Rainbow Cupcakes with Vanilla Cloud Frosting

image credit dinnerthendessert

Ingredients

1. 1 cup butter , softened
2. 2 1/3 cups sugar
3. 5 egg whites
4. 1 tablespoon vanilla
5. 3 cups flour
6. 4 teaspoons baking powder
7. 1/2 teaspoon salt
8. 1 1/2 cups milk , warmed for 30 sec in microwave to bring to room temp
9. Rainbow colors of Gel food coloring
10. 1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
11. 4 cups powdered sugar , sifted
12. 1 tablespoon clear vanilla (if you use normal vanilla it will not be as white, but will be just as delicious)
13. tiny pinch salt
14. 3 tablespoons milk

Instructions

Note: click on times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer while cooking.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

1. In your stand mixer cream the butter and sugar together until much lighter in color, like a easter-y spring yellow (2-3 minutes).
2. Add in the egg whites and vanilla until totally combined.
3. Add the salt and baking powder to the flour.
4. Add in the dry ingredients and the milk alternating 1 cup of flour and 1/2 cup of milk at a time.
5. Add one cup of the batter to 6 different bowls.
6. Color each bowl with your gel food coloring in red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple.
7. Mix until the colors are fully combined.
8. Your choice here: Spoon or ziploc bags.
9. Either add the batter to 6 sandwich size ziploc bags and pipe just enough to make a thin layer of each color (maybe 1/4 inch tall batter layers)
10. OR
11. with a small spoon, spoon just under a tablespoon of batter into each cup.
12. Start with purple, then blue, then green, then yellow, then orange and finally red.
13. Bake for 18-20 minutes.To make the frosting:
14. Whip the butter in your stand mixer with your paddle attachment(I LOVE LOVE LOVE this one with a built in scraper) until you see the butter is lighter in color (1 minute).
15. Add in the vanilla.
16. Add in the powdered sugar in 1 cup increments with the milk 1 tablespoon at a time, ending with powdered sugar.
17. Mix on high for 1 minute after each addition.
18. Your frosting should be SUPER light and fluffy, just like a delicious vanilla cloud.
19. Using a closed star tip and decorating bag, pipe your frosting onto the cooled cupcakes.

For more detail dinnerthendessert