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
I can't wait to try these cupcakes for my daughter's second birthday party–a princess theme, so pink and purple cupcakes! How would I get the colors to be more of a pastel than such a vibrant color? Can I just use regular food coloring?
-Jaimie
Maria, cupcakes freeze beautifully! Just let them cool completely after baking. Once they are at room temperature place them in an airtight storage container in the freezer. When ready to use, just let them thaw at room temp.
I want to make these for a baby shower I'm throwing, but because I have to cook and bake so many things for the party, I was wondering how far in advance I could bake them. And if I am able to do them ahead of time, should I freeze them or store them at room temperature? Thanks for all of the great recipes!
i LOVE this idea. note: the mini cupcake baker is GENIUS. nothing like easybake– it tastes delicious. takes 5 minutes to bake 7 cupcakes! best purchase i ever made (cupcake wise). i suggest it to every baker out there. 🙂
I found a picture of your rainbow cake along with these cupcakes. I was disappointed to not find the recipe for the cake on here. Is it a family recipe? If not, would you mind posting it on here please? 🙂
My mother used to make rainbow cakes when I was a kid but she used jello for the coloring and used cool whip for the icing! They were my favorite. I am now taking a cake decorating class and I have to bring in cupcakes this week. I am SOOOOO making these to take in. Thanks!
I've been obsessed with rainbow cakes ever since I saw Omnomicon's post awhile ago.
And now I'm obsessed with rainbow cupcakes!
I made these for my daughter's class for her 6th birthday (with the frosting) and they were a big hit!! The kids all 'oohed' and 'aahed' when they open the cupcakes and the teachers are after me for the recipe! They tasted great and looked beautiful!! A++!!!
Stephanie- I don't know, I just fill them about 3/4 full! If yours are spilling over, then just try a little less. Good luck!
Ok, I know this is an old post, but I was searching today b/c I'll be making cupcakes tonight for my sons party tomorrow.
Can you tell me how you get the tops of the cupcakes so perfect? Am I overfilling my pan? How full do you make them?
Thanks!!
I made these today, came out great 🙂
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wildvizionz/4917829054/
Thanks!
I LOVE these cupcakes. I found this recipe a year ago and can't stop making them. In fact I think that my kids get sick of me making them. 🙂 They just make me feel happy when I bake the bright vibrant colors.
miss lazy daisy–Sour cream is AWESOME in cakes! 🙂 Think buttermilk pancakes. The acid in the sour cream makes cakes tender and moist, but you can't taste the sour cream at all.
ok so i love how cute they are its just that i think if you put sourcream in cake it wont taste good please help me out! thanks!
I have no idea Lindsie! I would probably try a different brand of cake mix and see if that helps.
Ok, so when I make these for some reason they shrink/shrivel….what am I doing wrong? They are still delicious, but not the size I intended them to be. I make according to your recipe. Please help! Thanks
I love your blog! I made these 4th of July cupcakes today and used the frosting you suggested. My husband and I actually prefer a powdered sugar recipe we have, but it was still good!!!! Thanks for your adorable blog and sharing your delicious recipes! 🙂 PS – Here's the cupcakes I made today –> http://thealonsos.blogspot.com/2010/07/im-so-cool.html
love this idea. did a two color batch for my daughter's birthday. everyone loved them, especially the frosting. thanks for the idea.
i've shared your website with all my friends and they, like me, are enjoying your tasty recipes. thanks for your great postings!
Neha- try using a small spoon sprayed with cooking spray, or your finger dipped in water to spread and flatten each batter layer a bit. It takes extra time, but in the end you'll get better layers of color. The more even your batter is, the more even it will cook up.
Hi! these r so vibrant i want to make them for my sons 2nd birthday and 1st birthday party! i think its a great idea cause there is nothing that matters more than colours and looks! i did a trial run today along with ur frosting. My question here is why is my colouring pattern not like urs? i do not get 1 colour on the top i got a mix and on the outer walls were all blue so it did not look super exciting unless i cut it. Also why r my cupcakes not flat on top its like a moutain peak that too on a side not centre. i really hav to get these right when i bake them for my guests. please help!
I am making these with my kids on tuesday for my oldest childs preschool class on wednesday! They are so very excited! Thank you for the recipe! 😀
Made these for my son's birthday party at his preschool. I think they turned out great. See the link for a photo:)
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3967155&l=9445342fdd&id=529225269
Heather- yes it should work fine with other flavors of cake as well. You can always google "doctored ___ cake mix" and get one specific for certain flavors. And yes, I do have a chocolate frosting for you- I'll email you!
Would that "Doctored up" cake mix work with other boxed cake mixes too…like chocolate cake and yellow cake? (obviously not the colors, but the sour cream) Also do you have or know of chocolate frosting recipe that would pipe as nicely as the white frosting you have in this post? I am doing 2 cakes this weekend and need something easy but that looks nice!
Awesome idea…I love it!
–Meliha
http://straddling-continents-cultures.blogspot.com/
Not dumb at all Meghan! I use a Wilton 1M tip for my cupcake swirls. And you can even see a video of the method Kate uses in this link:
https://ourbestbites.com/2009/10/tutorial-how-to-frost-cupcakes-plus
Dumb question (I'm a newbie to this baking thing!), but how do you get your frosting in that pretty swirl? It kind of looks like soft server ice cream! What tip do you use to get that effect?
you could probably get 2 8" rounds out of just one box mix, just check the box for instructions. But yes, you could double it as well for a larger cake.
If I double the cake mix receipe, could I make a cake (in 2 round pans) instead of cupcakes?
These were such a hit at a birthday party last weekend. I had to feature them on my blog http://ificould-ificould.blogspot.com/2010/03/colorburst-cupcakes.html
Thanks for another great recipe!