Rainbow Cupcakes

Rainbow cupcakes are such an easy dessert to make! This colorful, fun treat is always the hit of the party! Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day, birthdays, or any occasion!

rainbow colored cupcake topped with vanilla frosting and sprinkles

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Why I love this recipe

These rainbow cupcakes are one of those super easy desserts that make a big impact.

Every time I make these I get so many compliments! Little do they know that I “cheat” and use boxed mix and premade frosting for this rainbow cupcake recipe!

cupcake batter in glass bowl with mixer nearby

Ingredients

  • white cake mix + ingredients on package
  • vanilla frosting
  • food coloring – Use gel food coloring to color the batter without affecting the taste. I recommend Wilton gel food coloring because it has the brightest colors and won’t thin the batter or affect the taste.

If you want to make the cake mix taste more homemade I recommend adding an extra egg, a package of vanilla instant pudding mix, and 1/3 cup of vegetable oil in addition to the ingredients on the box. (More about how to hack a cake mix here.)

Step by step

Using a boxed mix makes these treats soooo easy!

  1. Prep a normal box of white cake mix in a large mixing bowl. Divide the batter into six separate bowls (do not use plastic bowls to avoid staining.)
  2. Add food coloring to the batter and stir to mix. I used red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple but you can use any combination you can come up with!
colored cupcake batter in bowls with spoons
  1. After preparing the batter, spoon it in layers into a muffin pan lined with liners. I start with purple then work my way up the rainbow but you can add the batter in whatever order you prefer.
overhead view of muffin pan with liners and purple cupcake batter in the bottom of each liner
  1. Once you’ve added all of your colored batters, cook the rainbow cupcakes according to the box instructions and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
  2. You can use any kind of frosting to top off these cupcakes. They are delicious with a cream cheese frosting, or you can hack a store bought frosting to top it off.

I like to add 8 ounces of cream cheese OR a container of cool whip to the store-bought icing and then whip it up in the large bowl on my stand mixer (affiliate link). It will fluff up and taste amazing with no need to start from scratch!

overhead view of colorful rainbow cupcakes with white frosting and sprinkles on cooling rack

And of course, rainbow sprinkles are a must for the cupcakes too! I have also seen people use rainbow colored Airheads Extremes to form a little rainbow topper for the cupcakes instead of sprinkles.

Looking for more rainbow colored ideas? Try our Kool Aid cookies, funfetti cookies, or funfetti dessert cheeseball.

rainbow cupcakes with sprinkles

Storage

Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

You can freeze the cupcakes before frosting for up to 3 months in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container (affiliate link).

A close up of a rainbow cupcake topped with white icing and sprinkles on white plate

Aren’t they so much fun?? No one will ever guess just how easy these rainbow cupcakes are! They are perfect for St. Patrick’s Day, baby shower, birthday parties, or just anytime you want a simple, special treat.

If you try this recipe please comment and rate it below, I love hearing from you!

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close up of rainbow cupcake with cream cheese frosting and rainbow sprinkles

Rainbow Cupcakes


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4.8 from 4 reviews

Description

Rainbow cupcakes are so easy to make! This colorful dessert is always the hit of the party! Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day, birthdays, or any occasion!


Ingredients

Units Scale

For the rainbow cupcakes:

  • white cake mix & ingredients on package
  • gel food coloring

If desired, add in addition:

  • 1 large egg
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 package vanilla pudding mix

For the icing:

  • 1 container store bought white icing
  • Sprinkles, optional

If desired, fluff in the mixer along with 8 ounces of softened cream cheese or one container of whipped cream


Instructions

  1. Prepare cake mix according to package instructions, adding extra ingredients if desired.
  2. Divide mix into six bowls and add different food color to each until the desired intensity is reached.
  3. Drop colored batter into lined muffin tin a spoonful at a time, layering the colors.
  4. Cook according to package instructions.
  5. Allow to cool completely.
  6. Whip frosting with extra ingredients in a stand mixer (affiliate link) if desired. Frost cupcakes and top with sprinkled is desired.

Notes

Nutritional information is for cupcakes without additional ingredients added in.

Store in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze without frosting up to 3 months.

  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 min
  • Category: dessert
  • Method: baking
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cupcake
  • Calories: 140
  • Sugar: 12.1 g
  • Sodium: 85.3 mg
  • Fat: 6 g
  • Carbohydrates: 20.5 g
  • Protein: 1.1 g
  • Cholesterol: 24.8 mg

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44 Comments

  1. They look amazing, I can never get the colours as bright and vibrant! But I need to say, there is no such thing as St. Patty….It’s St. Patrick or St. Paddy, Patron Saint of Ireland, cause Patty is a girls name…

    1. I used gel food coloring to get the colors bright-it really didn’t take much! And I changed it to St. Paddy’s-I didn’t know that! I just assumed Pat was short for Patrick so it would be Patty’s!

      1. Thank you! Yeah for some reason Pat and Patrick goes to Paddy, it would make sense for it to be Patty! Crazy Irish logic! The Irish for Patrick is Padráig, so that could be where the dd is from!

        What brand of gel colouring do you find the best?

  2. YUM! These are so CUTE – like adorable!!! I love using cool whip for cupcakes. Light on the calories so I can eat more cupcakes 😉

  3. I just saw these over at Practically Functional and thought OMG how adorable and then click the link and come to your site … EVEN better!!!!!! LOVE, Love Love everything rainbow!

  4. Hello!!! These are THE CUTEST cupcakes for spring!! Pinning for sure. And probably not showing Katie, she’ll want to make them pronto. Love!

  5. Hi Melissa, I LOVE how bright, colorful and just plain cheerful these cupcakes look! This was a bright pick me up to start my day. What a great cupcake for Easter or Spring! Thanks for sharing and am pinning these! Have a happy Wednesday. 🙂