I made a Rainbow Pull Apart Cake that’s simple to assemble and hides a playful rainbow pattern that will make everyone want to see how it comes apart.

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I don’t know why rainbow things make me smile so much, but this Rainbow Pull Apart Cake always turns heads. Using a simple yellow cake mix and bright gel food coloring keeps it fast and cheerful, without needing fancy skills.

Seeing it set out as a Rainbow Cupcake Display makes kids go crazy, and adults pretend they didn’t have seconds. It’s the kind of dessert that looks impressive even when your frosting is a little messy, and honestly that’s part of its charm.

Try it once and you’ll want to make it again for every party, even last minute ones.

Ingredients

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Yellow cake mix: mostly refined carbs and sugar, gives structure and sweetness to cupcakes.
Eggs: good protein, add moisture and lift, they bind batter together.
Unsalted butter: rich fat, creamy flavor and mouthfeel, helps frosting taste decadent.
Powdered sugar: pure sweetener, makes frosting smooth and very sweet, no real nutrition.
Gel food coloring: concentrated color with minimal calories, use tiny amounts for bright hues.
Vegetable oil: neutral fat that keeps cupcakes moist, adds calories but no protein.
Rainbow sprinkles: crunchy sugary bits for fun and texture, mostly decoration and sugar.

Ingredient Quantities

1 (15.25 oz) box yellow cake mix

3 large eggs

1 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

24 paper cupcake liners

1 cup (2 sticks, 226 g) unsalted butter, softened, room temp

4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

3 tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

Gel food coloring: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, concentrated, about 1/4 teaspoon or a few drops per color

1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles or nonpareils, optional

How to Make this

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1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two 12-cup muffin pans with all 24 paper liners.

2. In a large bowl whisk together the cake mix, 3 large eggs, 1 cup water and 1/3 cup vegetable oil until just combined, dont overmix or the cupcakes get tough.

3. Divide the batter evenly into six small bowls so you have one bowl per color, you’re gonna get about the same amount in each bowl.

4. Tint each bowl with gel food coloring — red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple — start with a few drops and up to about 1/4 teaspoon if you want really vivid colors, stir until uniform.

5. Use an ice cream scoop or large spoon to fill each liner about 2/3 full; you should end up with 24 cupcakes. Bake 16 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean, then cool 10 minutes in the pans and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

6. While cupcakes cool make the buttercream: beat 1 cup (2 sticks, 226 g) softened unsalted butter 2 to 3 minutes until pale, then gradually add 4 cups sifted powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon fine salt; beat until light and spreadable, add a little more milk if it seems too stiff.

7. Arrange the cooled cupcakes in a 4 by 6 rectangle on your serving board, push them gently so they touch and form a single cake surface.

8. Spread a thin crumb coat of the buttercream over the assembled cupcakes with an offset spatula or knife, then add a thicker top layer so the whole thing looks like one cake; you can pipe swirls if you want but make sure cupcakes are snug so frosting bridges the gaps.

9. Sprinkle 1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles or nonpareils over the top if using and press lightly so they stick, chill 15 to 30 minutes to set the frosting.

10. Serve the pull apart cake by letting guests or yourself just grab cupcakes, store covered at room temp up to 2 days or refrigerate up to 4 days and bring to room temp before eating.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven preheated to 350°F (175°C)
2. Two 12-cup muffin pans
3. 24 paper cupcake liners
4. Large mixing bowl
5. Whisk and measuring cups + spoons
6. Six small bowls or ramekins for tinting batter
7. Gel food coloring and a few small spoons or droppers
8. Ice cream scoop or large spoon for even portions
9. Electric mixer (hand or stand) for the buttercream, or a sturdy spatula if you wanna do it by hand
10. Offset spatula or butter knife, wire cooling rack and a serving board for assembling the pull apart cake

FAQ

Q: Can I make these cupcakes ahead of time? A: Yes. Bake and cool completely, then store unfrosted in an airtight container at room temp for 1 day or in the fridge for up to 3 days. For longer keep them frozen up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the fridge then bring to room temp before frosting.

Q: How do I get bright, true rainbow colors without ruining the batter or frosting? A: Use gel or paste food coloring not liquid. Start with a few drops or 1/8 to 1/4 tsp per color and add more if needed. Stir gently to avoid overmixing. For frosting, add color after butter is whipped so it distributes evenly.

Q: My buttercream is grainy or too soft, how fix it? A: Grainy means butter was too cold or sugar not fully sifted, so beat longer on medium speed. If frosting is too soft chill 10 to 20 minutes then rewhip. If too stiff add milk a teaspoon at a time until spreadable.

Q: What's the easiest way to arrange a cupcake cake so it looks like one big cake? A: Place cupcakes close together on a round board or plate forming a circle, fill center with one cupcake or a small circle. Press them gently so edges touch. Pipe a crumb coat over the whole thing to lock crumbs then finish with swirls and sprinkles.

Q: Can I make this recipe dairy free or egg free? A: Yes with swaps. Use dairy free butter and milk substitute like soy or oat for the frosting. For cupcakes, use egg replacer or flax-eggs (1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water per egg, let sit 5 min) but texture may be slightly different.

Q: How do I prevent colors from bleeding into each other after frosting? A: Let the frosting crust slightly before adding another color. Chill the cake 10 to 15 minutes after a layer so the frosting firms up. Avoid wet toppings that can melt the buttercream.

How To Make An Easy Rainbow Cupcake Cake Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Yellow cake mix -> swap for a white or vanilla cake mix if you want a paler, milder crumb. (They work 1:1 and you won’t notice much difference.)
Vegetable oil -> use canola or light-tasting olive oil 1:1, or melted coconut oil 1:1 for a bit of coconut flavor. To cut fat, replace up to half the oil with unsweetened applesauce.
Unsalted butter (for frosting) -> if you only have salted butter use the same amount but skip or reduce the 1/4 tsp added salt. For dairy-free, use a solid vegan butter stick 1:1 and add a tiny pinch of salt to taste.
Whole milk or heavy cream -> any milk works 1:1, like 2% or unsweetened almond or oat milk for dairy-free. Want extra richness use heavy cream, but if frosting gets too loose, add a little more powdered sugar.

Pro Tips

1) Use gel color very sparingly, a little goes a long way. Start with a couple tiny drops, mix well and then add more if needed, cause too much will make the batter runny or stain everything.

2) Don’t overmix the batter, stop when the streaks are gone, that keeps the cupcakes tender. Let the batter rest 3 to 5 minutes before scooping so bubbles settle and you get a nicer crumb.

3) Portioning matters more than you think, weigh or use the same sized scoop for each liner so they bake evenly. Tap the pan gently to pop big air bubbles, it helps them rise level.

4) For smoother, less sweet buttercream beat the butter until really pale before adding sugar and sift the powdered sugar first, add milk a teaspoon at a time till it spreads easily. Chill the assembled cake briefly so the frosting firms up, then add sprinkles last so they stick and dont slide off.

How To Make An Easy Rainbow Cupcake Cake Recipe

Recipe by Samantha Dalling

0.0 from 0 votes

I made a Rainbow Pull Apart Cake that's simple to assemble and hides a playful rainbow pattern that will make everyone want to see how it comes apart.

Servings

servings

Calories

259

kcal

Equipment: 1. Oven preheated to 350°F (175°C)
2. Two 12-cup muffin pans
3. 24 paper cupcake liners
4. Large mixing bowl
5. Whisk and measuring cups + spoons
6. Six small bowls or ramekins for tinting batter
7. Gel food coloring and a few small spoons or droppers
8. Ice cream scoop or large spoon for even portions
9. Electric mixer (hand or stand) for the buttercream, or a sturdy spatula if you wanna do it by hand
10. Offset spatula or butter knife, wire cooling rack and a serving board for assembling the pull apart cake

Ingredients

1 (15.25 oz) box yellow cake mix
3 large eggs
1 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
24 paper cupcake liners
1 cup (2 sticks, 226 g) unsalted butter, softened, room temp
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
Gel food coloring: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, concentrated, about 1/4 teaspoon or a few drops per color
1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles or nonpareils, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two 12-cup muffin pans with all 24 paper liners.
In a large bowl whisk together the cake mix, 3 large eggs, 1 cup water and 1/3 cup vegetable oil until just combined, dont overmix or the cupcakes get tough.
Divide the batter evenly into six small bowls so you have one bowl per color, you're gonna get about the same amount in each bowl.
Tint each bowl with gel food coloring — red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple — start with a few drops and up to about 1/4 teaspoon if you want really vivid colors, stir until uniform.
Use an ice cream scoop or large spoon to fill each liner about 2/3 full; you should end up with 24 cupcakes. Bake 16 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean, then cool 10 minutes in the pans and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
While cupcakes cool make the buttercream: beat 1 cup (2 sticks, 226 g) softened unsalted butter 2 to 3 minutes until pale, then gradually add 4 cups sifted powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon fine salt; beat until light and spreadable, add a little more milk if it seems too stiff.
Arrange the cooled cupcakes in a 4 by 6 rectangle on your serving board, push them gently so they touch and form a single cake surface.
Spread a thin crumb coat of the buttercream over the assembled cupcakes with an offset spatula or knife, then add a thicker top layer so the whole thing looks like one cake; you can pipe swirls if you want but make sure cupcakes are snug so frosting bridges the gaps.
Sprinkle 1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles or nonpareils over the top if using and press lightly so they stick, chill 15 to 30 minutes to set the frosting.
Serve the pull apart cake by letting guests or yourself just grab cupcakes, store covered at room temp up to 2 days or refrigerate up to 4 days and bring to room temp before eating.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.