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Home › Recipe

Updated: Apr 26, 2023 · Published: Mar 9, 2023 by Sugar Geek Show · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

Rainbow Cupcakes

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These Rainbow Cupcakes have layers of vibrant rainbow colors inside and are topped with a cloud-like swirl of vanilla buttercream. Made from a one-bowl doctored box mix recipe, they are incredibly easy to make. The perfect treat for St. Patrick’s Day, Pride celebrations, birthday parties, or any occasion in need of a little color and a lot of flavors.rainbow cupcake with a bite taken out of it

Starting with a box cake mix creates a foolproof formula that allows extra time to color the batter, which requires a little extra mixing, but won't cause the batter to be over-mixed like some cake recipes. The end result is a fluffy cupcake with bright colors and a nostalgic vanilla flavor. The best part is the sour candy on top, but the versatility of the design is what makes these so fun. 

Table of contents

  • Rainbow Cupcake Ingredients
  • Making Rainbow Cupcakes
  • Making Easy Buttercream
  • Assembling the Cupcakes
  • FAQ
  • Related Recipes

Rainbow Cupcake Ingredientsingredients for rainbow cupcakes in bowls

Box Cake: A doctored box mix recipe makes a quick solution to a homemade cake. It really is foolproof, even if something is scaled incorrectly, the outcome is still a delicious cake. It's very stable and allows you to play with and alter the batter, like adding colors. 

Flour: Adding a little extra flour gives the box cake a little more structure, so it has a tighter crumb and can handle different kinds of frostings as well as stacking if you wish. 

Gel Colors: Using concentrated gel color reduces the amount of liquid you are adding to the batter, if all you have is a liquid color, that will work too, just try not to add more than 2 Tablespoons of liquid color to each bowl of batter. I like to use ChefMaster or Americolor for my gel colors, but there are many good brands that are easy to find. 

Easy Buttercream is a delicious, easy, and versatile frosting. You can color this as well if you would like. Cream cheese frosting, ermine buttercream, or even a whipped ganache will also pair well if you are feeling fancy! 

Making Rainbow Cupcakes

  1. Preheat the oven to 350° F and prepare 2 cupcake pans with paper cupcake liners.hands lining cupcake pans with liners
  2. Add the cake mix, flour, sugar, salt, sour cream, melted butter, eggs, and milk to the bowl of a stand mixer. You can also use a large bowl and a hand mixer. ingredients for cupcakes in a stand mixer bowl
  3. Combine all of the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients on low speed and then mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. mixed vanilla cupcake batter in a stand mixer bowl
  4. Divide the batter into 6 separate bowls. pouring cupcake batter from a large bowl into a smaller bowl
  5. Using your preferred food color, color each of the small bowls in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple to your desired shade of cake. The color will be more vibrant when baked. Pro-Tip: Make sure to use gel food coloring like ChefMaster or Americolor instead of liquid for more vibrant colors. 6 bowls of cupcake batter colored in rainbow colors
  6. Starting with the purple batter, either pipe or spoon about 1-1.5 tablespoons of batter into each cupcake cup. Layer each colored batter on top of the last. Try to spread the batter to the edges so you can see the rainbow through the cupcake paper. dividing purple batter into cupcake trays with a cookie scoop
  7. Place the cupcakes into the oven and bake for about 15 minutes. Make sure the center of the cupcake is done so it doesn’t sink when it cools. placing two cupcake trays filled with batter into the oven to bake
  8. Cool the cupcakes for 5 minutes in the pans, then remove and place them on a cooling rack to fully cool. This way the bottoms of the cupcake don't get wrinkly from the steam.

Making Easy Buttercream

  1. First, place the egg whites and the powdered sugar in a stand mixer bowl. Attach the whisk and combine the ingredients on low, and then whip them on high for 4 to 5 minutes (until shiny) to dissolve the powdered sugar.hand pouring a container of pasteurized egg whites into a glass stand mixer bowlstand mixer bowl filled with meringew
  2. Then, add the salt and the vanilla extract.hand adding vanilla to powdered sugar mixture in a mixing bowl.
  3. Next, add in your softened butter piece-by-piece, and whip it with the whisk attachment for 8 to 10 minutes until white and fluffy. When it no longer tastes buttery, it's done!hand adding chunks of butter into bowl
  4. Finally, switch to a paddle attachment and mix the buttercream on low speed for up to 15-20 minutes. This step is optional but if you want really creamy and bubble-free frosting, you don't want to skip it.smooth buttercream in a stand mixer bowl

Assembling the Cupcakes

  1. Prepare a pastry bag with easy buttercream and a large star tip. Pipe a swirl of vanilla buttercream frosting on top of each cupcake. Pro-tip: If you do not have a piping bag, you can use a Ziploc bag.piping buttercream on top of a rainbow cupcake with a piping bag
  2. Cut the rainbow strip candy into 3-inch portions. Place the rainbow on top of the cupcake in an arch.rainbow cupcake with a rainbow candy and buttercream on top
  3. Add gold or rainbow sprinkles in any design you desire to the top of each cupcake.rainbow cupcake with a rainbow candy and buttercream on top
  4. To store the cupcakes, place them in an airtight container and store them at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can freeze unfrosted cupcakes or frosted cupcakes for up to a month.rainbow cupcakes with vanilla buttercream

FAQ

How do I keep my colors from mixing?

The less you touch the rainbow cupcake batter once it's in the cup the less likely it will mix with the surrounding colors. I found that piping the colors was easier to distribute the batter around the cup evenly. However, if you do want a tie-dye effect, you can drag a skewer through the layered colors for a very fun cupcake. 

Can I flavor the rainbow cupcakes?

Yes, we are using a vanilla box mix, and adding the food coloring doesn't change the flavor. This recipe doesn't call for extra vanilla extract because the box mix already has it included. You could enhance the base recipe with other flavors like lemon, coconut, almond, or clear food extract will work!

How to make rainbow buttercream?

Color the easy buttercream in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Lay out a sheet of plastic wrap and pipe the first color in a long strip along the plastic. Repeat this with each color, placing them immediately next to each other. Roll the plastic up lengthwise and place the entire buttercream bullet inside a piping bag with a piping tip.

Related Recipes

Vanilla Cupcakes

Cream Cheese Frosting

Rainbow Cake

Funfetti Birthday Cake

Recipe

rainbow cupcake with a bite taken out of it

Rainbow Cupcakes

Light, buttery and moist rainbow cupcakes are six layers of color that bake up into a centerpiece-worthy treat. Top them off with fluffy white buttercream or tangy cream cheese frosting then complete your cupcake creations with a shower of rainbow sprinkles. There are so many cute rainbow candies, the decor options are endless!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 24 cupcakes
Calories: 524kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

  • 2 cupcake pans
  • 24 cupcake liners

Ingredients

Rainbow Cupcakes

  • 1 box white cake mix I like Duncan Hines
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup sour cream room temperature
  • ½ cup unsalted butter melted
  • 1 cup milk room temperature
  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • 6 bottles gel food coloring: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple 2-3 tsps of each color

Easy Vanilla Buttercream

  • 6 ounces pasteurized egg whites (from a box)
  • 24 ounces powdered sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 24 ounces unsalted butter softened
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Making Rainbow Cupcakes

  • Preheat the oven to 350° F and prepare 2 cupcake pans with paper cupcake liners.
  • Add the cake mix, flour, sugar, salt, sour cream, melted butter, eggs, and milk to the bowl of a stand mixer. You can also use a large bowl and a hand mixer. 
  • Combine all of the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients on low speed and then mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. 
  • Divide the batter into 6 separate bowls. 
  • Using your preferred food color, color each of the small bowls in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple to your desired shade of cake. The color will be more vibrant when baked. Pro-Tip: Make sure to use gel food coloring like ChefMaster or Americolor instead of liquid for more vibrant colors. 
  • Starting with the purple batter, either pipe or spoon about 1-1.5 tablespoons of batter into each cupcake cup. Layer each colored batter on top of the last. Try to spread the batter to the edges so you can see the rainbow through the cupcake paper. 
  • Place the cupcakes into the oven and bake for about 15 minutes. Make sure the center of the cupcake is done so it doesn’t sink when it cools. 
  • Cool the cupcakes for 5 minutes in the pans, then remove and place them on a cooling rack to fully cool. This way the bottoms of the cupcake don't get wrinkly from the steam.

Easy Vanilla Buttercream

  • First, place the egg whites and the powdered sugar in a stand mixer bowl. Attach the whisk and combine the ingredients on low, and then whip them on high for 4 to 5 minutes (until shiny) to dissolve the powdered sugar.
  • Then, add in the salt and the vanilla extract.
  • Next, add in your softened butter piece-by-piece, and whip it with the whisk attachment for 8 to 10 minutes until white and fluffy. When it no longer tastes buttery, it's done!
  • Finally, switch to a paddle attachment and mix the buttercream on low speed for up to 15-20 minutes. This step is optional but if you want really creamy and bubble-free frosting, you don't want to skip it.

Assembling the Cupcakes

  • Prepare a pastry bag with easy buttercream and a large star tip. Pipe a swirl of vanilla buttercream frosting on top of each cupcake. Pro-tip: If you do not have a piping bag, you can use a Ziploc bag.
  • Cut the rainbow strip candy into 3-inch portions. Place the rainbow on top of the cupcake in an arch.
  • Add gold or rainbow sprinkles in any design you desire to the top of each cupcake.
  • To store the cupcakes, place them in an airtight container and store them at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can freeze unfrosted cupcakes or frosted cupcakes for up to a month.

Notes

  1. For the best rise, fill your liners ⅔ with cupcake batter or 1 ½ ounces per cupcake
  2. Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature before mixing your batter (milk, butter, eggs). 
  3. Use clear vanilla extract for that “classic grocery store cake” flavor. Use good quality vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste, or even a vanilla bean for true vanilla flavor. One vanilla bean = 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. 
  4. Preheat your oven to 350ºF for 30 minutes before baking to give your cupcakes a good rise and set the dome. 
  5. Baked cupcakes can be frozen for up to 6 months.
  6. If you don’t have a paddle attachment, mix by hand with a spatula to avoid overmixing.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 524kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 260mg | Potassium: 80mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 47g | Vitamin A: 1015IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Hi, I'm Liz! I'm an artist and cake decorator from Portland, Oregon. Cakes are my obession, which is why I'm dedicated to crafting tried-and-true recipes, small cake tutorials, as well as advanced online cake courses!

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