MICKEY MOUSE RAINBOW LAYER CAKE

SERVES 25-30 PREPARATION: 20 MIN BAKING: 20-30 MIN A BATCH (2 BATCHES)

170g butter at room temperature 500ml (2c) sugar 5 egg whites 10ml (2t) vanilla essence 125ml (½c) sour cream 750ml (3c) cake flour 15ml (1T) baking powder 5ml (1t) bicarbonate of soda 2,5ml (½t) salt 125ml (½c) milk pink, blue, orange, purple, yellow and green food colouring ICING 4 quantities basic butter icing (recipe on page 38) red food colouring GANACHE 100g dark chocolate 125ml (½c) cream TO FINISH 250g fondant icing black and yellow food colouring cornflour for dusting Mickey Mouse cookie cutter (available at baking supply stores) 250ml (1c) popcorn

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease six 18-20cm springform cake tins with nonstick spray and line with baking paper.

1 Cake Using a hand beater or stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

2 Add the egg whites a little at a time and whisk until well incorporated. Add the vanilla and sour cream and mix well.

3 In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Add 250ml (1c) at a time to the wet ingredients, alternating with a little milk. Whisk on low speed until smooth.

4 Divide the batter among 6 bowls and add a few drops of colouring to each. Gently fold in the colour. Pour the batter into the prepared baking tins and bake for 20-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Set aside for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

5 Icing Prepare the basic butter icing and divide in two. To one half add a few drops of red food colouring and set aside.

6 Cut the tops off each cake to level. Put 1 cake on a board, spread plain butter icing on top and add another cake. Repeat with all the cakes. Spread red icing over the top and sides of the entire cake. Chill in the fridge while making the ganache.

7 Ganache Put the chocolate and cream in a glass bowl and melt in the microwave for 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Keep stirring for another minute to cool it slightly before carefully pouring over the cake and allowing to drip down the sides.

8 To finish Divide the fondant in two. Colour one half black and the other half yellow. Roll out the black fondant on a surface lightly dusted with cornflour. Cut out two Mickey Mouse shapes and chill in the fridge.

9 Use the yellow fondant to make two large balls then flatten slightly and shape into ovals. Using the leftover butter icing as glue, fix the two Mickey Mouse shapes on top of the cake as ears and the yellow ovals on the front of the cake as feet. Decorate the cake with popcorn.