Rainbow Cupcakes!!!!!

Not many things in life merit five exclamation points. In fact, I’m kind of an exclamation point Nazi. I may have posted something in our college newspaper Facebook group to the tune of, “the next person’s article I read with exclamation points is getting kicked.” I mean, it might have been me. Bottom line: exclamation points have no place in journalism. They encourage the reader to get excited!!!!! about!!!!!! something!!!!!!! and our job is to inform, not to persuade.

But I’m here to persuade you to make these cupcakes. They’re RAINBOW, for Pete’s sake. If you bite into them, you will literally taste the rainbow. Plus, the frosting is called CLOUD frosting. Sure, I named it myself, but still. What’s more excellent than a rainbow and a cloud? Let me answer for you: not much.

This is my go-to “frosting” because it’s absolutely perfect on any cake you don’t want to weigh down with a heavy buttercream. It’s basically just a thicker homemade whipped cream but it adds a dimension of richness without making the cupcake too much to handle. Although, if you look at the last picture on the bottom of this post, it IS possible to get a little caught up in the sheer puffiness of the cloud frosting and go a bit overboard…

Rainbow Cupcakes

Makes 24 cupcakes

• 2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 c. unsalted butter, softened
• 2 c. sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 c. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• gel food colors in red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple

Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 muffin tins with cupcake papers. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over-beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Separate batter into six bowls and color with food gels until desired brightness is achieved. Using six separate spoons, starting with purple and ending with red, carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

 Cloud Frosting

1 qt. heavy cream

1 c. powdered sugar

2 tsp. vanilla or raspberry extract

In a large bowl, beat cream on high with an electric mixer until peaks form. Add sugar and extract and whip until stiff. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and store in refrigerator if there are leftovers.