Skittles Piñata Rainbow Layer Cake

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease three 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans.

Make the cake: Whisk the cake flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together. Set aside.

Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in the 3 eggs, 2 egg whites, and vanilla extract on high speed until combined, about 2 minutes. (Mixture will look curdled as a result of the egg liquid and solid butter combining.) Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients just until combined. With the mixer still running on low, pour in the buttermilk and mix just until combined. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick.

Pour batter evenly into cake pans to ensure even layers ( we weigh ours) Sprinkle in the Skittles. Bake for around 25/minutes or until the cakes are baked through. To test insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done. Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.

Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and salt with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. Add more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin, more milk if frosting is too thick, or an extra pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet.

Assemble and decorate: Using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. If you like your sponge layers thin, simply slice them in half.

Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with frosting and smooth over the sponge, repeat the second layer.

Before we add the top layer of sponge use a biscuit cutter and press gently to create a whole in the centre of your cake this is where we will hide the skittles.

Fill the cavity with Skittles.

Now place the final layer of sponge on top (this will encase the skittles until the big reveal).

Cover the entire outside of the cake in frosting.

Refrigerate cake for at least 20 minutes before decorating. This helps the cake hold its shape when placing the Skittles on.

We chose to cover the entire cake in Skittles, but feel free to use your imagination.

Once decorated, refrigerate again for at least 1 hour before serving to ensure your slices are nice and even when cutting.

Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.