Polka Dot Cake With Meringue Kisses

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans; line pans with parchment, grease and flour, tapping out excess flour, then set aside. In a bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
• Beat butter and sugar until light, about 2 min. Add vanilla and eggs one at a time, beating after each. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately in 3 parts, beginning and ending with flour and scraping down sides of bowl often. Divide batter between pans and bake until a cake tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 30 min. Cool in pans 15 min. Turn out and cool, top side up.

For Meringue Kisses:

• Heat oven to 175°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Prepare 4 large pastry bags fitted with ½-inch plain tips or plain couplers; set aside.
• In a small, heavy saucepan combine ¾ cup sugar, corn syrup and 2 tablespoon water over medium-high heat. Stir until sugar dissolves; remove spoon. Brush insides of pan with a wet pastry brush to remove anysugar crystals. Boil, without stirring, until syrup registers 230°F on a candy thermometer, about 4 min.
• While syrup cooks, whip egg whites and remaining 2 tablespoon sugar until soft peaks form. With mixer on low speed, pour sugar syrup into egg whites in a slow steady stream. Increase mixer speed to high and beat until mixture is thick and glossy, about 5 min.
• Working quickly, divide meringue between 4 bowls, then tint pink, orange, yellow or blue. Stir each one before transferring to prepared pastry bags. Pipe 1 ¼-inch round kisses onto lined baking sheets as close together as possible. Bake until set and cooked through, about 2 ½ hr. Turn oven off, leaving meringues to dry completely, about 1 hr.

Assemble the cake:

• Trim domed tops from cooled cakes. Fill with a ¼-inch-thick layer of frosting and frost the entire cake. Decorate sides with Meringue Kisses.