Celebrate With Rainbow Easter Cupcakes

Do you fancy a unique and delicious kid-friendly treat this Easter. Well how about celebrating this year by creating these delightful cupcakes, which display the magic of spring with a variety of fun bright colors. A recipe that allows you the freedom to experiment as well as the opportunity to create your own masterpiece in a very simple way.

Presently, you must be wondering how do we create such a simplistic cupcake that appears elegant?  Well, to get started, you will need a basic white cupcake recipe such as a buttermilk cupcake along with a frosting that in my opinion is the best to use called Swiss meringue butter cream. This is a simple frosting that glides you through the process of piping, holds its shape beautifully and will not overpower the cupcake. Then lastly, its all about what choice of colors you want for the Rainbow Cupcakes and how to decorate your own project. I will give you all my advice as well as direction to achieve this colorful cupcake; However, it will be your turn  to get your creative juices flowing and choose how you will celebrate Easter.

In the end, everyone will be amazed with how each of these cupcakes will carry its own unique swirl of color. A cupcake that started out as a basic cake batter evolved into something brand new. Each bite will carry its own colorful, moist, sweet, cake morsel along with a topping that is creamy, fluffy and wonderfully buttery. No one will be able to resist these cupcakes and they will be gone in no time. So make these adorable cupcakes today and make sure to take pictures of your own masterpiece.

Happy Easter Sunday Everyone!!

Rainbow Easter Cupcakes

Yellow Buttermilk Cupcakes 

(Adapted from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes) 

3 cups cake flour (not self-rising)

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

2 1/4 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 cup plus 2 tbsps unsalted butter,room temperature

2 1/4 cup sugar

5 large whole eggs,plus 3 egg yolks,room temperature

2 cups full fat buttermilk,room temperature

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Sprinkles,toppers,candies etc for decorating 

Swiss Meringue Butter cream 

(Adapted From Martha Stewart's Cupcakes)

5 large eggs

1 cup plus 2 tbsps sugar

1 pound unsalted butter,room temperature,cut into small pieces

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

I preheated my oven to 350F and lined 3 standard muffin tins with paper liners.

In a large bowl,I sifted together both flours,baking soda,baking powder and salt,setting aside.

With my kitchen aid stand mixer,I creamed the butter and sugar on medium to high speed until pale and fluffy.

  I reduced the speed to medium and added the whole eggs,one at a time beating until each was combined.Then I added the egg yolks and beat thoroughly until combined.

 

I reduced my speed to low/stir and added the flour mixture in 3 batches alternating with two additions of buttermilk.Beating well after each addition. Always beginning and ending with the flour mixture.Lastly I beat in the vanilla.

Once the batter was complete I divided the mixture into 4 medium sized bowls, as evenly as possible.I then dyed each batter using food coloring gel mixing each thoroughly until desired shade was formed.I created blue,purple,orange and pink. Then I used 4 standard sized piping bags and filled each with each color batter using with or without a piping tip depending on preference. For me I went without and sipped each tip and place each on a plate to catch any leaking batter.

Then using my cupcake divider,I began quickly creating a color design with two colors on one side and two on the other,while filling each about three quarters full. Then I placed the cupcakes in the oven and baked them for about 20 minutes,until they sprang back and a toothpick came out clean.Then I let them cool for 10 minutes in the tin and then turned out the cupcakes onto the racks to let cool completely.

While letting the cupcakes cool I began creating the Swiss Meringue Butter cream.

Swiss Meringue Butttercream

Using the bowl of my stand mixer which is heat proof.I placed it over a medium saucepan of simmering water and whisked together the egg whites,sugar, and salt.Whisking until warm to the touch and sugar was completely dissolved,rubbing the mixture between my fingers to see if was smooth.

I then reattached the bowl to the mixture along with a whisk attachment.Starting with low speed and gradually increasing to medium-high speed,I whisked until stiff peaks form.Then I continued until fluffy and glossy,and the mixture was completely cool about 10 minutes.

Then with the mixer on medium to low,I began added the room temperature butter a few tbsp at a time,mixing well after each addition.Once all the butter was added,I whisked in the vanilla.Then I switched the whisk to the paddle attachment and continued beating,until smooth and thick.

 Note:Mixture may look lumpy from the butter, it will right its self with more beating.Also keep butter cream at room temp if using in the same day,if not transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month.Always beat mixture on low speed, until smooth before using.

Then I dyed my Swiss meringue butter cream with a bright green gel food coloring using a toothpick to add the color.I beat the mixture on low until the color was fully combined.

 Then I placed the mixture into a piping bag with a large star tip and began decorating my cupcakes with green grass,sprinkled with Wilton's tuffi frutti candy sprinkles and topped with Easter toppers and gummy candies. Then I placed them on a cookie sheet and wrapped them in saran wrap to keep chilled in the fridge,until ready to serve.