Unicorn Cupcakes are the perfect dessert for a birthday party! Transform delicious vanilla cupcakes into a glittery unicorn masterpiece.
The next time you’re prepping for a birthday party or fun kids’ get-together, you have to try this adorable and fun Cake Recipe. A batch of Unicorn Cupcakes is sure to be a hit with everyone, and aren’t much more complicated to make than my Classic Vanilla Cupcake Recipe. Check out my Rainbow Cupcakes for another colorful treat!
Table of contents
Sabrina’s Unicorn Cupcake Recipe
After making these for a birthday, they’ve become my kids’ favorite cupcake recipe. Pretty much every time I’m baking, they want to know if I can make more of these. The magical treats make any occasion seem special, and while they look adorable, they actually aren’t hard to make.
They start with a simple vanilla cupcake base. The only thing that makes the recipe different from other cupcakes is adding food coloring to make three colors of batter. I layer the colorful batters so that the cupcakes bake with adorable stripes. After that, I make a three-toned fluffy frosting, which like the batter is a basic Vanilla Buttercream but colored and layered in a pastry bag so when it pipes, it comes out in rainbow swirls. Finally I top them off with sprinkles, and just like that, I have the perfect unicorn treat.
Ingredients
- Butter: Make sure to use softened butter for the cake batter. Softened unsalted butter creams with sugar to create a light and fluffy mixture with air bubbles. Those air bubbles ultimately help the baked goods to rise and turn out soft.
- Egg whites: Egg whites provide the cake batter with the needed structure and hold everything together. This makes the cupcakes lighter both in texture but more importantly in color. The lighter batter lets the color be more vibrant.
- Powdered sugar: Confectioner sugar is a necessary ingredient in any icing or frosting recipe, especially when you want to make light and fluffy frosting like in this recipe. The finely ground sugar is light enough to cream into the butter and milk to give the frosting a cloud-like consistency.
- Vanilla Extract: I used both regular and clear vanilla extract in this recipe. The classic vanilla extract is in the batter because it won’t effect the coloring too much. However I used clear vanilla extract in the frosting so the colors are brighter.
- Food coloring: For the classic unicorn look, I used pink, purple, and blue food coloring. You can experiment with the colors to make them exactly how you like. Just be sure to add a little food coloring at a time, as it can easily make the frosting and batter too dark.
Kitchen Tools & Equipment
- Muffin Pan: My Unicorn Cupcakes are baked in 2 standard muffin tins. Only one 12 cup muffin pan is shown in the picture, however this recipe makes 24 cupcakes. You can also make mini cupcakes in mini muffin pans, just reduce the time to 11-13 minutes.
- Zip Lock Bag: I used large disposable bags for adding the colored batter to the muffin tin to control each batter layer. You can also use a spoon and gently spoon the batter layers so they don’t blend together.
- Pastry Bag and Star Tip: For the frosting, I use an actual pastry bag, for decorating, with star tip liner because I want the swirls to more precise and defined.
How to Make
Time needed: 33 minutes.
- Prep
To start, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Then, line 2 muffin tins with cupcake liners. This recipe makes 24 cupcakes.
- Cream Butter
Cream softened butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Wet Ingredients
Add the egg white and vanilla, and keep the electric mixer on medium speed until the wet ingredients are totally combined.
- Add Milk and Dry Ingredients
Sift the salt, baking powder, and flour together. Then add the dry ingredients and milk, alternating between 1 cup flour mixture and ½ cup milk at a time.
- Color the Batters
Add two cups of cake batter to 3 different bowls. Color one bowl with pink, one with blue, and one with violet gel food color.
- Add the First Layer
Add your first colored cake batter to the muffin tin cups. I chose purple, but you can start with any color. Add about ¼ inch tall amount of batter or about 1 tablespoon worth. Note: You are going to be doing 2 rounds of layering, 6 total layers, over 2 muffin tins, so you only want to add a little at a time.
- Add the Second Batter Color
Add the second colored batter to a ziplock bag and pipe a thin layer of batter over top of the first layer, careful not to push it into the bottom layer. You can also use a spoon, just make sure you don’t plop it on top or it could sink down.
- Add Third Colored Batter
Using the spoon or piping method, top the middle batter layer with your final batter color in about ¼ inch layer. You should have about ½ of each batter left. Repeat the layering process again with each remaining batter, ending with your third color on top.
- Baking Time
Bake the batch of cupcakes for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Whip Butter
Use the paddle attachment to whip softened butter for 2-3 minutes until lightened in color. Then mix in the vanilla extract for about 30 seconds.
- Combine into Frosting
Next, add the powdered sugar in 1-cup increments with 1 tablespoon of milk for each cup of sugar. Mix on high for 1 minute with each addition of milk and sugar.
- Color
Separate the fluffy frosting into 3 bowls and color them with pink, purple, and blue food coloring. I’d go pretty light to keep a pastel color.
- Decorate:
Add each frosting color to its own piping bag, then place all three into one piping bag. This technique makes it easier to achieve the color combination. Use a star tip to pipe all three colors onto cooled cupcakes in a swirl pattern. Top with edible glitter foil stars, and enjoy the Unicorn Cupcakes.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 1 cup butter , softened
- 2 1/3 cups sugar
- 5 large egg whites
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 3 cups flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups milk , warmed for 30 sec in microwave to bring to room temp
- 3 food coloring colors , I used pink, purple, and blue
Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter , softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon clear vanilla , if you use normal vanilla it will mute the colors a bit, but will be just as delicious
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 tablespoons whole milk
- 3 food coloring colors , I used pink, purple, and blue (the same colors as the batter)
- edible glitter silver stars
Instructions
Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 muffin tins with muffin liners.
- In your stand mixer cream the butter and sugar together until much lighter in color, 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the egg whites and vanilla until totally combined.
- Add the salt and baking powder to the flour.
- Add in the dry ingredients and the milk alternating 1 cup of flour and ½ cup of milk at a time.
- Add two cups of the batter to 3 different bowls.
- Color each bowl with your gel food coloring in pink, blue and purple.
- Mix until the colors are fully combined.
Your choice here: Spoon or ziploc bags.
- Begin layering the colored batters in the prepared muffins tins.
- Pipe just enough to make a thin layer of each color (maybe ¼ inch tall batter layers)
- Or, with a small spoon, spoon just under a tablespoon of batter into each cup.
- Start with purple, then blue, then pink and repeat a second time.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes.
To make the frosting:
- Whip the butter in your stand mixer with your paddle attachment until you see the butter is lighter in color 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the vanilla.
- Add in the powdered sugar in 1 cup increments with the milk 1 tablespoon at a time, ending with powdered sugar.
- Mix on high for 1 minute after each addition.
- Your frosting should be SUPER light and fluffy, like a cloud.
- Separate the frosting into three bowls, color it with pink, purple and blue food coloring until it makes a pastel color.
- Add the frosting to 3 smaller piping bags, with ends snipped but without tip rings or piping tips.
- Carefully place all three into one large piping bag fitted with a closed star tip. You want to get all three open tips of the smaller bags evenly in the decorating tip.
- Squeeze a bit of frosting out until the colors are even and giving a rainbow effect. Pipe frosting into swirly mounds onto the cooled cupcakes.
- The colors of the frosting will pipe together in a beautiful rainbow swirl.
- Top with edible glitter stars, or other sprinkles of your choice.
Nutrition
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Chef’s Note: A Fun Party Activity!
Instead of serving frosted cupcakes, why not set up a frosting and decorating station at your party? Not only is this a fun party activity, it saves you half the work! Usually I’ll leave as many cupcakes unfrosted as kids that have RSVP’d, maybe 1 or 2 extra, then I’ll decorate the rest. This way I still have beautiful frosted cupcakes for adults to enjoy, while the kids get to be creative with their dessert.
For the decorating station, I like to divide the frosting into bags and bowls so kids can either pipe the frosting or spread it. I include fun colorful sprinkles and candies in shapes like stars or unicorn horns (if I can find them at the hobby and craft stores) for the toppings.
Can this be made ahead of time?
- Bake Ahead: You can bake the cupcakes up to 2-3 days in advance. Once they’ve cooled completely, store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Freeze Before Frosting: If you need to prepare them further in advance, you can freeze the cupcakes. Place them on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. When ready to use, thaw them at room temperature for about 1-2 hours before frosting.
- Cupcakes with Frosting: If frosted, store them in a cool, dry place. If your frosting is particularly delicate, refrigerate the cupcakes to prevent it from melting or becoming too soft.
Ideas to Serve & Decorate
- Ice Cream: If you’re serving these for a birthday party as I did, you can serve them with Vanilla Ice Cream, Strawberry Ice Cream or pick up a colorful ice cream. Some stores even sell unicorn ice cream to keep the theme going! You can also drizzle the finished cupcakes with melted white chocolate or top them with fun sprinkles, edible glitter, and candy unicorn horns.
- Unicorn Horns: I call these unicorn cupcakes because of the pastel colors and fun glitter, but you can take the unicorn theme a step further by adding horns. You can pick up unicorn horns and ears made of fondant from a craft/hobby store. Or, if you’re feeling creative, make the horn and ears yourself using candy clay. You could also simplify things and use the tip of an ice cream cone dipped in white chocolate as your unicorn horn.
Nutritional Facts
How to Store
- Serve: Make sure you give the cupcakes enough time to cool before adding the frosting. Once you’re done preparing them, you shouldn’t leave Unicorn Cupcakes uncovered for more than a few hours, or they’ll start to dry out.
- Store: To keep them fresh, you can cover the cupcakes in plastic wrap or seal them in an airtight container. Once they’re sealed, they can stay good at room temperature for up to 2 days. It’s better not to keep them in the fridge. The refrigerator speeds up the crystallization of the sugar and flour in the cake, making the cupcakes taste dry.
- Freeze: Cupcakes can stay good in the freezer for up to 3 months. This works even better if you freeze the cupcakes before adding the frosting. Then you can let the cupcakes thaw at room temperature and add fresh, fluffy frosting before serving.
Frequent Questions
To make the colorful frosting, you’ll want pink, purple, and blue food coloring. It’s much easier to decorate the cupcakes if you have the right tools. You’ll want four piping bags in total and a star nozzle to pipe all three frosting colors onto the cupcakes.
Of course! I used pastel-colored frosting and batter to make these fun Unicorn Cupcakes. But you can change the color of the frosting or batter according to your preference. Feel free to use any type of gel food coloring you want to achieve the color combination you prefer.
Variations
- Cake mix: If you want to make this recipe a little quicker, you can use a cake mix instead of making the cake batter from scratch. Pick up a box of white cake mix from the store, and check out my Cake Mix Hack for changes to make it taste as good as from scratch. After combining the cake mix batter, you can divide it into three bowls and add the food coloring, just like in this recipe.
- Chocolate Unicorn Cupcakes: If you prefer chocolate cake, you can make our Chocolate Cupcake Recipe. Skip coloring and layering the batter, but follow the instructions in this post to make fluffy, colorful unicorn frosting.
- Flavoring: To alter the flavor a bit, add your choice of extract to the batter. A drop of almond, cherry, or orange extract would taste delicious.
- Cupcake Decorations: This recipe makes for a lot of cake decorating fun. I used edible glitter, but you could also use rainbow sprinkles or sugar pearls to top off the Unicorn Cupcakes. Add a unicorn horn using an ice cream cone tip or fondant. Or, get creative with toppings like mini marshmallows, melted chocolate, or gummy candies.
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