Bright and colorful these rainbow cupcakes are sure to put a smile on everyone's faces. With a moist and fluffy vanilla base they are topped with a swirled rainbow of frosting.
Whether you are looking for a fun addition for St Patrick's Day, kids birthdays, pride events or any other celebration these rainbow decorated cupcakes are the perfect addition.
Colorful frosting can be used to decorate cupcakes in many different ways like these ornament cupcakes, chocolate peppermint cupcakes or Grinch cupcakes. And this rainbow recipe is no exception.
We were so excited to develop this recipe but wanted to make sure they were easy and anyone could make them. These look fancy and elaborate, but you only need 12 ingredients and 45 minutes to make a batch.
Cupcake Ingredients
- Butter - unsalted + softened
- Sugar
- Egg Whites
- Oil
- Milk
- Salt
- Baking Powder
- Flour
See recipe card for quantities.
Rainbow Buttercream Ingredients
- Butter - unsalted + softened
- Vanilla
- Salt
- Powdered Sugar
- Milk
- Food Coloring - purple, blue, pink, orange, yellow, green
- Mini Marshmallows
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
Here are a few ingredient substitutions and flavor variations we have tried out:
- Box Mix - if you want to make the cupcakes even faster, you can use a vanilla cake mix.
- Skip the colored frosting - you can add a dollop of blue or white frosting on top of each and then add an Airhead Xtreme or other rainbow candy with mini marshmallows instead of making rainbow colored frosting.
- Make the cupcakes rainbow also - if you want the actual cupcake to be rainbow colored, make your batter and then split it into 6 bowls. Add a drop or two of your food coloring. Then carefully spoon a small spoonful of each colored batter one on top of the other into your cupcake liners.
If you like colorful frosting on your cupcakes, you can also try out these chocolate peppermint cupcakes or these watermelon cupcakes.
Instructions
Follow these easy step-by-step directions to bake up and decorate a batch of your own rainbow cupcakes.
Step one: preheat your oven to 350° f. And, then, place your cupcake liners in your cupcake tin.
Step two: place your butter and sugar and a mixing bowl and clean on medium high for 2 to 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
Step three: add in your egg whites, oil, vanilla and milk and mix until well combined. It may look slightly curdled and that is normal.
Step four: add in salt, baking powder and flour. Mix on low scraping down the sides as needed until everything is well combined.
Step five: fill each cupcake liner about ⅔ of the way full of batter and then bake for around 14 minutes until center is set and edges are golden brown.
Step six: for the frosting add in butter, vanilla, salt and part of the powdered sugar. Then mix on low until everything is well combined.
Step seven: add in the remaining powdered sugar and milk. Mix until well combined. Then, turn the mixer up to medium and mix for 2 to 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
Step eight: divide your frosting into seven even containers. Then add blue, purple, yellow, orange, pink and green colors and mix into will combined. Leaving the seventh section white.
Step nine: transfer each color to an individual piping bag. Cut an 18 to 24 in strip of plastic wrap and lay on your counter. Then, pipe the colors and rainbow order onto the plastic wrap.
Step ten: roll the plastic wrap into a log so that the colors overlap and then place it into a piping bag with a large star tip.
Step eleven: pipe the colored frosting in a u-shape on each cupcake adding mini marshmallows to the end to represent clouds.
Hint: when piping the colored frosting onto your cupcakes give a twist midway through so that all the colors show.
Recipe Tips for Success
- Cool your cupcakes - make sure the cupcakes are completely cool before adding any frosting otherwise it may melt off the side of your cupcake.
- Frosting consistency -should be thick enough so that you can scoop it up and it won't droop when turned over. However you don't want it so thick that it won't easily move through your piping bag. Add more milk to thin it and more sugar to thicken it.
Storage
These rainbow frosted cupcakes can be kept for around 5 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. If they won't be used by then, you should freeze them.
To freeze them, first flash freeze by placing on a baking sheet and freezing until frosting is hard to the touch. Then, wrap each cupcake in plastic wrap and package in an airtight container or freezer bags. Can be frozen for around 6 months.
Rainbow Cupcakes
Equipment
- Cupcake Tin
- Cupcake Liners
- Mixing bowl
- Hand or Stand Mixer
- Piping Bags
- Large Star Tip
- Measuring Cups + Spoons
Ingredients
For cupcakes
- .5 cup Butter softened + unsalted
- 1 ⅔ cup Sugar
- 6 Egg Whites
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- ¼ cup Oil
- 1 ¼ cup Milk
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 2 ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- 2 cup Flour
For the rainbow frosting:
- 1 cup Butter softened + unsalted
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 4 cup Powdered Sugar
- 3 tablespoon Milk
- Food coloring - purple, blue, pink, orange, yellow, green
- Mini Marshmallows
Instructions
- Place cupcake liners into the cupcake tins and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add .5 cup butter and 1 ⅔ cup sugar into the mixing bowl. Cream on medium high speed for 2 - 3 minutes.
- Add in 6 egg whites, ¼ cup oil and 1 teaspoon of vanilla and mix well.
- Add in 1 ¼ cup of milk and mix until combined. It may appear curdled, this is normal.
- Add in ½ teaspoon of salt, 2 ½ teaspoon baking powder and 2 cups of flour. Mix on medium low speed, scraping sides down as needed until well combined.
- Fill cupcake liners about ⅔ of the way full and bake for about 14 minutes or until golden brown.
For rainbow frosting
- Combine 1 cup butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 cups powdered sugar in mixing bowl. Mix on low until well combined.
- Add 3 tablespoons milk and remaining 2 cups of powdered sugar. Mix on low until well combined and then bump up to medium and mix an additional two or so minutes until fluffy and smooth.
- Divide frosting evenly into 6 bowls. One will stay white, the others will get a few drops of the food coloring. Mix until well combined.
- Add each color to a piping bag.
- Lay out a strip of plastic wrap about 18 - 24 inches long. Pipe each color of frosting onto the plastic wrap in rainbow order - purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, pink.
- Roll the plastic wrap around the frosting so they overlap and then place the log into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
- Once cupcakes are cooled, pipe a mound of white frosting on each. Use a knife of spatula to flatten it.
- Then pipe the colored frosting on each in a U or rainbow shape.
- Add mini marshmallows on the ends of the "rainbow" as clouds.
Notes
- Make sure cupcakes are completely cooled before frosting.
- Twist the colored piping bag mid squeeze to show all the colors in your "rainbow"
- Make sure frosting is correct consistency, it shouldn't wilt when scooped up, but should be thin enough to move easily through the piping tip.
- Make rainbow colored cupcakes by adding food color to the batter and layering it before baking.
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for around 5 days.
- Freeze for 6 months by flash freezing, wrapping in cling wrap and then packing in freezer bags or airtight container.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is just an estimate and may vary based on specific ingredients used.
