My rainbow cake at Lily Pink Bakery has been a big hit, so I thought I'd try and see if I could make a more manageable, little version! I took the vanilla cupcake recipe I always use and adapted it slightly. I think they worked okay! They are very yummy indeed and I'm looking forward to selling them at St George's Market this Sunday :)
Recipe
110g unsalted butter, at room temperature
225g caster sugar, preferably golden
2 large eggs, free-range or organic
150g self-raising flour
125g plain flour
120ml semi-skimmed milk
1tsp good quality vanilla extract
Method
1. Preheat oven to 160deg C (fan)/180 deg C/350 deg F/gas mark 4.
2. Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl until the mixture is pale and smooth. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing briefly after each addition. This can take a few minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure the mixture stays well combined.
3. Add the vanilla extract to the milk in a plastic measuring jug.
4. Combine the two flours in a separate bowl.
5. Add one-third of the flours to the combined butter and sugar mixture and beat well. Pour in one-third of the milk and beat again. Repeat these steps until all the flour and milk has been added.
6. Divide the mixture into six bowls (about 2.5 tablespoons of batter in each) and mix each of your colours with the batter. I use gel colours, you just can't achieve this bright effect with liquid colors. I got mine in a set from this ebay seller for around £15.
7. Carefully spoon one teaspoon of each colour into the cupcake case, one on top of the other. Don't attempt to spread the colour, just let the mixture do this naturally. Bake in the centre of the oven for approx 20 minutes. Check with a cake skewer in the centre of one of the cakes to see that they are cooked.
8. Leave in their tins for 10 minutes or so and then place carefully on a wire rack to cool. When completely cool, you can ice these cupcakes with vanilla buttercream icing.
I added a little cream cheese to the buttercream to make it nice and white. I opted for no fancy decorations as I think the white is a nice contrast with the bright colours, but a little glitter dusted on livened them up!
I made some minis with the little batter that was left, I think they're really cute :)
p.s. is anyone else as sad as I am over Picnik closing? I hardly managed these without it :( Any recommendations for a similar service, or will I have to attempt Photoshop?
OMG thats so cool <3
ReplyDeletehttp://vmjeheart.blogspot.com/
I tried to make these once and the colours turned out pretty dull and all turned reddish/orange after baking. I must hunt down these gel colours on ebay as those wee buns look fab!! :)
ReplyDeleteThese are amazing....I really need to invest in some gel colours!
ReplyDeleteYou are so clever! Looks lovely x
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ReplyDeleteThey look so yum! I love picnik, I need to find an alternative too so keep me posted if you hear of anything! My photos will never be the same!
DeleteWow, these look amazing!
ReplyDeleteWOW, they look amazing!!
ReplyDeleteAw these are so gorgeous, whenever I've tried to do similar stuff the colours are really muted :-(
ReplyDeleteThese look so, so delicious!!
ReplyDeleteTor @ That's Peachy fashion blog xx
These look awesome, definitely going to try them out!
ReplyDeleteThese look yummy! I made a rainbow cake for my Gran's 80th this year, might have to try these mini versions too :) I use Picasa instead of Picnik and I find it quite good! xxx
ReplyDeleteWow Claire, these look so good! As well as the rainbow cakes, how amazing are your piping skills?! Mine are always a complete mess :P
ReplyDeleteAMAZING!! What a fantastic idea! You've made me hungry this Wednesday evening just looking at them x
ReplyDeleteWOW! These are completely amazing. Just catching up on your blog, so glad business is going well =)
ReplyDeletexx
emsipop.blogspot.co.uk
Amazing I want one :D !!!! xx
ReplyDeleteOh my god. I need these in my life. As a matter of fact, I'm in Belfast in 2 weeks' time. Are you at the market every sunday? xx
ReplyDeleteThey look lovely - I think I might buy the gels you use as I've always wanted to try rainbow cupcakes but have never given them a go.
ReplyDeleteI am also gutted about picnic! I'm actually not sure how I'll manage to edit photos. If you find a good alternative, please let me know xx
Wow they are insane but look so so good. Glad to hear your little bakery is doing well! I've been searching for new photo editing things too due to the forthcoming death of picnik. I've been suggested Aviary but haven't had time to search into it yet. Aviary already work with Flikr too.
ReplyDeleteThese look fantastic!!! I wish I lived in Belfast, I'd be down every Sunday buying your buns!!
ReplyDeleteThose look amazing! What a great idea to have a smaller version of your rainbow cake. I could actually attempt to make these myself now since I don't live in Ireland :) xx
ReplyDeleteClaire these are AMAZING!!! I need one nowwwww! Is it City Picnic that's closing? I've never actually been into it. Keep thinking it looks nice though. Sad face.
ReplyDeleteGoogle Plus has all the Picnik features now. If you upload photos onto there, and click creative kit, it's all the same controls. A bit more of a faff as you have to get an account and all that, but it's the Picnik results we know and love.
ReplyDeleteas always these look stunning! i really must get some of those gel colours, these are ridiculously bright! xx
ReplyDeleteOmg! These look amazing and I bet they taste amazing too. I will defiantly have to try this.
ReplyDeletexo
Those are so beautiful! I'll have to surprise my niece with rainbow cupcakes soon! She wanted a rainbow cake for her birthday, but with the hectic birthday plans we had, I didn't have time to make one.
ReplyDeleteI was pretty disappointed that Picnik is no more, too. Maybe you could try PicMonkey? From the dabbling I've done with it, it seems pretty nice!
My friends and I just made the layered rainbow cake you posted on here before, which was delicious (you can see our version at http://fashionwaffle.blogspot.com). I have no doubt we'll be wanting to make these soon too! They look wonderful!
ReplyDeleteCharlotte @ fashionwaffle :-)
OMG THESE ARE SOOOOOOOOOOOO AWESOME!!!
ReplyDeleteThese look AMAZING! They will go down well at the market. Making big hints to my mum to make me some for my birthday x
ReplyDeleteI love this. I have made a rainbow cake and now this seems like the next step. Thanks for the post
ReplyDeleteThese are AMAZING, I will definitely be trying these!
ReplyDeleteMaria xxx
Hey there,
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely love your baking and will be down to St George's to get some Rolo Cupcakes very soon
As for an alternative to Picnik - I'm loving www.picmonkey.com which is very similar to Picnik!!
Kelly Ann
Not-just-a-photo.blogspot.co.uk
Lol I've commented here before, but I made my niece some rainbow cupcakes last week. The colours didn't really stay together like yours did, they sorta separated as the colours at the bottom rose through the middle :( My niece loved them but I wasn't happy lol I must try the recipe you use and see if that makes a difference :)
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