Juan’s Rainbow Cake

         

            There is a story behind this cake, actually there are two stories one about how the cake got

this name and another making of this cake. First how it got the name, this story is about Juan, a French lady who is waiting for her lover to return from 2^nd world war were he was fighting far from her house.

                   While she was waiting, she made a strawberry cake for him in the first day but he did not return. On the second day she made pistachio cake only do get disappointment. On the third day she picked some orange from her garden and made orange cake, but he didn’t come. But the next morning he came with a surprise gift of chocolate to her. She layered the cake in order wise of the days by putting cream in between and layered them beautifully and melted the chocolate what he brought for her and mixed with cream and poured over it and served him with love.

There is no proof for this story.

It took whole day for me to prepare this cake.

The first layer i.e. strawberry, I didn’t get strawberry so I tried this cake with pineapple, we need:

Strawberry Cake

·       Strawberries/Pineapple –  200gms (chopped)

·       Water – 1/3 cup

·       Maida/All purpose flour – 1 cup

·       Baking soda – ¼  tsp

·       Baking powder – 1tsp

·       Sugar – ½ cup + 2tbsp

·       Egg – 2

·       Butter – 100 gm

·       Strawberries/Pineapple essence – 1tsp

·       Red / yellow colour – ¼ tsp

1.    Preheat the oven at 180 degree C.

2.    Grease the cake tin with butter and dust it with maida and keep aside.

3.    Add Strawberries/Pineapple with 2tbsp sugar and little water in a wok. Cook till it is soft. Let the pure’ cool.

4.    In a bowl take the flour, baking powder and baking soda.

5.    In another vessel blend the butter with sugar till creamy with the help of blender or with a spoon.

6.    Now add little flour mixture and the egg. Mix it well. And again repeat the process till all the flour is mixed well.

7.    Now add the pure’. Add essence and colour and mix all together.

8.    Pour this batter into the greased pan bake this for 35-40 min. Or till the skewer comes out clean.

9.    Transfer to wire rack till completely cool.

Now the pistachio cake:

·       Pistachio – 1 cup

·       Milk – ½ cup

·       Maida/All purpose flour – 1 cup

·       Baking soda – ¼  tsp

·       Baking powder – 1tsp

·       Sugar – ½ cup

·       Egg – 2

·       Butter – 100 gm

·       Pistachio essence – 1tsp

·       Green food colour – ¼ tsp

1.    While the first cake is in the oven we can prepare this cake, so no need to preheat.

2.    Soak the Pistachio in milk for 2 hours or if there is less time so you boil it in the milk for 5 mints. Let it cool; grind it to a fine paste with the milk. 

3.    Grease the cake tin with butter and dust it with maida and keep aside.

4.    In a bowl take the flour, baking powder and baking soda.

5.    In another vessel blend the butter with sugar till creamy with the help of blender or with a spoon.

6.    Now add little flour mixture and the egg. Mix it well. And again repeat the process till all the flour is mixed well.

7.    Add the grind paste to the batter. Add essence and colour and mix all together.

8.    Pour this batter into the greased pan bake this for 35-40 min. Or till the skewer comes out clean.

9.    Transfer to wire rack till completely cool.

Last but not the least layer of cake i.e. Orange cake:

·       Orange juice or orange – ½ cup (see note)

·       Orange rind – ½ - 1 tsp

·       Maida/All purpose flour – 1 cup

·       Baking soda – ¼  tsp

·       Baking powder – 1tsp

·       Sugar – ½ cup

·       Egg – 2

·       Butter – 100 gm

·       Orange essence – 1tsp

·       Orange food colour – ¼ tsp

1.    While the second cake is in the oven we can prepare this cake, so no need to preheat.

2.    Grease the cake tin with butter and dust it with maida and keep aside.

3.    In a bowl take the flour, baking powder and baking soda.

4.    In another vessel blend the butter with sugar till creamy with the help of blender or with a spoon.

5.    Now add little flour mixture and the egg. Mix it well. And again repeat the process till all the flour is mixed well.

6.    Add the orange juice, rind, essence and the colour to the batter and mix all together.

7.    Pour this batter into the greased pan bake this for 35-40 min. Or till the skewer comes out clean.

8.    Transfer to wire rack till completely cool.

For layering and topping:

·       Dark  or light chocolate – 250 gm

·       Whipped cream – 250 gm

·       Icing sugar – 3-4 tbsp

·       Strawberries/Pineapple essence  – few drops

·       Pistachio essence  – few drops

·       Orange essence  – few drops

·       Orange rind – 2 pinch

·       Light cream ¼ cup

·       Butter – 1 tsp

·       Sugar – 1tsp

·       Warm water – ½ cup

1.    Grate the chocolate.

2.    Heat the light cream till is starts to bubble. Now add the chocolate and butter. Switch off the gas.

3.    Stir till the chocolate completely melts and form smooth cream like a silk

4.    In a small bowl add sugar and water. Dissolve it and keep aside

5.    Take a deep bowl, whip the cream nicely till it forms stiff peaks

6.    Add the sugar and once more beat it.

7.    Take three bowls and take 3tbsp of this whipped cream and add 3 different essences.

8.    In orange essence add the rind also. Mix it well.

9.    Prick all the cake and pour the sugar water over it.

10.                     Now take the first layer i.e. Strawberries/Pineapple cake. Top it with Strawberries/Pineapple cream.

11.                     On the top of the cream place the Pistachio cake. Top it again with the Pistachio cream.

12.                     On the top of the cream place the orange cake. Top it again with the orange cream.

13.                     Dip the spatula in the hot water and smooth en it properly. And apply the cream in the side of the cakes so that no layer can be seen from the sides.

14.                     Pour the chocolate mixture over the cake and decorate it with chocolate piece.

15.                     Now keep this in the fridge for at least 1 hour to set.

16.                     After that remove from the fridge and serve it. Ready to eat.

NOTE:

o   12 whole orange = ½ cup juice

o   Grating the chocolate helps in melting fast and without any lump.

o   Add butter in the cream for glaze look.

o   It is optional to add the different essence in the whipped cream.

o   Keeping in the fridge is compulsory, to set.

o   Before layering be sure that the cakes to be at room temperature.