Rainbow Cupcakes Recipe
These are my favorite EASY Rainbow Cupcakes! Start with a box mix for the cupcake but make a homemade marshmallow buttercream frosting and FOUR different ideas for topping!
Servings 12 cupcakes
Calories 128kcal
Cost $9
Ingredients
For the Rainbow Cupcakes
- 1 15 ounce box white cake mix , prepared with eggs, oil, and water called for on the box
- Food coloring (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple (gel food coloring works best for vibrant colors)
Marshmallow Buttercream
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 7 ounce jar marshmallow creme
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Pinch salt
For the Cupcake Toppers
- 24 white chocolate Reese's Peanut Butter Cups or
- 12 Airheads Extremes cut in half, or
- rainbow sprinkles
Instructions
Make the Cupcakes
- Mix the cake batter according to the recipe or box directions. Line your muffin tins with cupcake liners.
- Divide your batter evenly among six bowls. Add food coloring to each bowl, one for each color of the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple). Stir to combine.
- You are going to layer the cupcakes into the liners in a reverse rainbow, so the purple is on the bottom and the red is on the top. To make this easier to do, place each color in a separate quart-sized Ziploc bag. Seal the bag almost all the way, leaving about 1/2" open for air to escape. Snip off a tiny corner and place a small amount in each cupcake liner, starting with purple (use just enough to cover the bottom of the liner). Repeat with the remaining colors in this order: blue, green, yellow, orange, red.
- Bake according to box directions. Let cool completely.
Make the frosting
- Beat butter and marshmallow creme together until smooth, then mix in powdered sugar, vanilla and salt. Frost cupcakes as desired (I like using a 1M tip).
Topping the cupcakes
- Leave plain with the frosting.
- Add rainbow sprinkles.
- Place an Airhead Extreme in a rainbow arch on top.
- Place a white chocolate peanut butter cup on top, frost it with frosting and sprinkle with sprinkles (like it's a mini cupcake ton top).
- Store cupcakes in refrigerator to set frosting (it's a bit fluffy and will collapse if it's not set).
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 128kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 2mg | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 236IU | Calcium: 2mg