Rainbow cheesecake is a vibrant and visually stunning dessert that will impress your guests and elevate any celebration. With its colorful layers and creamy texture, this cheesecake combines artistry and flavor in every slice.
Layered Rainbow Cheesecake
To create this rainbow cheesecake, pour colored batters on top of each other. When baked, the colored layers remain separate, resulting in a rainbow effect when you cut the cake.
Create Seven Colors of Batter
Creating a rainbow cheesecake is easy and fun! Start by mixing up the batter and then dividing it evenly into seven separate bowls. Color each portion to represent the colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.
Use ROYGBIV to Order the Colors in Rainbow Cheesecake
This rainbow cheesecake showcases a full spectrum of colors, commonly called ROYGBIV. This acronym serves as a mnemonic device to help you remember the order of the colors as they appear in a rainbow. I learned it as Roy G. Biv, just like a name!
Use Equal-Sized Batter Bowls
To ensure consistent layers, use bowls that are the same size when dividing the batter. Equal-sized bowls allow you to visually assess the batter amounts without additional measuring. If one color is too scant, that layer may not stand out in the finished cheesecake. Alternatively, you can measure the batter with a measuring cup.
Use Gel Food Colors
To begin your cheesecake, prepare and bake the crust. While the crust cools, measure the batter into the bowls and add a different food coloring to each one. Gel colors are recommended, as they tend to be more vibrant than liquid ones, requiring smaller quantities. Keep in mind that liquid food coloring can thin out the batter.
How to Pour the Batters for Rainbow Cheesecake
Once your batters are colored, line them up in the ROYGBIV pattern and place a clean spoon in each bowl. Start by pouring the red batter into the center of the prepared cheesecake pan, using the spoon to scrape out all the batter. Do not spread it. Next, add the orange batter into the center on top of the red. Continue layering each batter in ROYGBIV order.
Avoid stirring or trying to spread the colors, as this will mix them and create a muddy appearance. Don’t panic; the other colored batters will weigh down that small circle of red you started with and will naturally spread out.
Reverse the Order of the Rainbow Cheesecake
If you prefer red on top and violet on the bottom, reverse the pouring order. Start by pouring the violet batter into the center of the pan first, then follow with the VIBGYOR pattern. Starting with violet will allow the warm colors to dominate rather than the cool ones.
Adding Garnish to the Rainbow Cheesecake
This cake is so colorful that it hardly requires any garnish or decoration. To add a touch of flair, I placed a few lemons on top. I broke wooden toothpicks in half, inserted the pointed end into the lemon rinds, and then stuck the other end into the cheesecake.
The lemons will stand upright without falling; you can arrange them in any pattern you prefer.
Alternative Colors for Rainbow Cheesecake
If you prefer not to use artificial food colors but still want colorful baked goods, consider using fruit powders for coloring. These natural alternatives often result in pastel shades rather than the bold hues provided by gel colors. Nonetheless, they can create beautiful desserts.
Other Recipes You Might Like
Click on each name to link to the post.
- Striped Peppermint Cheesecake
- Triple-Citrus Cheesecake
- Vanilla Bean Cheesecake
- New York Cheesecake
- Purple Sweet Potato Cheesecake
Rainbow Cheesecake
Equipment
- 10-inch springform pan
- 7 equal-sized cereal bowls or equivalent
- 1 11 x 13-inch baking dish filled halfway with water
Ingredients
Almond Crust
- 1 ¼ cups almond flour
- ¼ cup dark cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
Cheesecake
- 2 ½ pounds cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch, sifted
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 egg yolks, room temperature
- 5 large eggs, room temperature
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 7 food coloring gels: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, and black (See note below)
Instructions
Almond Crust
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients together and stir.
- Grease the bottom and inside ring of the pan. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of the pan.
- Bake for 6 minutes. Cool.
Cheesecake
- Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Place a pan of warm water on the lowest shelf in the oven.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl a few times to dislodge any unbeaten cream cheese.
- Mix in the sugar and flour and beat until smooth.
- Add the lemon and orange zest and the vanilla. Stir just until mixed.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition until thoroughly mixed.
- Stir in the heavy cream and mix until just blended. Do not overbeat.
- Divide the batter equally between the seven bowls. To the first bowl, add the red gel coloring. To get a deep, rich red color, add approximately 1/2 to 1 teaspoon. Red usually takes the most color to make a vibrant red color. Stir well to blend.
- To the second bowl, add orange gel coloring. Add enough orange gel to achieve the same depth of color as the red batter. Stir until well blended. Add additional coloring as needed.
- In the third bowl, add yellow gel color. Add enough coloring to reach the same depth as the other two colors. Stir to mix.
- Add the green gel coloring to the fourth bowl, again matching the color depth as the previous colors. Stir well.
- In the fifth bowl, add the blue gel color. This color should be vibrant sky blue. Stir well.
- To the sixth bowl add twice the amount of blue added to the fifth bowl. Stir well. This blue color should be twice as dark as the blue in the previous bowl. If not, add a little more blue gel coloring. Now add a small amount of violet gel coloring and a small amount of black gel coloring. Stir. This color should be a dark indigo color.
- In the seventh bowl, add violet gel coloring. It should match the depth and vibrancy of the other colors. Stir well.
- To assemble the cheesecake, start with the red batter and pour it into the center of the crust. Let it spread on its own.
- Next, pour the orange batter directly on top of the red batter. Do not spread out the batter to prevent the blending of colors. Continue adding the batters (yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet) one on the other without spreading them.
- Bake at 475 degrees F for 15 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 200 degrees F and bake for 1 hour. When finished baking, turn off the oven and let the cheesecake sit in it for 2 hours. Do not open the oven door during this time.
- Remove the cheesecake and let cool. Refrigerate for several hours. Serve cold.
Notes
Wilton colors used:
- Red – Red (No Taste)
- Orange – Orange
- Yellow – Lemon Yellow
- Green – Leaf Green
- Blue – Royal Blue
- Indigo – Royal Blue (double the amount of the previous blue) + Violet + Black
- Violet – Violet