Rainbow Cupcakes
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Posted: 02/23/24
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These Rainbow Cupcakes start with a homemade vanilla cupcake that’s so delicious. Then decorate it with blue homemade buttercream frosting to represent the sky and then a candy rainbow! A delicious dessert or snack kids will flip over.
Aren’t these rainbow cupcakes just the cutest thing you’ve ever seen?! This super easy recipe starts with vanilla bean cupcakes made from scratch, adds a fun rainbow candy, and finishes with homemade buttercream frosting. Can you say YUM?!
Making cupcakes from scratch may seem really difficult, but it’s actually one of the easiest baked goods to create. I make my grinch cupcakes from scratch too and they always turn out so delicious. Once you make these homemade sweet treats, you’re never going to want to use boxed mix again!
Why You’ll Love this Rainbow Cupcakes Recipe
- This recipe makes cupcakes that are every bit as good as a bakery cupcake, just more affordable! Save some money and make bakery-quality treats in the comfort of your own home.
- Rainbow cupcakes can be served for so many different occasions. They’re perfect for birthday parties, St. Patrick’s Day, and even a fun pool party during the summer.
- Easy rainbow cupcakes are kid-friendly! If your kids are always itching to bake something, they’ll enjoy making this recipe and decorating each cupcake.
Ingredients for Rainbow Cupcakes Recipe
- All-purpose flour – Use this as the base for the homemade cupcake batter.
- Baking powder – Baking powder is a rising agent that will help make each cupcake light and fluffy!
- Salt – A little salt helps to balance the sweetness of cupcakes.
- Sugar – Use granulated white sugar to sweeten the cupcakes perfectly.
- Large eggs – Allow your eggs to come to room temperature so that they will more easily mix into the batter.
- Whole milk – I prefer the results I get when using whole milk. However, you can also use skim milk or 2% milk if that is all that you have on hand.
- Vanilla bean paste – Look for this in the baking aisle! The flavor is next level compared to vanilla extract.
- Vegetable oil – You can also use olive oil, canola oil, avocado oil, and even melted butter.
- Powdered sugar – For best results, sift your powdered sugar to remove and separate any clumps.
- Unsalted butter – You’ll want to use softened butter, not melted. If you use salted butter, then reduce or eliminate the salt that this recipe calls for.
- Heavy whipping cream – This is the liquid you will use to bring the frosting together.
- Blue food coloring – A few drops of blue food coloring add just the right ting to the frosting. However, you can also leave out the food coloring and have white clouds if you prefer!
- Airhead Xtremes Rainbow Berry Candy – This is the easiest, and most tasty, way to make a rainbow on top of each of these rainbow cupcakes.
- White sugar pearls – These aren’t a must as a decoration on each cupcake, but they really are the best finishing touch.
How to Make Rainbow Cupcakes
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a cupcake tins with paper liners.
To begin making the cupcake batter, combine the all purpose flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large bowl.
Mix the milk, oil, and eggs into the dry ingredients, stirring between each ingredient addition before adding the next. Once combined, mix in the vanilla bean paste.
Using an ice cream scoop or measuring cup, divide the cupcake batter among the liners in the cupcake pan. Bake the cupcakes in a preheated oven for 20 minutes and then remove. Transfer to a wire rack and let them cool completely.
While the cupcakes cool, you can make the frosting you’ll use to decorate these cute rainbow cupcakes.
Place softened butter into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Then sift the powdered sugar into the bowl and then beat with a mixer to combine.
Add one tablespoon of heavy cream at a time to the mixture and mix until it reaches the right consistency. Add the food coloring, and mix until combined.
When you’re ready to decorate, cut two slits in the tops of the rainbow cupcakes and place each end of the rainbow candy in the slits.
Scoop the frosting into a piping bag with a star tip and pipe it under each rainbow candy. Add white pearls to the edges of the rainbows as a finishing touch and voila!
Serve and enjoy the happy smiles from those who grab a happy rainbow cupcake!
How to Store Rainbow Cupcakes
These cupcakes store best undecorated! Make the vanilla bean cupcakes and allow them to cool completely. Then place them into an airtight container and store at room temperature for a day before decorating. You can also freeze the undecorated cupcakes for up to a month.
Refrigerating cupcakes often changes their texture, but if you need to extend their life a bit, that works too!
I do not recommend storing leftovers of decorated cupcakes as the candy will get soggy. But if you really want to keep them, they’ll last for about 24 hours in the fridge.
Can I use boxed mix and store-bought frosting?
Life gets busy and sometimes you need to save time — I get it! You can absolutely use boxed cake mix and a can of frosting and make these adorable rainbow cupcakes. Follow package instructions for how to make the cupcakes. Then either purchase blue frosting or add food coloring to it yourself, scoop it into a piping bag, and pipe onto cooled cupcakes.
Pro Tips for the Best Rainbow Cupcakes Recipe
- Do not frost cupcake until they are completely cool. Adding buttercream onto a warm cupcake is a recipe for disaster.
- If you accidentally make your frosting too thin, just add some extra powdered sugar and it will thicken up.
- Feel free to change up the cupcakes you use! You can make strawberry cupcakes, lemon cupcakes, and even chocolate. It’s totally up to you.
These cute rainbow cupcakes always put a smile on my face, and I know they’ll put a smile on your face too!
More Cupcake Recipes You’ll Love
- Easter Cupcakes are the cutest thing to make in the springtime, and they’re absolutely delicious too!
- Want some holiday cheer in your baked goods? Make these fun Christmas Cupcakes!
- Gobble, gobble — these Turkey Cupcakes are just perfect for Thanksgiving.
- Make some spooky Ghost Cupcakes for Halloween this year!
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!
Rainbow Cupcakes
Kids will love these delicious homemade Rainbow Cupcakes for a dessert or snack!
cupcakes
Ingredients
CUPCAKES
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs beaten
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
- ½ cup vegetable oil
BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
- 4 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks
- 2-4 tbsp heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp blue food coloring optional
RAINBOW/CLOUDS
- 9 Airhead Xtremes Rainbow Berry Candy
- 72 Sugar pearls in white 8 per cupcake
Instructions
- Begin by adding the flour to a bowl with the baking powder, salt, and sugar. Stir well to combine with a spoon or whisk.
- Stirring in between each ingredient, add the milk, oil, and eggs to the flour mixture.
- Add in the vanilla bean paste. Stir for 1-2 minutes to fully incorporate the paste throughout the batter.
- Preheat the oven to 350F and place cupcake liners in a muffin pan. Using a large ice cream scoop filled ¾ of the way full, scoop the batter up and pour into the cupcake liner. Repeat with other cupcakes.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 350F. Allow to cool completely.
- While the cupcakes are cooling, prepare the buttercream frosting. Add two sticks of softened butter into a large bowl. Sift four cups of powdered sugar on top of the butter. Using a hand mixer, start on a low speed to combine the butter and powdered sugar. A low speed ensures powdered sugar does not fly out of the bowl.
- Increase the mixer to a medium speed and add the heavy whipping cream 1 tablespoon at a time. Mix for 4-5 minutes until thickened. Then, add the food coloring and mix enough to combine, 1-2 minutes at a low speed.
- Add the buttercream to a piping bag with a star tip (optional).
- When the cupcakes have cooled off, cut two slits in the bread on opposite sides. These slits will serve to help your rainbow stand up on the cupcake. Place each edge in the slit to create an arch/rainbow.
- Pipe the buttercream under the rainbow first and then around the edges of the cupcake.
- Add the sugar pearls to the edges of the rainbow for the ‘clouds’.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1cupcake, Calories: 532kcal (27%), Carbohydrates: 79g (26%), Protein: 4g (8%), Fat: 23g (35%), Saturated Fat: 14g (88%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 96mg (32%), Sodium: 154mg (7%), Potassium: 121mg (3%), Fiber: 0.5g (2%), Sugar: 64g (71%), Vitamin A: 754IU (15%), Vitamin C: 0.02mg, Calcium: 58mg (6%), Iron: 1mg (6%)
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