Rainbow Cupcakes

I found this festive idea in the March 2010 issue of Family Fun Magazine. They were fun, and my daughter loved them, but they turned out to be a little more work than I expected. It was worth it, but not something I would do on a regular basis.

1. Prepare your favorite white cake mix, then divide the batter evenly among six small bowls. (About 1/2 cup of batter per bowl.) Following the chart below, dye each bowl of batter a rainbow color.
   
   
   

   RAINBOW COLOR	DROPS OF FOOD COLORING
   Purple	9 red and 6 blue drops
   Blue	12 drops
   Green	12 drops
   Yellow	12 drops
   Orange	12 yellow and 4 red drops
   Red	18 drops

   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Line 16 muffin pan wells with baking cups. Evenly distribute the purple batter among the cups, then the blue, and so on, following the order shown. As you go, gently spread each layer of batter with the back of a spoon to cover the color underneath.
   
3. Bake the cupcakes according to your recipe directions. Before serving, remove the paper wrapping, and if you like, top each cupcake with a whipped-cream cloud.