Rainbow Cupcakes is our idea for a childhood recipe that my boys and I will enjoy making and remaking time and time again because whats not to like? They are bright, colourful, and easy to make, and cakes that children will love making aswell as eating.
The idea came about when I asked Burton to draw a colourful cupcake that we could try and make. He drew an image and explained that it was a rainbow coloured cake and I thought to myself *yay* as I had hoped this would be his idea because I know he likes all things bright and colourful, and rainbow like, and it would fit perfectly with the idea I had already been mulling over.
I made vanilla sponges with smarties in the batter just to add some extra fun, but they would work equally well with chocolate or lemon sponge. We topped each cake with vanilla buttercream, and covered with mini white marshmallows to make clouds and then rolled out Renshaw’s ready to roll different coloured icing into strips to form rainbows. We also added a gold covered chocolate coin to represent the pot of gold you find at the end of a rainbow. Rolling out these ready to roll icings is similar to playdough really, so …. well just like child play!!
Here is how we made our Rainbow Cupcakes
- *For The Cakes*
- 150g unsalted butter
- 150g self raising flour
- 150g caster sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 2 tubes of smarties
- *For The Buttercream*
- 100g unslated butter
- 200g icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- *For The Toppings*
- 12 small gold chocolate coins
- 1 pack of mini white chocolate marshmallows
- Renshaws Ready To Roll Icing - I used blue, green, orange, red and yellow
- Pre heat the oven to 180oC / 160oC (fan)
- Line a muffin tray with 12 paper cases
- Cream together the butter and sugar until soft ansd creamy
- Add the eggs, vanilla extract and 1 tbsp of the flour and beat together until light and airy (about 2 mins)
- Fold in the flour and then add the smarties and mix
- Divide the batter between the cake cases
- Cook in the oven for about 20 minutes until cooked right through
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely
- Make your buttercream by beating the butter to make it soft and then carefully add the icing sugar and vanilla essence and beat to make a soft buttercream
- Place in a piping bag or you can spread the buttercream onto the cakes if you prefer
- Top each cupcake with the buttercream
- Top the buttercream with the marshmallows - as many as you can fit on
- Add a gold chocolate coin to one side of each cake at the top
- Then make your rainbows - literally by rolling 12 strips of each colour icing into worms and then make your arcs as per my photo - although with hindsight thicker worms may have been better
- Place them over the marshmallows so that one end touches the gold coin
- Then they are ready to enjoy
I dont have any photo of the boys helping to make the rainbows – it got a little fraught when they started eating the icing and mixing them up too much (as they do with playdough – the mixing of the colours I mean and not the eating part!!) and my hands were messy. They did help make some of the rainbows, but I ended up finishing them off early this morning so they had no idea that not all of the ones they made were not used!!
What a genius idea, they look so good. I could see these at a party too.
thank you and yes they would be great party food cakes x
What’s not to like? Everything tastes better when you make it yourself!
exactly and thank you x
For some reason my comment has disappeared, guess it’s because I comment with my phone, but these look absolutely amazing. Amy would love how colourful they are and that they come with a little Smarties surprise – such a lovely idea x
thank you so much , i think they def appeal to little ones x
Wow these cakes are amazing! What a great idea with the icing. Will be looking to do these with my daughter and think a great idea for when she has friends over and we need an activity.
thanks – my rainbows coukd have been a bit neater but it is still fun and the boys loved helping x
absolutely brilliant!
thank you lovely lady x
Such a great idea, especially the gold coin at the end x
thank you x
How amazing do these look?! Yum!
thank you 🙂 they tasted great too x
Love that you asked him what he’d like to make!
Those are just gorgeous! Have pinned them for future reference!
I adore that his design inspired an actual cake!
I might send you one of the Bug’s and see what you can make of that. Actually, I can sense a whole new linky in this… 😉
We love all things rainbow and these are so cute! I want to eat some!
*adds the Renshaw coloured icing to shopping list without Hoff knowing*
These are adorable! Love the way you’ve sneaked the gold coins in there too!
you are just the most clever and creative mummy i wish i was at your house as they look like so much fun and i love the attention to detail with the coin too !!
These are fab Jenny – they look so yummy AND fun too!
I’ve pinned these to my Pinterest recipe board. I love that these include the treasure at the end of the rainbow
Renshaws is so close to us, I need those neon ones in my life for this weekend x
OMG – there’s even a coin at the end of the rainbow! I LOVE this idea Jenny and your son most be as pleased as punch that he designed them
My girls would love doing these
These are gorgeous!!!!! I had no idea icing like that was possible!!! I am doing this at the weekend, though I cant promise they will look half as pretty.
So clever, wow, well done you, simply stunning! Thanks for linking up to #tastytuesdays
Oh they look brilliant! Such a good baking activity to do with little ones.
The colours just make these and I love the drawing at the start, what a great inspiration for your baking.
Your rainbow cupcakes are fantastic, such a fun thing to make with the kids.
These are lovely – I’ve seen lots of rainbow cakes this week and now I want to make some!
Wonderful idea!!
Love the coins at the end of the rainbow. xx
I love the marshmallow clouds
They are SO CUTE and creative 🙂 Def going to try these with the kids. Thanks for joining in with #recipeoftheweek. I’ve Pinned and Tweeted this post and there’s a fresh linky live now. If you haven’t already, please do pop over and join in!
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Jenny – they are just adorable 🙂
thank you Emma and for featuring them on your round up x x
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