Unicorn cupcakes with an exploding rainbow centre

Recipe by Rachel Zammit Cutajar

Photo by Rachel Zammit Cutajar

There is no party without unicorn cupcakes. While technically there are no unicorns in these cupcakes, the rainbow colours of the icing and surprise funfetti centre are associated with these magical creatures.

DISCLAIMER: No unicorns were harmed in the making of these cupcakes.

Unicorn cupcakes with an exploding rainbow centre

Ingredients

• 100g butter
• 150g sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 150g self-raising flour

Rainbow centre

• Smarties
• Hundreds and thousands

Rainbow buttercream

• 227g butter
• 400g icing sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• Food colouring (we used pink, blue and green)

To garnish

• Smarties 
• Hundreds and thousands
• Silver dragees

Method

1. In a standing mixer, cream the butter and the sugar until pale and fluffy
2. Add the eggs, on at a time, scraping down the  mixture from the sides of the owl at every addition.
3. Add the vanilla extract and mix.
4. Add the flour and mix until everything is incorporated.
5. Place the batter into a cupcake tin lined with cupcake papers.
6. Bake in the oven for 20 mins until a skewer inserted into the centre of a cupcake comes out clean.
7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 mins in the pan then transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

• When cold, cut a hole in the top of the cupcake and fill each cupcake with two Smarites and a tsp of hundreds and thousands.
• To make the butter cream, place all the ingredients in the mixer and mix until smooth.
• Divide the butter cream in half, setting aside on half of the mixture.
• Divide the other half into three and add a few drops of food colouring to each bowl. We used pink, blue and green but you can use any colours you like.
• Place a spoon full of white butter icing into a piping bag, followed by a spoon full of pink icing, followed by blue and then green. Repeat until all the icing is in the piping bag.
• Pipe the icing onto the cupcakes. The colours will blend into each other giving each cupcake and individual look.
• Garnish with Smarties, silver dragees and hundreds of thousands.