First in my “How To” series is this guide on making multi-colored cupcakes inspired by beach balls. While browsing the aisles at Walmart, I found a clever cupcake gadget that I couldn’t resist. I’m a sucker for baking tools, so I picked up two packs—each two-pack cost around two dollars.
The gadget is made by Crayola and is marketed as Color Cakes. I found them in the baking aisle, so check there if you want to try them. They’re not yet available through some online retailers I checked, but they work well for creating separate color sections inside a cupcake wrapper. Be aware they can crease the paper liners slightly when inserted, and a bit of batter can cling to the dividers when you pull them out. To compensate, I filled each compartment a little extra. Despite these small issues, I found them fun to use and perfect for my beach ball–themed cupcakes.
For this test I used a boxed cake mix. I used gel paste food coloring in Red Red, Leaf Green, Lemon Yellow, and Royal Blue for bright, vivid colors. Regular liquid food coloring can work, but it tends to produce more pastel shades rather than the bold hues achieved with gel paste. I split the batter into four equal portions and added a few drops of the appropriate color to each bowl, mixing until evenly colored.
Next, transfer each colored batter into a sandwich bag and press out the air. Don’t cut the corners yet—wait until your cupcake pan is lined and the color cake dividers are in place. When everything is set, snip a tiny hole in each bag corner and pipe the batter into the slots created by the divider. Place colors side by side in combinations that look good together. Pull the divider out slowly and steadily to avoid dragging batter from one section into another.
Note the folds in standard cupcake liners: when you remove the divider, some batter will drip from it and collect at the bottom of the adjacent wrappers. To reduce mess, insert the divider into the next set of liners immediately and try not to move it excessively while the batter is still dripping. Keep a plate, tray, or paper towel beneath the divider to catch any excess batter—cleanups are no fun.
Bake the cupcakes according to the time and temperature recommended on your box mix or recipe. When baked and cooled, you’ll have attractive, multi-colored cupcakes that are great for themed parties or a fun baking project. These worked especially well for my beach cupcakes.
If you want to recreate the beach-ball look, choose color pairings that mimic the panels of a beach ball and use a firm frosting or glaze to highlight the segments. With minimal tools and simple steps, you can produce vibrant, playful cupcakes that look more complex than they are.