Page 401 - Cupcakes

Aluminum foil

1 cup Buttercream Frosting, (about ⅓ recipe, page 318)
Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple food coloring (see “the Cupcake
Doctor says”)

6 yellow or white cupcakes (see “the Cupcake Doctor says”)
Clean new small paintbrush, about ½ inch wide

1. Cut a circle that measures 12 inches in diameter out of the cardboard.
Measuring 1 inch in from the edge of the circle, mark 6 circles 3 inches in
diameter each around the circumference. In the remaining space, mark a hole
large enough to fit your thumb. Using a thin serrated knife or a matte knife, cut
out the circles and the thumb hole. Cover the cardboard with aluminum foil,
smoothing it out so it lays flat. Take care to cut the foil to fit where the holes
have been cut.

2. Divide the frosting among 6 small bowls. Tint each bowl with one of the
following colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Set the frostings
aside.

3. Place each color of frosting on a single cupcake and swirl to spread it out with
a short metal spatula or a spoon. Place 1 cupcake in each hole in the following
order: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Place the paintbrush on the
palette for a finishing touch.

Store these cupcakes at room temperature for up to 3 days.

the Cupcake Doctor says...

Use any of the yellow or white cupcakes in this book—such as The Best
Birthday Cupcakes (page 138) or White on White Cupcakes (page 166)—
for this recipe. Food coloring in the shades listed is usually found in paste
form. Use a toothpick to pick up a small dab of paste and blend it into the

frosting. If you use liquid food coloring, mix the specialty colors in a small
dish first: 1 drop of red with 2 drops of yellow for orange; 2 drops of blue
with 1 drop of red for purple. Since each batch of frosting is so small, it will
take very little color to tint it. If you’re making more than one palette, adjust
the amount of color added to the frosting accordingly.