Unicorn cake birthday (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ For the layer cake (3 cakes, 18 cm diameter each)

01 - 240 ml buttermilk
02 - ½ teaspoon salt
03 - 300g granulated sugar
04 - 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
05 - 3 eggs
06 - 1 egg white
07 - 340g all-purpose flour
08 - 230g unsalted butter, softened
09 - 2 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
10 - 80g rainbow sprinkles

→ For the buttercream

11 - 500g powdered sugar
12 - 560g unsalted butter, softened
13 - 2 tablespoons milk
14 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

→ For decorating

15 - Rainbow sprinkles
16 - Unicorn horn and ears
17 - Food coloring: pink, blue, purple, yellow

# Instructions:

01 - Heat up the oven to 180°C. Coat the bottom and sides of 3 cake pans (18 cm each) with butter, then line them with baking paper circles.
02 - In one bowl, whisk the eggs, egg white, and vanilla together. In a second bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
03 - Put the butter and sugar in a stand mixer bowl and beat on medium for 5 minutes until it’s light and fluffy. Slowly add the egg mixture while scraping the sides if needed. Keep mixing until it’s combined.
04 - Stir in a third of the dry mix on low speed. Then pour in roughly half of the buttermilk, mix until smooth, and alternate with the rest of the ingredients, ending with the dry mix. Toss in the sprinkles and gently fold them in using a spatula—be careful not to overmix, or the cakes might turn out dense.
05 - Divide the batter evenly into the pans, about 480g in each. Smooth the tops with an offset spatula. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the cakes rest for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool fully.
06 - Beat the softened butter in a stand mixer on medium until creamy (about 2 minutes). Lower the speed, slowly incorporate the powdered sugar, and mix until fully combined. Turn the speed back up, and beat for 3 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add the milk and vanilla, mix on low, then increase speed again for a couple of minutes. Scoop about 75 cl (roughly 2 ½ US cups) of the buttercream into a separate bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and save it for decorating later.
07 - If the cakes have domed tops, trim them with a serrated knife for a flat surface. Place one layer on a plate or cake stand, spread a thin layer of buttercream (about ½ – 1 cm thick), stack the second layer on top, and repeat. Lay the last cake upside down for a flat top.
08 - Spread a thin coating of buttercream all over the cake, just enough to trap the crumbs. Let the cake chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
09 - Coat the cake with the rest of the buttercream in a smooth, even layer. Use the offset spatula to achieve a polished look.
10 - While the frosting is fresh, press rainbow sprinkles onto the bottom edge of the cake to ensure they stick. Position the unicorn horn in the center and add the ears on each side.
11 - Divide the leftover buttercream into four parts and add a single drop of food coloring into each (one for pink, one blue, one purple, and one yellow). Mix until combined. The goal is pastel shades, so don’t go overboard. Put each color into separate piping bags fitted with star tips.
12 - Use the colored buttercreams to pipe rosettes and other designs, starting at the base of the unicorn’s horn and ears. Then trail the design down one side of the cake for a flowing mane look.
13 - Refrigerate the cake (without the horn if it’s too tall) and make sure to take it out 2 hours before serving so it’s properly at room temperature.

# Notes:

01 - Make homemade buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to a measuring cup. Fill up to the 240 ml mark with milk, stir, and let sit for 5 minutes.
02 - Stick to traditional rainbow sprinkles (small rods). Avoid candy beads or other shapes since they might bleed into the cake batter.
03 - You can find unicorn decorations (horn, ears) online, or make them from fondant. An easy alternative is using ice cream cones.

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