Cake Recipes

Rainbow or Neapolitan Cookies

This festive “cookie” is really a cake. Like many classic petit fours, Rainbow or Neapolitan Cookies are thin layers of rich butter cake sandwiched with jam. Almond Paste in the batter keeps the cake moist for a week or more at room temperature, a month or more when frozen.

Rainbow Cakes

Yield: about 4 dozen cakes

Ingredients

  • 1 (10 ounce) can Love’n Bake® Almond Paste
  • 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 3 1/2 sticks (14 ounces) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 6 whole eggs, separated
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Green and red food coloring, as needed
  • 2 cups raspberry jam
  • 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped or chocolate chips
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line three 9 x 13 inch baking sheets with parchment paper. Grease the edges of the pan. Set aside.
  2. Spoon the Love’n Bake® Almond Paste into the bowl of a food processor. Add the sugar and process until the mixture is evenly blended.
  3. Cream the butter and the almond paste mixture in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks and almond extract. Stir in the flour on slow speed. The mixture will be very stiff.
  4. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Stir one third of the whites into the batter to lighten it. Then fold in the remaining whites.
  5. Divide the batter evenly into three bowls. Using a scale will ensure that each pan has an equal amount of batter. Tint one batch a pale green and the second a pale pink using the food coloring as required. (4 to 6 drops of liquid coloring works well.) Leave the third batch plain.
  6. Spread each batch of batter evenly into each of the prepared pans. Use an off-set spatula to spread out the stiff batter into an even layer.
  7. Bake the cakes on the center rack in the oven until set and just lightly brown around the edges, about 8 to 12 minutes. Invert the cakes onto a wire rack to cool.
  8. As soon as the cakes are cool enough to handle, remove the parchment paper. Slide the green cake layer onto a half-sized baking sheet lined with plastic wrap. Spread the cake with a thin layer of the raspberry jam. Place the plain cake layer on top of the jam-coated layer then spread it with another layer of raspberry jam. Place the pink-tinted layer on top. Spread this top layer with more raspberry jam.
  9. Cover the cake with plastic wrap. Place a baking sheet on top of the cake and weight it with some cans then place in the refrigerator overnight.
  10. To frost the cake, place the chocolate and vegetable oil in a bowl set over simmering water. Allow it to melt stirring frequently until the chocolate is smooth.
  11. Uncover the cake and coat it with the melted chocolate. Using a decorating comb or fork, draw parallel lines on the surface of the chocolate. Allow the chocolate to cool and harden. Cut the cake into 4 even strips. Then cut each strip into uniform pieces measuring about 1-inch each.

Notes

Traditional during the end of year holidays, we like to serve these at special occasions year round.

Don’t be daunted by what appears to be a complicated cake. Now that smaller baking sheets (9 x 13 inches) are available, it is easy to make uniform shaped layers. Divide the work into two stages. Make the cakes and layer them on one day. Ice and cut them another. A rich chocolate coating is traditional in bakeries where these Rainbow Cookies are sold. Chocolate fudge icing would also work well.

Rainbow or Neapolitan Cookies with a Marzipan Layer: Before frosting the cake, place the contents of one can of Love’n Bake® Marzipan on a work surface lightly dusted with powdered sugar. Roll the marzipan using a rolling pin dusted with powdered sugar out into a 9 x13 inch rectangle. Carefully transfer the marzipan sheet on top of the pink cake layer. Proceed to coat the cake and cut as described above.

Attribution

Recipe and photo used with permission from: Love'n Bake® - ingredients from American Almond Products



God's Rainbow - Noahic Covenant