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Quarantine Kitchen: Pride Edition - Pride Flag Cupcakes

05/20/2020 04:02:31 PM

May20

Theo Jacobsohn

Step 1: Make cupcake batter

You can use your favorite cupcake recipe or just follow the instructions on the back of a white cake mix. If you want to do something between the two, here’s our favorite recipe:

Cupcake ingredients:

  • 18 paper liners
  • 1 package white cake mix***
  • ***Either regular or gluten-free cake mix works! You can also use yellow cake mix, but white makes more vibrant color cupcakes.
  • ¼ cup vanilla instant pudding mix
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 3 tablespoons orange juice
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • Gel food coloring (rainbow, or the pride flag colors of your choice)

Instructions:

  • Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line 18 cupcake cups with paper liners or grease the tins really well. Set the pans aside
  • Place cake mix, pudding mix, sugar, sour cream, oil, orange juice, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are just incorporated, about 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
  • Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat the batter until smooth, 1 to 1 ½ minutes longer, scraping down the side of the bowl again if needed.

Step 2: Color, assemble, and bake

Tips:

  • Choose your favorite pride flag colors (e.g. rainbow, trans, pansexual)
  • Gel food coloring is better to color batter, while liquid would be used when coloring liquids

Instructions:

  • Separate batter into bowls, one for each color of batter
  • One color of food coloring to each bowl until you get your desired colors
  • Assuming you are making rainbow cupcakes (otherwise follow the same instructions, divided by the number of colors and pattern of your design):
  • With a small spoon, spoon just under a tablespoon of each color batter into each cup.
  • Start with purple, then blue, then green, then yellow, then orange and finally red.
  • Note: The colors won’t cover each other completely when you assemble them, but they will spread out while baking and look awesome!
  • Bake for 18-21 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Don’t overbake them, or they will get too brown! (not a rainbow color)

Step 3: Make frosting

You can use whatever frosting recipe you want (or store-bought… we won’t tell, promise!). If you want to color the frosting or add a lot of colorful decorations on top, choose a white buttercream base. Here is an easy buttercream recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
  • 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • Food coloring (optional)

Instructions:

  • Whip the butter in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment until you see the butter is lighter in color (about 1 minute)
  • Add in the vanilla.
  • Add in the powdered sugar in 1 cup increments, alternating with the milk 1 tablespoon at a time, but ending with powdered sugar.
  • Mix on high for 1 minute after each addition. Your frosting should be super light and fluffy, just like a delicious vanilla cloud.

Step 4: Decorate

There isn’t a right or wrong way to do this… so have fun with it! Experiment! But whatever you do, take PRIDE in your work!

Make sure the cupcakes are completely cooled before decorating. (Don’t believe me? Just watch a few episodes of Nailed It. You’ll see what happens.)

Things you might want to use:

  • Piping bags and tips
  • Frosting spreader
  • Food coloring (an assortment of rainbow colors or colors representing a pride flag) gel or liquid
  • Colorful candy
  • Colored sugar (or edible glitter if you want to get fancy)
  • Sprinkles

Not sure what to do? Pinterest and Google are your friends. Look for pictures of examples and videos for decorating techniques.

Here are some examples:

(super simple) https://www.dessertnowdinnerlater.com/rainbow-cupcakes/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/271201208798940750/

https://www.chicaandjo.com/colorful-swirled-cupcakes/

https://www.mommysfabulousfinds.com/rainbow-cupcakes/

(more adventurous) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gbxxisn5Cwo

March 29, 2024 19 Adar II 5784