Tie Dye Unicorn Cupcakes
These vanilla unicorn cupcakes are great for any occasion! Using beautiful bright colors for tie dye coloring everyone will love these adorable cupcakes!
If I had to choose one fictional animal to be my personality it would absolutely be the unicorn. The bright colors, the strength, the horn–all of it is ME.
When I found out I was pregnant with my girl I knew that I wanted my baby shower theme to be Unicorn centered. It was perfect and gorgeous and everything thing I wanted! To read more about my shower check out 9 Fun Ideas For A Unicorn Themed Baby Shower!
Today, we’re taking you on a delightful journey to create stunning and easy unicorn cupcakes. This is a whimsical recipe that involves transforming simple vanilla cupcakes into a mystical dessert with edible unicorn horns, ears, and a colorful frosting swirl. Perfect for kids parties, baby showers, or simply for brightening up a rainy school holiday day, these cupcakes are a great way to bring joy and fun into the kitchen!
Unicorn Cupcakes
Here is a fun recipe that has a lot of moving parts but the end result is definitely worth it. These unicorn cupcakes have a vanilla flavor and look really amazing with the power of food coloring.
How to Make Unicorn Cupcakes
- Prepare Your Cupcakes: Start with your favorite cake mix or homemade vanilla cupcake recipe. If using a cake mix, follow the recipe instructions on the box, making sure to adjust for altitude if necessary. Pour the cake batter into your cupcake liners filling them about 2/3 full. Bake as directed and allow to cool on a wire rack.
- Color the Frosting: Divide your frosting into separate bowls, adding a different food coloring to each bowl. For the most magical effect, use bright, vibrant colors!
- Pipe the Frosting: Fit a large piping bag with a star tip. Carefully spoon your different colored frostings side-by-side into the bag. When you pipe swirls onto the top of the cupcakes, the colors will come out mixed, creating a beautiful rainbow effect.
- Create the Unicorn Horns and Ears: You can purchase ready-made fondant horn and ear sets, or create your own using white chocolate or white candy melts and a mold. Another great option is to cut mini marshmallows in half and dip the sticky sides in edible glitter to make them look magical!
What ingredients do you need for Unicorn Cupcakes?
- all-purpose flour
- white granulated sugar
- vanilla pudding
- baking powder
- salt
- butter, softened
- cream cheese, softened
- egg whites
- vanilla creamer
- vanilla extract
- Yellow, pink, and teal food coloring
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I use a boxed cake mix? Absolutely! For these cupcakes, the focus is more on the decoration, so using a boxed cake mix can save time and still tastes great!
- Can I make the unicorn horns and ears ahead of time? Yes, you can make these up to a week in advance and store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Can I use natural food coloring? Yes, natural food coloring can be used, but be aware that the colors may not be as vibrant.
Tips and Tricks
- For Perfect Cupcakes: For the fluffiest cupcakes, ensure your egg whites (if using) and butter are at room temperature before mixing.
- Leftover Cupcakes: If you happen to have leftover cupcakes (although we doubt you will!), they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Variations
- Glitter Everywhere: Feel free to add some edible glitter to the top of the cupcakes, it gives a magical sparkle that kids love!
- Rainbow Cupcakes: Divide the cake batter into separate bowls, color each one with a different food coloring, then spoon layers of colored batter into the muffin cups before baking.
- Alternate Horn Ideas: If you don’t want to use fondant or white chocolate, a small piece of a ice cream cone can also serve as the unicorn horn.
Where to Serve Unicorn Cupcakes
These delightful treats are perfect for children’s birthday parties, a fun baking project for a rainy day, or a baby shower. They’re sure to impress at any event and are a fun way to engage the whole family in baking!
This unicorn cupcakes recipe works because it’s flexible, fun, and can be easily customized. Whether you choose to use a boxed cake mix or make your cupcakes from scratch, the end result will be magical, colorful, and delicious! Enjoy this sweet, creative journey and share your beautiful unicorn desserts with friends and family.
Why This Unicorn Cupcakes Recipe Works
Every recipe has a magic formula that sets it apart, and our unicorn cupcakes are no different. Here are a few reasons why this recipe is a guaranteed success:
- Simplicity: This recipe uses straightforward ingredients and easy-to-follow steps, making it perfect for bakers of all skill levels. The simplicity allows for fun and creativity without the stress.
- Versatility: You have the freedom to use either a homemade cupcake mix or a store-bought one, and the same goes for the decorations. You can make your own fondant unicorn horns and ears, or simply buy them. This adaptability ensures everyone can make this recipe their own.
- Creativity and Fun: This recipe allows for a great deal of creativity. You can play around with the colors of the frosting and decorations, and even the flavor of the cupcakes themselves. The decorating process is also a fun activity for kids!
- Impressive Results: Despite the simplicity of the recipe, the end result is a batch of visually striking cupcakes that are sure to impress at any gathering. They look like they’ve taken a lot more effort than they really have!
- Taste: Let’s not forget the most important aspect: they taste amazing! The combination of the fluffy vanilla cupcakes, the creamy, sweet frosting, and the crunchy decorations make these cupcakes a delicious treat for the taste buds.
In short, this unicorn cupcakes recipe works because it combines simplicity and flexibility with a whole lot of fun and creativity, all resulting in a delightful and delicious treat that’s sure to bring smiles all around!
What are some other fun Unicorn recipes to try?
If you are looking for more amazing dessert recipes, be sure to check out this comprehensive list! 50+ Fun and Easy Dessert Recipes For Kids
The Best Unicorn Cupcakes You Will Ever Make
These Unicorn cupcakes are so fun to make with kids. Featuring a tie dye filling, they are delicious and perfect for any unicorn themed party.
Ingredients
- Cupcake Ingredients:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¾ cups white granulated sugar
- 1-3.56 oz box of vanilla pudding
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 4 egg whites
- ½ cup vanilla creamer
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Yellow, pink, and teal food coloring
- Frosting Ingredients
- 1 stick salted butter, softened
- 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla creamer
- Yellow, pink, and teal food coloring
- 4 small piping bags, 1 large piping bag or 1 tri-color piping kit, 1 large frosting tip
- Edible glitter, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or line a standard muffin
tin. - In a large mixing bowl, add flour, sugar, pudding, baking
powder and salt. Whisk dry ingredients well. - Using a hand or stand mixer, cream butter 1-2 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Mix in your cream cheese until well incorporated, and then do the same with your vanilla. On low, mix in the egg whites.
- Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Slowly add in the creamer and mix on medium for 1 minute.
- Divide the batter evenly between 3 small bowls. Add in your food coloring into each bowl until desired color is achieved. Using a spoon or ice cream scoop, add a small amount of each color batter into the muffin tin until each is about 2/3 full. This will give you the tie dye effect.
- You can also use a toothpick and swirl the colors together. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
Directions for Frosting:
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, cream together butter and cream cheese and beat until light and fluffy. Add in the vanilla extract.
- Slowly mix in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, while adding a bit of milk in between each cup. for 1 minute or until creamy.
- Separate frosting into 3 bowls. Add in your food coloring into each bowl until desired color is achieved. Prepare frosting bags/kit and fill each color frosting into each separate bag. Place the 3 smaller piping bags into the larger piping bag or connect to the tri-piping tip.
- Pipe each cupcake and sprinkle with white edible glitter.
Nutrition Information
Yield
12Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 662Total Fat 28gSaturated Fat 16gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 66mgSodium 398mgCarbohydrates 100gFiber 1gSugar 77gProtein 6g
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Hi! I’m Nellie. I am an entrepreneur, a busy mama of 3 and a wife to my high school sweetheart. I have been sharing content for over 12 years about how to cook easy recipes, workout tips and free printables that make life a little bit easier. I have been featured in places like Yahoo, Buzzfeed, What To Expect, Mediavine, Niche Pursuits, HuffPost, BabyCenter, Mom 2.0, Mommy Nearest, Parade, Care.com, and more!
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