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.

PRIDE Rainbow Cupcakes
PRIDE Rainbow Cupcakes

Makes 12

Hands-on Time 1 1/2 hours (plus cooling)

Baking Time 16-18 minutes

Print friendly version

Ingredients

  • 125g unsalted butter (softened)

  • 175g caster sugar

  • 2 large eggs

  • ¾ tsp vanilla extract

  • 175g self-raising flour

  • 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

  • ½ portion buttercream

Equipment

  • 12-hole cupcake pan

  • Paper cupcake cases

  • Large mixing bowl

  • Electric whisk or wooden spoon

  • Spatula

  • 8 small bowls

  • teaspoon measure

  • Teaspoon

  • Skewer

  • Wire rack

  • Palette knife (optional)

  • Reusable piping bag and nozzle (optional)

Method

  1. 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 teaspoon of red, blue, and yellow food colouring to three separate bowls.

  • Mix additional colours as needed:

  1. Red + yellow = orange

  2. Blue + yellow = green

  3. 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:

  1. Purple

  2. Blue

  3. Green

  4. Yellow

  5. Orange

  6. Red

  7. Brown

  8. 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!

PRIDE Rainbow Cupcakes
PRIDE Rainbow Cupcakes