Introduction

These Unicorn Cupcakes are a delightful and colorful treat that will brighten any celebration. With a soft purple-tinted batter and vibrant multicolored buttercream frosting, they’re as fun to make as they are to eat. Perfect for parties or a whimsical dessert at home.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2/3 cup water
Purple/violet gel food color
2 cups / 4 sticks / 550 grams unsalted butter (room temperature)
8-9 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for frosting)
3 tablespoons milk (for frosting)
Purple gel food color (for frosting)
Blue gel food color (for frosting)
Pink gel food color (for frosting)
Orange gel food color (for frosting)

Instructions

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a cupcake or muffin pan with cupcake liners.
Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Step 3: In a separate bowl or mixer, whisk the milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and eggs on medium speed until fully combined, about 1 minute.
Step 4: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until well combined, scraping the sides and bottom with a spatula to ensure even mixing.
Step 5: With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the water and about 10 drops of purple gel food color. Mix just until combined, scraping down the sides if needed. Add more color to intensify if desired, but avoid overmixing.
Step 6: The batter will be thin; for easier handling, pour it into a pancake dispenser or carefully fill cupcake liners a little over halfway.
Step 7: Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs. Avoid opening the oven door before 15 minutes. Mini cupcakes may bake in 9-12 minutes.
Step 8: Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 3-5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 9: For the frosting, beat the room-temperature butter in a large bowl until smooth.
Step 10: Add 4 cups of powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
Step 11: Mix in the vanilla extract and milk until well combined.
Step 12: Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix again until smooth. Add more sugar if the frosting is too soft, 1/2 cup at a time.
Step 13: Divide the buttercream evenly into four bowls.
Step 14: Add 7-10 drops of purple gel to one bowl, blue to the second, orange to the third, and pink to the fourth. Stir each well.
Step 15: Prepare your work area with parchment or plastic wrap to protect from food coloring stains. Fit a piping bag with a large star tip.
Step 16: Lay a 15-inch piece of plastic wrap flat. Spread about one-third of the purple buttercream into a 6×6 inch square in the center.
Step 17: Layer the blue buttercream on top, then orange, and finally pink, spreading each carefully.
Step 18: Roll the plastic wrap to form a buttercream tube, ensuring it fits inside the piping bag.
Step 19: Place the wrapped buttercream in the piping bag and do a test pipe to move frosting toward the tip.
Step 20: Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and decorate with edible glitter stars or sprinkles.
Step 21: Repeat with the remaining frosting and cupcakes.
Step 22: Refrigerate the cupcakes for at least one hour before serving to allow the frosting to set.
Step 23: Enjoy your magical unicorn cupcakes!

Tips & Variations

Use a pancake batter dispenser or a squeeze bottle to fill cupcake liners cleanly and evenly.
If you don’t have gel food coloring, use concentrated liquid food color but add sparingly to avoid thinning the batter.
Try adding edible glitter or pearl dust to the frosting for extra sparkle.
To make mini cupcakes, reduce baking time and start checking at 9 minutes.
If you want a different color scheme, feel free to swap the frosting colors with your favorite shades.

Storage

Store the frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Before serving, allow them to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes for the best flavor and texture. Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored tightly wrapped at room temperature for 2 days or frozen for longer storage.

How to Serve

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I make the cupcakes without food coloring?

Yes, you can skip the gel food coloring if you prefer natural cupcake colors. The batter will be plain, but the cupcakes will still taste delicious. You can also tint the frosting with natural ingredients like beet or blueberry powder for color.

How do I prevent the frosting from being too soft?

If your buttercream is too soft, gradually add more powdered sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time, until it firms up to your desired consistency. Chilling the frosting briefly can also help it set before piping.

Unicorn Cupcakes Recipe

Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.6 from 66 reviews

These whimsical Unicorn Cupcakes are a delightful treat featuring moist, violet-tinted cupcakes topped with a vibrant rainbow buttercream swirl. Perfect for celebrations or bringing a magical touch to any occasion, these cupcakes combine classic vanilla flavors with colorful gel food colors to enchant both kids and adults alike.

Author: Tara
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 12 standard-sized cupcakes 1x
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

Cupcake Batter

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2/3 cup water
Purple/Violet gel food color (about 10 drops, adjust as desired)

Buttercream Frosting

2 cups (4 sticks/550 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
8–9 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons milk
Purple gel food color
Blue gel food color
Pink gel food color
Orange gel food color

Instructions

Preheat and prepare pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a cupcake or muffin pan with cupcake liners and set aside.
Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
Combine wet ingredients: In the mixer bowl, whisk the milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and eggs on medium speed until fully combined, about 1 minute.
Form batter: Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Scrape the bowl with a spatula to ensure all sides are mixed.
Add color and water: With the mixer on low, slowly add the water and approximately 10 drops of purple gel food coloring. Mix just until combined, scraping sides as needed. Add more gel color if a deeper purple is desired, being careful not to overmix.
Fill cupcake liners: Use a pancake dispenser or spoon to fill cupcake liners just over half full for even baking and less mess.
Bake cupcakes: Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. Do not open oven door before 15 minutes. Check doneness with a toothpick; it should come out with moist crumbs but no raw batter. Mini cupcakes bake in about 9-12 minutes.
Cool: Remove cupcakes from oven and let cool 3-5 minutes in the pan. Transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Prepare frosting: In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until smooth. Add 4 cups powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Mix in vanilla extract and milk until smooth. Add the remaining 4 to 5 cups powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add more powdered sugar ½ cup at a time if frosting is too soft.
Divide and color frosting: Divide the buttercream evenly into 4 medium bowls. Add 7-10 drops of purple gel food color to one bowl, blue to another, orange to the next, and pink to the last. Stir each until fully combined and set aside.
Assemble multi-color frosting: Cover your workspace with parchment or plastic to prevent staining. Lay a 15-inch piece of plastic wrap on the counter. Spread ⅓ of the purple buttercream in a 6×6 inch square in the center. Layer the blue buttercream over purple evenly, then orange over blue, and pink on top, spreading carefully to form neat layers.
Form piping bag: Roll the plastic wrap tightly into a tube containing the layered buttercream, ensuring it fits your piping bag size. Place the wrapped buttercream inside a piping bag fitted with a large star or preferred tip. Begin with a pipe-and-dump test to get the frosting close to the tip.
Pipe and decorate cupcakes: Pipe buttercream onto the cooled cupcakes in swirls. Decorate with edible glitter stars or sprinkles to add magical touches.
Repeat: Continue piping and decorating all cupcakes using the remaining buttercream.
Chill and serve: Refrigerate the frosted cupcakes for at least one hour before serving to set the frosting and enhance flavors. Enjoy your magical unicorn cupcakes!

Notes

Do not open the oven door during the first 15 minutes of baking to prevent cupcakes from collapsing.
If you want more intense cupcake color, add gel color 1-2 drops at a time to avoid overmixing.
The batter is thin; using a pancake dispenser or piping bag for filling makes this step cleaner and easier.
Adjust powdered sugar quantities if the buttercream is too soft or too stiff for piping.
Cover your work surface to prevent gel food coloring stains during frosting preparation.
Use fresh ingredients and room temperature butter for better frosting consistency and flavor.
Refrigerate cupcakes to help the buttercream set for neater presentation and flavor consolidation.

Keywords: Unicorn cupcakes, colorful cupcakes, rainbow buttercream, birthday cupcakes, kids party dessert, vanilla cupcakes, festive cupcakes