Vanilla Rainbow Sprinkle Cupcake Recipe

Vanilla Rainbow Cupcakes

Did you ever get those pre-boxed cake ingredient packages as a child where you got so excited over your head might just blow off? No? Well that's what a Rainbow Cake box was for me and my brother. It held a large picture on the front of this huge one layer cake adorned with all the colours of the rainbow in tiny dots, slathered with a melted chocolate icing and decorated with.. you guessed it, even more rainbow sprinkles. It.Was. Divine. Since then I haven't seen them around much and have resorted to comforting the weeping child in me by re-making them with my own version! They've never been able to quite grasp that rainbow cake taste of my childhood.. but somehow, that's ok. As with all of my baking adventures, I have made these in cupcake version too! 

Yay! Colours!

These cakes are so simple to make, are extremely colourful, and are enough to bring a smile to even the most miserable of faces.. !


Makes 12 - 24

Ingredients

For the cakes:

120g Butter or Margarine

120g Caster Sugar (could also use granulated)

2 Eggs

140g Self-Raising Flour

A Splash of Milk

2 tbsp edible good quality (strongly coloured) multicolour sprinkles

For the buttericing:

140g Butter

340g Icing Sugar (+ more if necessary)

1 to 2 tbsp Milk (+ more if necessary)
2 to 3 tbsp cocoa powder

50g Milk Chocolate

Directions

• Preheat an oven to 180°C.
• Line a muffin/cake tray (2 if you have them) with cake cases.
• In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with a spoon until pale and fluffy.
• In a jug or cup, beat the eggs with a whisk and beat into the butter mixture.
• Add vanilla extract.
• Fold in the flour a little at a time, using a spoon. Whisk the mixture and add some milk until the mixture is of a dropping consistency (take a spoonful and see if the mixture drops / droops off).
• Mix in the multicoloured sprinkles (good quality, highly concentrated colours work best here).
• Spoon the mixture into the cases until half full.
• Bake in the oven for approx. 10 to 15 minutes (until the tops are golden and firm and an inserted skewer / toothpick comes out clean).
• Allow the cakes to cool on a plate or wire rack.
• While the cakes are cooling, make the buttericing by beating the butter until smooth in a large bowl.
• Melt the chocolate by placing in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stirring (alternatively, melt in a microwave).
• Add icing sugar until the buttericing is a pale yellow / white colour (here is where I do a taste test to see if more icing sugar is needed!)
• Add milk until the icing is of a smooth and drooping consistency but not too liquid. (It should be thick but still a droopy mixture).
• Mix in cocoa powder and melted chocolate.
• Place the buttericing mixture into a piping bag and pipe onto the cooled cakes. (I used an open star nozzle!).
• Sprinkle on some multicoloured sprinkles.
• Allow to chill in a refrigerator.
• These will last for approx. 3 - 4 days.

Tips & Serving ideas

• Decorate with multicoloured edible crystals.
• Instead of buttericing, use just melted chocolate drizzled over the cakes.

Not a care was given.. and it was great!

The cakes displayed here where given to my nine year old sister and three year old niece to decorate.. and I must say, I couldn't have done it better myself! These cakes are especially great for little kids as it's just about throwing colours... everywhere!

Cara X