My Mom is a really creative woman. I didn’t realize it until I grew up and became a mother myself. Now that I look back on the birthday parties she threw and the incredible cakes she created, I’m really amazed at the things she came up with back in the day when you couldn’t run to Target or Walmart and basically buy a party in a bag. Halloween costumes were no exception. We never, ever had store-bought costumes growing up. My Mom was a great seamstress and her creativity had no boundaries. I look at old family pictures and I love how she took simple ideas and turned them into something fun. Take me for example, around age 5:
That my friends, is a rainbow. And I thought it was the coolest costume ever. I was obsessed with this chick, and if you look at every picture I ever created out of any sort of art media between the ages of 3 and 9, it undoubtedly included 3 things: hearts, flowers, and rainbows. To this day, I still get a little bit giddy inside when I see all of those colors together. Something about rainbows just makes me happy.
So it’s no wonder these cupcakes make me smile. Every time 🙂
Gel food colors work especially well for this. Gel color adds a ton of color with a small amount of dye. You can find gel colors at craft stores like Michaels and Roberts, and in the cake decorating isle of Walmart. If using red, make sure to get the one that says “No Taste”
Divide your batter and tint each one
Then layer it by color into the cupcake papers. (See my tips in the recipe for easy layering). Sometimes I do red on top and sometimes I do the reverse so blue is on top.
Bake them up
And cool them on a rack before frosting.
Then you can frost and decorate to your heart’s desire!
The best part comes when you peel off that paper. Use white liners to show off the colors, or foil or dark liners to make it a surprise!
Even better is taking the first bite and seeing the inside:
Try them with the color of your favorite sports team, or your kids’ school colors. They’re sure to be a hit!
Colorburst Cupcakes
1 white cake mix
2 eggs
1 C yogurt (any smooth textured fruit flavor is fine!) or sour cream
1/2 C milk
1/3 C vegetable oil
Combine all ingredients until incorporated (about 30 seconds). Scrape sides of bowl and then beat on med-high speed for 2 minutes.
Divide batter according to how many colors you are using. I used 5 colors and it worked out to a little over 1 cup for each color, but each cake brand will be slightly different.
Use food coloring to color batter to desired intensity.
To get a layered stripe like I used, you’ll want to put a spoonful of each color in the cupcake one at a time. The batter is thick, so it won’t spread on it’s own. A great tip is to set out a little bowl of water where you’re working. Dip your finger in the water and then gently spread the batter out. The water will make it so the batter doesn’t stick to your fingers.
Another tip is to use a measuring spoon and some water to measure out how many teaspoons/tablespoons are going to fit in your cupcake. Then divide that by how many colors you have so you know how much of each color to use for each cupcake. For my 5 colors, it worked out perfectly with 2 t of each color in each cupcake. So I put in 2 t of blue in the bottom of each cupcake and spread it out with my finger. Then I put in 2 t of green on top of that, then yellow, etc.
Bake them according to the package directions, until a toothpick comes out dry.
I topped mine with this frosting.
Questions & Reviews
The cucpcakes are AMAZING i used vanilla yogurt and they were so moist. Our daughter loved them as well as the kids at her daycare.
awesome food taste out of this world
OMGosh, again, I am so amazed! Fantastic. I don’t give my kids much in the way of artificial food coloring. I’m going to try to figure this out using something natural. Thanks for the idea.
Just finished making these today for my son’s 1st b-day. Love them but I have an idea…
I found these to be “time-consuming” because I’m a perfectionist. To hasten the process, one could put the batters into a quart-sized baggie (with one bottom corner snipped off) after being tinted and then squeeze them into the baking cups. This way you could also spread the batter out evenly and hopefully it would be a little less messier than using your finger.
No, you couldn’t perfectly measure the amounts out but you could more accurately even the layers out. Probably one of those “pick your poison” deals.
Thanks for the great ideas (food and crafts) and can’t wait to see more!
I just found your wonderful website in the last few weeks and you guys are amazing!! I made the color burst cupcakes this weekend for a baby shower and a house warming present and they were huge hits. Can you also use the same recipe to make a cake out of it? I was thinking of making it to take home for Easter for my family and using Easter colors. Any help would be appreciated!! =)
Thank you SO much for sharing your wonderful recipe with us! You made me a rock star at my daughter’s school today–these rainbow cupcakes made a huge impression on all of the adults AND the kids gobbled them all up! Your page is going on my homescreen for future reference! 🙂
I made these this morning with my youngest daughter. We are bringing them to her daycare class tomorrow to celebrate her birthday. She picked four colors. By the end, I had the amount measured out better. It takes some practice and time, but I think it is worth it. The gel food colorings are intense! I was hoping for a light pink, but we got more of a hot pink. My daughter didn’t seem to mind though!
We do these as “tye-dyed” cupcakes… We do four colors, plus add lemon flavoring (1/8t) to the yellow and strawberry flavoring to the red or pink (1/8t) and then swirl them with tooth picks. Our kids BEG to make these! (Also, we put the batter into ziplock bags, clip a corner and squirt into each liner, SO easy and no drips!)
Thank you for the recipe and inspiration for these beautiful cupcakes!! I made them with my daughter for a rainbow-themed playdate we had a few days ago and the cupcakes were a big hit. They received lots of oohs and aahs. :O)
http://mamaclucks.blogspot.com/2011/03/rainbow-cupcakes.html
im sure you have heard this counless times,but I LOVE YOUR BLOG!!!!!
im new to all this blogging stuff, and recently found this blog. im hooked, and just purchased your book. these cupcakes look great, and i cant wait to make and sell them at my next bake sale. you guys are awesome!