Instructions

CAKE

1. Adjust a rack to the center position in the oven and heat to 350 degrees. Spray 3 8-inch round cake pans with non-stick baking spray and set aside. In a food processor, process the rainbow sprinkles until coarsely ground, about 8 to 10 pulses. Set aside until needed.
2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the milk, egg whites and vanilla.
3. Attach the paddle attachment to a stand mixer. On low speed combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add butter one piece at a time. Continue to combine until the butter is the size of peas, about 1 minute. Reserve ½ cup of the milk mixture, and pour remaining into the dry ingredients. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and add the reserved milk mixture to the batter and beat until combined, about 30 seconds (the batter may look curdled at this point). Give the batter a final stir by hand and stir in ground rainbow sprinkles.
4. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cake pans and smooth the tops with an offset cake spatula or rubber spatula. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, rotating pans halfway through baking. Let cakes cool in their pans for 10 minutes on wire racks. Invert cakes onto the wire racks to cool completely, about 2 hours.
   

SOAKING SYRUP

1. Add water and sugar in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until sugar has dissolved. Turn off the heat and stir in extract and flavored vodka if using.

BUTTERCREAM

1. Pour egg whites and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer, and whisk them together by hand to combine. Create a double boiler by filling a saucepan with a few inches of water and placing the bowl on top. The bottom of the bowl should not touch the water. Heat saucepan over medium heat.
2. Attach a candy thermometer to the bowl and heat the egg white mixture to 160 degrees, whisking often. Once the mixture reaches 160 degrees, about 10 to 12 minutes. Carefully transfer the bowl to the stand mixer.
3. With the whisk attachment attached, beat the egg white mixture on high speed for about 8 to 10 minutes until egg whites hold medium-stiff peaks. The mixer bowl should be room temperature with no residual heat coming from the top of the bowl.
4. Remove the whisk attachment from the mixer and replace it with the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low speed, add the butter a tablespoon at a time, then add the vanilla extract and vodka if using. Once the butter is combined increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat until the buttercream is smooth and silky, about 5 minutes. Add in rainbow sprinkles and gently stir in by hand.
   

ASSEMBLE

1. Place one cake layer on an 8-inch round cake board and place on a cake turntable. Brush some of the soaking syrup on top of the cake. Spread about 1/2 cup buttercream on top in an even layer all the way to the edge of the cake. Place the second cake layer on top and brush with more soaking syrup. Spread 1/2 cup buttercream over the top in an even layer all the way to the edge of the cake. Place the last cake layer on top (bottom side up) and brush with more soaking syrup.
   

CRUMB COAT

1. Top the cake with about 2 cups buttercream and spread a thin coating of buttercream over the top and sides of the cake. This will help keep any crumbs from getting in to your final layer of buttercream as well as seals the cake. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
   

DECORATING

1. Apply the final layer of buttercream over the chilled cake in an even layer. Alternatively, you can use an 8-inch round acrylic disc lined with parchment paper, placed on top of the cake. With one hand on the top of the disc, apply the buttercream to the sides of the cake with your other hand. Coat the entire side of the cake with buttercream. Gently press an icing scraper against the acrylic disc and the bottom cake board, and using the turntable, smooth the sides of the cake with each rotation. Fill in any gaps with more buttercream and rotate again until you get a smooth finish. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before removing the acrylic disc on top.
2. Using a small offset cake spatula or knife, gently remove the acrylic disc and peel off the parchment paper. Apply additional frosting on the top of the cake and gently smooth out.
3. Place the remaining buttercream in a piping bag fitted with Ateco piping tip #828. Pipe swirls around the top edge of the cake. Top each swirl with a cherry. Add additional sprinkles and serve.