Two weeks ago, for my boyfriend’s birthday, I finally decided try my hand at a tie dye cake recipe from my “Culinary Couture” Pinterest board. Honestly, I half-expected my cake to look like a poorly-executed Rainbow Brite assassination. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised. Turns out, baking a tie dye cake is, well, a piece of cake.

What you’ll need:

6 different colors of food dye

1 box of white cake mix

2-3 eggs

Water

9″ round cake pan

Direction:

1. Mix the boxed cake mix as you normally would, following the directions on the back of the box.

2. Separate the batter equally into six small bowls.

3. Use the dye to color each of the six bowls with a different color.

4. After spraying the pan with non-stick spray, pour the first color into the middle of the pan. Do not spread out.

5. Pour the second color directly on top of the first, and lightly shake the pan to help the batter distribute evenly across the middle.

6. Repeat step 5 until all of the colors have been used and the batter fills the entire bottom of the pan.

7. Bake according to the directions on the box. Don’t worry if it cracks! That’s what icing is for.

8. Eat all of the leftover batter while the cake bakes.

9. Add the icing and sprinkles.

10. Bam! You’re now the proud creator of a brilliantly-colored culinary masterpiece.

Tips:

1. The colors will darken as they cook, so use minimal dye with the batter.

2. The color will create a marbled effect, so the order of the colors is not particularly important in pouring.

3. If you want to create a layered cake, double the ingredients and cook two 9″ pans simultaneously. Use icing between the layers to hold them together.

4. Don’t worry if your cake cracks! That’s what icing is for.

5. If you’re still feeling lost, check out this great tutorial by Duff.