Description
These St. Patrick’s Day Rainbow Cupcakes are light, fluffy, and bursting with vibrant colors! Each bite reveals a beautiful rainbow swirl, topped with a creamy vanilla buttercream and gold sprinkles. They’re a fun and festive way to celebrate, whether you’re hosting a party or just spreading a little luck!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- For the Cupcakes:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- Gel food coloring (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple)
- For the Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2–3 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
- Gold sprinkles, rainbow candies, or marshmallows (for decorating)
Instructions
- Make the Cupcakes:
- Preheat & Prep:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- Mix the Dry Ingredients:
- In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Cream the Butter & Sugar:
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs and vanilla extract, mixing well.
- Combine Wet & Dry:
- Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, alternating with milk, until smooth.
- Divide & Color the Batter:
- Divide the batter evenly into 6 small bowls.
- Add a few drops of gel food coloring to each bowl, making red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple.
- Layer the Colors:
- Spoon a small amount of purple batter into each cupcake liner, spreading slightly.
- Repeat with blue, green, yellow, orange, and red, gently smoothing each layer.
- Try not to mix layers for a clean rainbow effect.
- Bake:
- Bake for 18–20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool completely before frosting.
- Make the Frosting:
- Beat the Butter:
- In a bowl, beat butter until creamy.
- Add Sugar & Vanilla:
- Gradually mix in powdered sugar, followed by vanilla extract.
- Add heavy cream one tablespoon at a time, beating until light and fluffy.
- Decorate the Cupcakes:
- Frost & Decorate:
- Pipe or spread the frosting onto cooled cupcakes.
- Add gold sprinkles, a rainbow candy (like Airheads Extreme), or a marshmallow “cloud” for a fun St. Patrick’s Day touch!
Notes
- For extra flavor, add lemon or almond extract to the batter.
- Want a shortcut? Use white cake mix instead of homemade batter!
- Storage: Keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days or refrigerate for longer.
- Recipe Details
Nutrition
- Calories: ~290
- Sugar: In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Sodium: ~110mg
- Fat: ~14g
- Saturated Fat: ~9g
- Unsaturated Fat: ~4g
- Trans Fat: ~0g
- Carbohydrates: ~40g
- Fiber: ~0g
- Protein: ~3g
- Cholesterol: ~50mg