these are a wonderful reminder of st. cecilia and the colors of piety.

the rainbow cake is a family favorite.  we decided to make these JOYfilled cupcakes instead.  the inspiration can be found here.

cupcakes:

• yellow or white cake mix 
• icing colors

prep the cake as specified on the box.  we used 3 boxes since we had plan to bake these for  a parish girls bake sale.

divide the cake into 6 bowls.  we used a little over one cup per bowl.  add icing coloring to the bowls.  one color per bowl.  a little goes a long way.

fill the cupcake liners with the different colors.  we used a table spoon to layer the colors. 

we filled the liners to the brim.  next time we’ll try filling them with less batter.

frosting:

i always use meg’s recipe for frosting, a family fav.  it’s super easy and always tasty.

• 2 sticks of butter at room temp
• 1 bag of powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (to taste)
• 1 tbs milk (to desired consistency)

1. soften the butter with a mixer to remove all lumps
2. add 3/4 of the the bag of powdered sugar
3. add tsp of vanilla
4. mix
5. add milk until it is thick enough to stand on your spatula but thin enough to spread nicely.  we like ours creamy, cool whip-like.

ice the cupcakes and decorate.  we use rainbow nerds and skittles.  they look cute and add some sweet and fruity flavor.  i think they help make the rainbow come to life.

they turned out so yummy that we decided to eat some and share some with our guests.  good thing we made 3 boxes.  there were 24 kids between the 3 families.