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Rainbow Cake

Jessica Nunemaker — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 14:07:57 +0000

Rainbow Cake: It’s a show-stopper and perfect for those times when you want to do something big in little Indiana! I thought I would need to break out the step-stool to reach the top of this one. I’m only slightly kidding.

Anyway, back to the wonder that is Rainbow Cake. This stuff is awesome. From the outside, you can’t tell that it’s six layers of super colorful and amazing on the inside. That first cut is a definite “Wow” moment! Even hubs was impressed.

Hubs was so impressed that he’s already put in his order for his birthday: black cake, white frosting. I love that man but I don’t know if I love him enough to do this all over again in two months!

Rainbow Cake is amazing in three ways:
1. because it’s visually striking
2. because anyone who can handle a two-layer cake can handle this six-layer beast
3. because it takes an amazingly long time to make for a cake that will be devoured in seconds!

You know I hate mixes of most any kind. That definitely applies to cake mixes, however–even I recognized that kids don’t care and that it’s probably complicated enough without having to double a regular from-scratch cake recipe.

Yes, this cake uses two boxes of cake mix! I did, however, hunt down and make a homemade White Chocolate Frosting. That. Was. Good!

While the cake mix box advises not to use the whole egg (to only use the white) I say (with emotion) “What a waste!”

As you can see–the color is vibrant and fun even with the whole egg in there. If you have another use for six egg yolks, then go right ahead, but if, like me, you hate just pitching it, throw it in there!

Rainbow Cake started with Whisk Kid (a fantastic food blog) and was featured on Martha Stewart Living! I, however, took the weenie way out and used cake mixes. The white chocolate frosting comes from Food.com. Of course, you could use the pre-made frosting and make it even easier!

So, here it is with my personal directions because that, my Hoosier friends, is how I roll.

I don’t have 6 of the same cake pan size. Heck, I don’t even have 4 of them same. I had to use 2 pans at a time until all the Rainbow Cake batter was baked. Grease and flour the pans, of course.

Rainbow Cake Recipe
2 Boxes of White Cake Mix (not the kind with pudding inside)
6 Eggs
1 Cup Water
2/3 Cup Vegetable or Canola Oil
Food Coloring (not the liquid stuff)
White Chocolate Frosting Recipe (Posted Below)

White Chocolate Frosting
1 Cup Butter, softened
Lots of White Chocolate Chips (I had a 2 lb bag and used about 2/3 of it)
2 3/4 – 3 LBS. Powdered Sugar
1 Cup Milk (Don’t dump it all in at once! See what you need to make the frosting spreadable)
You can use a bit of vanilla here but don’t bother if it will change the color of the frosting! You want this bright white!

Dump the cake mixes in a bowl and add the eggs, water, and the oil. Combine. Then divide up batter between 5 other small bowls (the mixing bowl counts as number 6!). Generously add gel food coloring to each bowl in the desired colors. I used red, orange, green, pink, blue, and purple.

Grease and flour six 8 inch round cake pans. Grab a glob of batter and spread it into the cake pan. Bake at 350*, for 15 – 20 minutes (depends on how hot your oven runs) until done. Let Rainbow Cake cool for 5 minutes then invert onto wire rack. Cool completely before frosting. You can see more Rainbow Cake images on my Flickr photostream!

Confession Time: While you are frosting this monster of a Rainbow Cake, make sure to mix it up every now and again, adding a smidgen of milk if necessary. It could be that I was so concentrated on frosting it that I didn’t do that and that everything was so hard at the end I had to whip sprinkles at it to make them stick. It could also be that my kitchen counter had sprinkles on it from one end to the other.

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Calumet Bakery in Whiting, Indiana Bakes Up a Storm

Jessica Nunemaker — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 15:00:18 +0000

At Calumet Bakery in Whiting, Indiana — they’ve got butter cookies and a fun little twist on that classic cookie (and one of my all-time favorites).

Really, does any cookie compare to the butter cookie in terms of its cheeriness? Those delicate gems of joy and their generous coating of colorful sprinkles are just too tempting! Who doesn’t find themselves saying, “…and one of those for me, too, please.”

Are you ready for it? Chocolate and Caramel Turtle Cookies. It’s a butter cookie with the lovely and awesome addition of chocolate and caramel. Yes, it was good and no, I absolutely did not share a single bite with hubs. He can get his own cookie!

Perhaps I’ll have to rethink that frame of mind as I do this whole “parenting” thing (it seemed a good idea at the time). But for now — old rules will apply.

Back to Calumet Bakery. What’s unusual is that this family bakery has 2 locations besides the Whiting location, one in Lansing and one in Chicago. Now you city dwellers have a mom and pop place to turn when you need a sugar fix!

Calumet Bakery also has a changing rotation of goodies that correlate to the holidays: Pazcki for Paczki Day (it’s a Polish thing), Roscas for Three Kings Day (twelve days after Christmas, it marks the “official” end of Christmas for its celebrants –see the Wiki link), and King Cakes for Mardi Gras. Is that fun or what?

I couldn’t help but notice the beautiful cakes! Fresh fruit on freshly baked cakes iced to perfection? The lady nicely took out a few of them so I could get a closer look with my camera lens.

Now I am seriously regretting not bringing one home to celebrate another successful little Indiana adventure in one of Indiana’s best small towns (and who knew there would be so many of them?)!

See more Calumet Bakery deliciousness on my Flickr photostream.

Calumet Bakery
1446 119th Street
Whiting, IN 46394
219.473.9560 (always call before you head out)
Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 5:30am – 6:00pm
Wednesday: 5:30am – 6:00pm
Thursday: 5:30am – 6:00pm
Friday: 5:30am – 6:00pm
Saturday: 5:30am – 5:00pm
Sunday: 6:00am – 2:00pm

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Fingerhut Bakery: Small Town Bakery, Super Selection

Jessica Nunemaker — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:30:14 +0000

Fingerhut Bakery in North Judson, Indiana: Butter Cookies

Fingerhut Bakery in downtown North Judson, Indiana has my most favorite bakery item: Butter Cookies! That yummy bakery smell just hits you when you open the door. I do believe it made me slightly giddy.

Fingerhut Bakery in North Judson, Indiana

There was a very steady stream of folks passing in and out of this small Indiana town bakery. They bought an assortment of items which can only mean one thing: It’s all good!

The bakery itself is small, with a really neat old wood display case along the back wall, and cases filled with cookies, cakes, pastries, breads, and bagels.

They’ve been in business for over sixty years. I think it’s pretty obvious that they will be around for many, many more!

Baked Goods

Fingerhut Bakery in North Judson, Indiana: Front Window

Apparently Fingerhut Bakery specializes in something called “Chocolate Delight Cake” but I didn’t notice that until after we had left. Don’t worry–we didn’t leave empty-handed!

I bought a ginormous Cream Puff (for me) and a bunny train cookie (for the kid).

With all those Butter Cookies staring me in the face, I had to buy a ½ pound of the Rainbow Sprinkled ones. I did, however, share with the kid absolutely and completely against my will.

Hubs got a pumpkin roll (for hubby, who doesn‘t want to share with anyone) and even so? Our total at this cute Indiana bakery was $12 and change. Now that is money I consider well spent!

North Judson, Indiana

If you are in the North Judson area, stop by for something sweet. Fingerhut Bakery is right downtown on the corner. You can’t miss it (I couldn’t even miss it and I have a knack for getting lost and turned around).

Fingerhut Bakery has the largest assortment I have ever seen in a small town…so far.

See more Fingerhut Bakery images and other pictures in Indiana on my Flickr photostream.

Fingerhut Bakery
119 Lane Street
North Judson, IN 46366
574.896.5937

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