PRIDE Rainbow Cupcakes
Typically, I’ve made a large cake for Pride, but this year, I decided to try cupcakes. Inspired by the Philadelphia Pride Flag, I’ve included brown and black stripes alongside the rainbow. These cupcakes are perfect for Pride picnics, workplace events, or fundraising. They’re a great way to engage people in conversations about the LGBTQ+ community. As Hannah Gadsby once said, many of us appreciate the sound of a teacup finding its place on a saucer. And if you’re going to make a cup of tea or coffee, you might as well have some cake to go with it.
Makes 12
Hands-on Time 1 1/2 hours (plus cooling)
Baking Time 16-18 minutes
Ingredients
125g unsalted butter (softened)
175g caster sugar
2 large eggs
¾ tsp vanilla extract
175g self-raising flour
⅛ tsp fine salt
150ml full-fat milk
Food colouring (liquid gel recommended) in red, blue, yellow, and black
2 tbsp plus 2 tsp cocoa powder
Equipment
12-hole cupcake pan
Paper cupcake cases
Large mixing bowl
Electric whisk or wooden spoon
Spatula
8 small bowls
⅛ teaspoon measure
Teaspoon
Skewer
Wire rack
Palette knife (optional)
Reusable piping bag and nozzle (optional)
Method
Prepare the oven and cupcake tin
Preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C (fan)/325°F/Gas Mark 3.
Line the cupcake tin with paper cases.
2. Make the cupcake batter
In a large bowl, beat the butter and caster sugar until light, creamy, and pale yellow.
Add the eggs one at a time, along with the vanilla extract, and beat until fully combined.
Fold in the flour and salt using a spatula.
Gently stir in the milk until the batter is smooth.
3. Divide and colour the batter
Evenly divide the batter between 8 small bowls.
Add ⅛ teaspoon of red, blue, and yellow food colouring to three separate bowls.
Mix additional colours as needed:
Red + yellow = orange
Blue + yellow = green
Red + blue = purple
Add 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder to each of the remaining two bowls.
Stir in black food dye to one of the chocolate batters.
4. Layer the batter
Spoon a teaspoon of each coloured batter into the paper cases in this order:
Purple
Blue
Green
Yellow
Orange
Red
Brown
Black
Do not smooth out the layers.
5. Bake the cupcakes
Bake on the middle shelf for 16–18 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and let cool in the tin.
Transfer the cupcakes (still in their cases) to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Decorate
Spread or pipe the buttercream onto the cooled cupcakes.
For a silvery grey effect, mix black food colouring and 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder into the buttercream.
Tips
Use gel food colouring for vibrant shades without altering the batter’s consistency.
Clean your spatula and measuring spoon between colours to avoid cross-contamination.
For a smoother finish, use a palette knife to spread the buttercream.
Enjoy!
