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Bright and cheerful Easter rainbow buttercream cupcakes featuring soft vanilla cupcakes topped with colorful pastel or vivid buttercream swirls. Easy to make with pantry-friendly ingredients and perfect for spring celebrations.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (for cupcakes)
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (for cupcakes)
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (for buttercream)
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (for buttercream)
  • 2–3 tbsp heavy cream (or milk)
  • Gel food coloring (bold or pastel shades)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a cupcake pan with paper liners.
  2. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
  3. In a separate bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
  4. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract.
  5. Add the dry ingredients alternately with 1/2 cup milk, mixing just until combined; do not overmix (lumps are okay).
  6. Divide batter evenly into cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full.
  7. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  8. Cool cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  9. For buttercream, beat softened butter until creamy and smooth.
  10. Add powdered sugar in batches, beating well after each addition.
  11. Stir in vanilla extract and heavy cream or milk until buttercream is fluffy and pipeable.
  12. Divide buttercream into separate bowls, add gel food coloring drops to each bowl, and mix until colors are even.
  13. Pipe colorful buttercream swirls onto cooled cupcakes as desired.
  14. Serve and enjoy.

Notes

Let butter, eggs, and milk come to room temperature before mixing for lighter cupcakes., Measure flour by spooning into the cup and leveling with a knife rather than scooping directly., Avoid overmixing after adding dry ingredients to keep cupcakes tender., Fill liners two-thirds full for even tops; trim domes if needed after cooling., Ensure cupcakes are completely cooled before frosting to prevent melting., Use gel or paste food coloring for vibrant or pastel colors., Adjust buttercream consistency by adding cream or powdered sugar as needed., To create multicolor swirls, pipe different colors in sections or layers in the bag., Store unfrosted cupcakes at room temperature up to 1 day; frosted cupcakes refrigerate up to 3-5 days., Freeze unfrosted cupcakes wrapped tightly up to 3 months; freeze frosted cupcakes on a tray before layering., Avoid refreezing once thawed., Customize with cocoa powder for chocolate cupcakes, lemon or almond extracts for different flavors, or cream cheese frosting., Can make vegan and egg-free by substituting ingredients accordingly.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://gingerbaking.com/tasty-rainbow-buttercream-easter-cupcakes/