine them saying as they hit the brakes. “Whoa. Whoooooooa! All the way across the sky! Whoooooa!” they exclaim. “Whoooooa! That’s intense!”

Another phenomenon that occurs along our shoreline during the summer months after an evening storm clears away, is (Yes. I’m going to say it.) the Double Complete Rainbow. As a tribute to the wonderful estival-loving folks who are awestruck by our shoreline – the very thing that strikes me every time I see it too – I bring you, the Double Complete Rainbow Cake.

I think you know what I’m referring to here, but if not I implore you to search Bing for the term “double complete rainbow” for a supremely fun and I thought inspiring video made by a gentleman who is just beside himself with the beauty of a rainbow and its reflection that appear in front of his home. It’s such an adorable video, I was inspired to bake a cake.

This is simply a Double White Chocolate Ganache Cake, of course, which can be decorated with anything really. Double complete puppy dogs? Go for it. Double complete antique cars, anyone? All the better.

I chose to paint mine with edible homemade “paint”. As you can imagine, actual paint – the non-edible stuff artists use – consists of two parts: the pigment (like burnt sienna or ultramarine blue, for example) and the vehicle (oil, acrylic, water, etc.). In this case the pigment is food coloring and the vehicle is excess ganache. I mixed each color, using an empty egg carton as a palette and a fresh unused paintbrush to paint the rainbow onto the cooled ganache.

On a side note, I mentioned to my husband that the cake looks like something out of the 80’s. He agreed and added, “It does. It looks like the back of a Freaky Freezies Glove.” Excellent observation.

For the double complete white chocolate effect, in addition to the ganache, the cake is also made with white chocolate, which is essentially cocoa butter. What does this meeean? A sweet, and dare I say, inspiring cake.

White Chocolate Cake - serves 6 – 10

2 eggs
1/2 C butter
1/2 C sugar
1/2 t vanilla
1 C flour
a dash of salt
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 C buttermilk
3.5 oz. white chocolate

Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour an 8″x8″ square metal cake pan or line with parchment paper.

Separate the eggs. Using a stand mixer or electric beater, cream the butter, yolks, sugar and vanilla. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. Mix in the flour mixture and then the buttermilk.

Melt the chocolate in double boiler or a metal bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Allow to cool slightly and mix into the batter until well combined.

Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form – you may have to transfer the batter to a different bowl. Fold the beaten egg whites into the batter. Pour batter into the baking dish and bake for 20 – 25 minutes.

Allow to cool completely before removing from the pan and topping with the ganache.

White Chocolate Ganache

10.5 oz. white chocolate
3/4 C heavy whipping cream

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or a metal bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Once completely melted, gradually stir in the cream until smooth.

Remove from heat and allow to cool for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to help it cool evenly. Pour about 1/4 of the ganache over the cake – enough to cover the top and drip down the sides a bit. Even out the sides with a rubber spatula.

Cool the cake in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Spoon another layer onto the top of the cake and allow to cool again in the refrigerator. Repeat once more to create three layers so that the cake no longer appears through the ganache.

There should be about a cup excess ganache, which will be used to make the “paint”

Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Rainbow “Paint”

White Chocolate Ganache (above)
food coloring

Combine 2 tablespoons of ganache with 2 drops of food coloring for each color (i.e., 2 drops of red to make a vibrant red) and 1 drop each for mixed colors (i.e., 1 drop red +1 drop blue = violet).

Using a clean, unused #1 paintbrush, dab the “paint” to create the first rainbow. Mix about a tablespoon more per color of the excess ganache into the “paints” to create a lighter color for the rainbow’s reflection.