Moist Vanilla Rainbow Cupcakes
Celebrate Pride Month with these fun and colorful rainbow vanilla cupcakes, layered with bright, bold colors and topped with a dreamy, fluffy cream cheese frosting. They’re eye-catching, moist, and totally joyful—perfect for parties, parades, or just spreading love through dessert!
Equipment
- Piping Bags
- 6 Mixing Bowls
- Hand or stand mixer
- Cupcake Pan
Ingredients
Vanilla Cupcakes
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup milk
- Gel food coloring (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple)
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 –2 tbsp heavy cream or milk (optional for consistency)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing well. Stir in vanilla extract.
- Alternately mix in the flour mixture and milk, starting and ending with flour.
- Divide batter into 6 bowls and tint each with a different food color.
- Layer batter colors in each cupcake liner (start with purple, end with red).
- Bake for 18–22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.
Frosting:
- Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.
- Mix in vanilla, then gradually add powdered sugar.
- Add cream/milk if needed for a fluffier texture.
- Frost cooled cupcakes and decorate if desired!