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    Home » Desserts

    Tie Dye Cake

    Published: Apr 26, 2023 · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe
    colorful cake recipe from scratch
    colorful cake recipe from scratch
    colorful cake recipe from scratch

    Are you ready to bring some psychedelic fun to your next party? Look no further than this easy tie dye cake. This colorful dessert tastes every bit as good as it looks!

    colorful cake recipe from scratch

    I’ve gotten so much love for my recently posted tie dye cupcakes, that I just had to give you all this tie dye cake as well. Who knew you were such tie dye fans?!

    This tie dye cake is: 

    • Colorful. (Duh.)
    • Delicious. 
    • A fun family friendly recipe! 
    • Super easy to make.
    • Great summer time dessert.

    So what are you waiting for? Let's make this groovy cake!

    colorful cake recipe from scratch

    How to Make a Tie Dye Cake

    First things first, don't let all those colors intimidate you. Making a tie dye cake is actually quite simple. It’s really just a basic cake recipe with a couple extra steps! 

    Start off by mixing up your cake batter. I used a pretty simple vanilla cake recipe (full details below), but you can also make this with a boxed cake mix if you prefer. 

    colorful cake recipe from scratch

    Divide the cake batter into separate bowls, one for each color that you want to incorporate in your cake. I used six colors - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Add a few drops of food coloring to each bowl and mix until you achieve your desired color. 

    colorful cake recipe from scratch

    Now get two 8” cake pans (so we can have two layers to the cake), and gently pour half of each colored batter into each cake pan. Use a toothpick to gently swirl the colors together to get your tie dye look. 

    colorful cake recipe from scratch

    Then bake and frost the cake as usual, and top with some colorful sprinkles! I used a homemade buttercream frosting, which is in the recipe card below.

    colorful cake recipe from scratch

    Tips & Variations

    Swirl gently! 

    One thing to keep in mind when making this colorful cake recipe from scratch is that the colors can easily blend together if you're not careful. Then you’ll have a less delightful brown cake. To avoid this, use a toothpick or knife to gently swirl the colors together in your pan, being careful not to overmix. You want to see distinct colors in your finished cake, not a muddy mess.

    colorful cake recipe from scratch

    Experiment with colors. 

    Build your own color combinations for a truly unique tie dye cake. Try using pastel colors for a more subtle look, or go all out with bright neon colors. Have fun!

    Cake flavors. 

    If you're feeling extra creative, try using different cake flavors for each color. For example, use strawberry cake mix for pink batter, lemon cake mix for yellow batter, and so on.

    Natural Food Colorings. 

    colorful cake recipe from scratch

    Don't have food coloring on hand or don’t like to cook with them? No problem! You can achieve similar results with natural food dyes like beet juice, turmeric, or matcha powder.

    Add Mix-Ins. 

    Want to make your tie dye cake even more festive? Consider adding some fun mix-ins like chocolate chips, sprinkles, or even pieces of fruit (like strawberries).

    colorful cake recipe from scratch

    Make cupcakes instead. 

    Don't have a cake pan? No worries! You can make tie dye cupcakes or even a tie dye bundt cake using the same technique.

    There you have it - everything you need to know to make a showstopping tie dye cake. Whether you're hosting a birthday party, baby shower, or just looking for a fun baking project, this dessert is sure to impress. Now, get your apron on and let's get baking!

    colorful cake recipe from scratch

    More Tasty Treats

    If you love this tie dye cake, be sure to check out these other delicious ideas: 

    • Unicorn Donuts
    • Lucky Charms Cookies
    • Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies’
    • Dessert Kabobs

    Recipe

    colorful cake recipe from scratch

    Tie Dye Cake

    All She Cooks
    This easy tie dye cake will bring some psychedelic fun to your next party. A colorful dessert that tastes every bit as good as it looks!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 50 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8 servings
    Calories 1506 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    Cake:

    • 3 cups flour
    • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
    • 1 tablespoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 cup butter softened to room temperature
    • 1 ½ cups sugar
    • 4 large eggs room temperature
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla
    • 1 cup buttermilk
    • Food coloring red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple

    Frosting:

    • 2 cups butter softened
    • 8 cups powdered sugar
    • ½ cup heavy cream
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • Rainbow sprinkles
    • Food coloring red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple

    Instructions
     

    Cake:

    • Preheat oven to 350 F, grease two 8” cake pans and set aside
    • In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside
      colorful cake recipe from scratch
    • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on high until light and fluffy, add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition
    • Stir in the vanilla extract
    • Add half the flour mixture, followed by half the buttermilk and repeat until all the flour and buttermilk has been used
      colorful cake recipe from scratch
    • Evenly divide the batter into 6 bowls, and dye each a different color (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple)
      colorful cake recipe from scratch
    • Add half of each of the colors to each pan, then swirl gently with a toothpick
      colorful cake recipe from scratch
    • Bake in preheated oven 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean
      colorful cake recipe from scratch
    • Allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes before removing from pan onto a wire rack and cooling completely

    Frosting:

    • In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment add the butter and beat on high until light and fluffy, add the powdered sugar 1.5-2 cups at a time, and beat well after each
    • Add the cream and vanilla and beat again until light and fluffy
      colorful cake recipe from scratch
    • Remove 2-3 cups of frosting and divide into 6 bowls, dye each bowl a different color (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple)
      colorful cake recipe from scratch
    • Level the cakes, crumble the domed part to use later
      colorful cake recipe from scratch
    • Frost the cooled and leveled cake with white, then add rainbow swirls
      colorful cake recipe from scratch
    • Drag a toothpick through it to create the tie dye effect
      colorful cake recipe from scratch
    • Create a white border along the top and add rainbow sprinkles, then press some reserved crumbs onto the bottom edge of the cake
      colorful cake recipe from scratch
    • Serve and enjoy!
      colorful cake recipe from scratch

    Nutrition

    Calories: 1506kcalCarbohydrates: 197gProtein: 10gFat: 78gSaturated Fat: 49gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 3gCholesterol: 285mgSodium: 1059mgPotassium: 161mgFiber: 1gSugar: 157gVitamin A: 2514IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 174mgIron: 3mg
    Keyword colorful cake recipe, colorful cake recipe from scratch, how to make a tie dye cake with buttercream frosting, how to make a tie dye cake with food coloring, how to make tie dye cake, tie dye cake, tie dye cake tutorial
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    Nicole is a recipe developer, food photographer, and published cookbook author. At All She Cooks, she shares simple recipes to make every day a little bit more delicious. About Us →


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