Taste a Rainbow Cupcakes with Buttery Icing

I have a birthday boy in my house who is obsessed with the colors of the rainbow. When our Family Fun magazine arrived a few weeks ago, there was a recipe for rainbow cupcakes (for St. Patricks Day). My son become obsessed with them, and so I thought he would love them for his birthday! These look complicated, but it is really very easy, and they turn out awesome. Since my son is obsessed with rainbow colors, he requested I add in indigo also (which was very interesting when trying to make indigo out of food coloring). We also topped ours with butter icing and colored sugar sprinkles.

Taste a Rainbow Cupcakes

• White cake mix (we used an 18-1/4-ounce box)
• Food coloring (red, blue, green, and yellow)

• Baking cups
• Whipped cream (optional)

Prepare your favorite white cake mix, then divide the batter evenly among six small bowls. Following the chart below, dye each bowl of batter a rainbow color.

1. RAINBOW COLOR	DROPS OF FOOD COLORING
   Purple	9 red and 6 blue drops
   Blue	12 drops
   Green	12 drops
   Yellow	12 drops
   Orange	12 yellow and 4 red drops
   Red	18 drops

Line 16 muffin pan wells with baking cups. Evenly distribute the purple batter among the cups, then the blue, and so on, following the order shown. As you go, gently spread each layer of batter with the back of a spoon to cover the color underneath. Bake the cupcakes according to your recipe directions. Before serving, remove the paper wrapping. Top with frosting (see below)

 

Buttery Icing
  
1/2 c butter
1/4 c shortening
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
4 c powdered sugar
2-4 tbsp milk

Combine butter and shortening, beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and salt, mix well. Add sugar 1 cup at a time, beating in between. Beat in enough milk on high until light and fluffy.