Rainbow Jelly Cake with Coconut (Printable)

Six colorful agar-agar jelly layers topped with creamy coconut—dairy- and gluten-free chilled dessert.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Agar-Agar Jelly Layers

01 - 2 tablespoons agar-agar powder
02 - 3 3/4 cups water (30.4 fl oz)
03 - 1 cup granulated sugar
04 - Food coloring (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple), as needed
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

→ Coconut Cream Layer

06 - 1 2/3 cups coconut cream (13.5 fl oz)
07 - 6.8 fl oz water
08 - 2 tablespoons agar-agar powder
09 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
10 - Pinch of salt

# How To Make:

01 - Combine 2 tablespoons agar-agar powder with 3 3/4 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a vigorous simmer over medium heat, whisking continuously until the agar dissolves completely, about 3 minutes. Add 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla if using; stir until dissolved. Remove from heat.
02 - Immediately divide the hot clear agar mixture evenly into six heatproof bowls. Tint each portion with a few drops of the chosen food colorings to produce red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple, stirring gently to combine.
03 - Pour the red layer into an 8-inch (approximately 20 cm) round or rectangular mold to create a thin first layer. Allow to cool at room temperature until the surface is just set but still slightly tender to the touch, about 5–8 minutes.
04 - Working quickly, pour the next colored portion (orange) over the set red layer. Let each layer set until just firm before adding the next color to prevent bleeding. Repeat with yellow, green, blue and purple, ensuring each layer cools briefly until lightly gelled before pouring the next.
05 - In a clean saucepan, whisk together 2 tablespoons agar-agar powder, 6.8 fl oz water and 1 2/3 cups coconut cream. Gently simmer over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until the agar dissolves. Stir in 1/2 cup granulated sugar and a pinch of salt until fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth.
06 - When the final colored layer is set, gently pour the warm coconut cream mixture over the rainbow layers in an even motion to avoid disturbing them. Allow the mold to cool to room temperature uncovered.
07 - Refrigerate the assembled cake for at least 1 hour, or until completely firm and chilled through. This will ensure clean slicing.
08 - Loosen the edges with a thin spatula or knife, invert onto a serving plate, and slice into neat wedges or cut into cubes. Serve cold.

# Top Suggestions:

01 -
  • Layering the rainbow almost feels like painting, except you get to eat the masterpiece.
  • Unlike most cakes, this dazzling dessert is surprisingly refreshing and won’t leave you feeling heavy.
02 -
  • If each layer isn’t firm enough before adding the next, they’ll blur together—embrace the learning curve and test with a gentle press.
  • The coconut cream needs to be warm but not hot when poured, or it’ll melt those beautiful stripes underneath.
03 -
  • Layer the next color only when the previous one has set enough to support it, but isn’t rock solid—timing is everything.
  • For clean, even layers, keep a little jug of hot water to clean your offset spatula or knife between pours.
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