Rainbow Bright Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting

I have been dying to share this recipe with you all!  Seriously, how cute are these?  Can you tell that I am on a cupcake kick?  Last week my niece needed some cupcakes for a bake sale at school.  I wanted to make something that kids would go nuts for, and was originally thinking chocolate.  But then I saw a recipe for rainbow cupcakes.  A cupcake that looks like a rainbow when you bite into it with a ton of vanilla frosting AND a jelly bean on top?  Yeah, I think the kids liked them...well, at least I did!

For the cupcakes, grab a box of yellow cake mix, canola oil, sour cream, eggs, and a package of vanilla instant pudding 

Dump all the ingredients into the bowl of an electric mixer.  Mix on medium-high speed for three minutes.

 Divide the batter evenly into five separate bowls.

Add five different colors of food coloring or gel (I used gel because you don't have to use as much) to the bowls of batter.  Add a lot of coloring because the yellow batter will show through if it isn't colored enough.

Spoon each color into paper-lined cupcake pans until all of them are filled.  Bake at 350F for 20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Now make the frosting.  You will need milk, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and butter. 

To get the colored swirls in the frosting I scooped frosting into a pastry bag, then added a tiny bit of food gel.  I continued to layer it with a different color each time.  Then top each cupcake with a jelly bean.

I also sprinkled the cupcakes with gourmet sugar crystals.  Aren't they pretty?

Rainbow Bright Cupcakes
1 box yellow cake mix
4 eggs
1/2 Cup vegetable oil
1/2 Cup water
8 oz sour cream
small box instant vanilla pudding mix
Food Coloring Paste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a stand or electric mixer, beat the cake mix, eggs, oil, water, sour cream and pudding on medium until well combined.  Batter will be nice and thick.  Divide batter evenly between 5 white or glass bowls.  Drop 5 different colors of food coloring into each cake batter bowl until you reach your desired colors.  Stir well.  Spoon each color into paper lined cupcake tins until all are filled.  Bake for 22-25 minutes or until cooked through.  Remove and let cool completely.  Frost with frosting of choice.
24 cupcakes
Source: Picky Palate

Vanilla Frosting

3 C. powdered sugar
1/2 C. butter, softened
2 t. vanilla extract
2 T. milk
Gradually add the sugar to the softened butter and cream together with an electric mixer.
Stir in the vanilla and milk.  Beat until smooth and of spreading consistency.  Add a little more milk or sugar as needed.
(I doubled the recipe for 24 cupcakes)
Source: Crazy about Cupcakes by Krystina Castella