This rainbow cheesecake is made by pouring colored batters on each other. When baked, the colored layers stay separate, thus creating a rainbow effect when the cake is cut.
Create Seven Colors of Batter
It is easy to create a rainbow cheesecake. Mix up the batter and then separate it evenly into seven separate bowls. Color each batter like a rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.
Use ROYGBIV to Order the Colors in Rainbow Cheesecake
This rainbow cheesecake has a full spectrum of colors, also known as ROYGBIV. The acronym ROYGBIV is just a mnemonic device to help order the colors as they appear in a rainbow. I learned it as Roy G. Biv, like a name.
Use Equal-Sized Batter Bowls
Use the same-sized bowls to divide the batter. Otherwise, measure it with a measuring cup. Same-sized bowls make it easier to judge the batter amounts without measuring. If you have too little of one color, that layer may not show up well in the finished cheesecake.
Use Gel Food Colors
To start this cheesecake, prepare and bake the crust. While the crust is cooling, measure the batter into bowls and add food coloring to each bowl. It is best to add gel colors because they are usually more vibrant than liquid colors and don’t require as much. Also, liquid food coloring can thin the batter.
How to Pour the Batters for Rainbow Cheesecake
Once the batters are colored, line them up in the ROYGBIV pattern and put a clean spoon in each. Pour the red batter into the center of the prepared cheesecake pan, using the spoon to scrap all the batter out of the bowl. Do not spread it. Next, pour the orange batter into the center again, on top of the red batter. Continue adding each batter on top of the last color. Be sure to pour them in ROYGBIV order.
Do not stir the batter or try to spread out the colors, or they will mix and can turn muddy. Don’t worry. That small circle of red that started in the center of the pan when you started will get weighed down by all the other colored batters and spread from side to side in the pan.
Reverse the Order of the Rainbow Cheesecake
You can reverse the order of the pouring pattern if you want the top of the cheesecake to be red and have violet on the bottom of the cake. Just pour the violet batter into the center of the pan first and use this pattern: VIBGYOR. This pouring pattern will make warm colors dominate instead of cool colors.
This cake is so colorful that it doesn’t need much garnish or decoration. I used a few lemons on top. I broke wooden toothpicks in half and stuck the pointed end into the lemon rind edge and stuck the other end into the cheesecake.
The lemons will stand without falling and can be added in any pattern you like.
Alternative Colors
If you don’t like using artificial food colors but still like colorful baked goods, you can use fruit powders and juices to color foods. These natural colors usually make pastel-colored foods instead of the vibrant colors associated with gel colors. Nonetheless, they create beautiful-colored food. The recipe notes include sources for powdered food dyes.
Other Recipes You Might Like
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| Prep Time | 30 minutes |
| Cook Time | 181 minutes |
| Passive Time | 2 hours |
| Servings |
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- 1 1/4 cups almond flour
- 1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 10-inch springform pan
- 2 1/2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 3/4 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
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 7 food coloring gels red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, and black (See note below)
- 7 small bowls, equal in size
- (1) 11 x 13-inch baking dish filled halfway with water (or a similar-sized pan)
Ingredients
Almond Crust
Cheesecake
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- 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.
- 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 that might be stuck.
- 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 7 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.
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
Natural Food Colorings
If you prefer to use all-natural food coloring, here are two sources. Click on each name to go to the websites.
Suncore FoodsΒ andΒ Ultimate Baker.
These colorings usually make a pastel-colored cake.