Unicorn Cupcakes: They are pink, purple, and teal, sprinkled with sparkles, and topped with a gold horn. What could be more adorable? Cut them open, and they are as pretty on the inside.
Key Takeaways:
- Vibrant Colors Inside & Out: Unicorn Cupcakes are made with pink, purple, and teal batter for a magical surprise when cut open.
- Creamy Swirled Frosting: The frosting is a dreamy mix of buttercream and cream cheese, swirled in matching unicorn colors using a pastry bag technique.
- DIY Unicorn Horns: The iconic gold horn is made with white chocolate and a unicorn mold, then painted with edible gold ink for sparkle.
- Decorative Essentials: Decorations include marshmallow ears, sparkly sprinkles, and precise piping tools like large star tips and pastry bags.
- Easy Cake Base: Use a favorite white cake recipe or a boxed mix, colored in 3 vibrant shades, to create the unicorn cupcake base.
- Kid-Friendly & Magical: These cupcakes are perfect for parties, celebrations, or just sharing joy with a child or unicorn enthusiast.
Overview
Unicorn Cupcakes are the perfect blend of whimsy, color, and irresistible flavor, guaranteed to delight kids and adults alike. These magical treats boast dreamy hues of pink, purple, and teal, topped with a swirl of luscious homemade frosting that marries the richness of buttercream with the tangy creaminess of cream cheese. But the magic doesn’t stop there—each cupcake is crowned with a golden white chocolate horn, shimmering sprinkles, and adorable marshmallow ears. The colorful surprise continues inside with vibrant swirls of batter that mirror the enchanting frosting. Whether you’re planning a birthday party, a whimsical celebration, or simply want to add joy to your day, these cupcakes are a feast for both the eyes and the taste buds. With easy decorating tips and a frosting that’s described as “a cloud of deliciousness,” these Unicorn Cupcakes aren’t just baked—they’re made with love and a sprinkle of magic.
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The frosting on these cupcakes is not your store-bought tub of frosting. Oh no, this frosting is the best of a buttercream blended with the best of cream cheese. One bite and you will know why I say they are topped with love. It is a cloud of deliciousness.
Unicron Cupcakes start with the Cake.
Grab your favorite fluffy/puffy white cake recipe, and make a bath of white cake. If you don’t have a fav., or don’t bake a cake from scratch, then purchase a box of white cake mix and make it according to the directions on the box. Then STOP, don’t add the batter to the cupcake papers. It wouldn’t be a unicorn cupcake without the unicorn color throughout.
To color, the batter split it into 4 equal portions—color 3 of the portions with your 3 favorite unicorn cupcake colors. Then scoop a generous tablespoon of batter into the cupcake papers. A cookie scoop works great for this. Bake the cupcakes according to the recipe instructions and let them cool completely before frosting.
Let's Decorate the Unicorn Cupcakes:
Supplies for decorating.
- Unicorn Horn Mold
- 12-inch pastry bags
- 18-inch pastry bags
- sprinkle pop sprinkles
- white chocolate candy melts
- large star piping tip
- gold edible ink
Make the Frosting
The frosting for these cupcakes is divine. I marry a buttercream frosting with a cream cheese frosting, and the result is MMM sooo GOOD. The recipe is super simple; just make sure the butter and cream cheese is softened before mixing them. Then you add a little flavor of your choice and the powdered sugar. A pinch of salt and done with a bowl of yum.
Split the frosting into 3 bowls and color it to match the cupcakes. To swirl the 3 colors of frosting together, put each color in a separate 12-inch pastry bag. Cut the end off of the bag and carefully flatten, and then stack the bags on top of the other.
The 3 stacked bags are inserted into an 18-inch pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Now it’s time to swirl away. Squeeze the 18-inch bag until all 3 colors are coming out together.
Time to decorate the Unicorn Cupcakes:
Make the Horn out of white chocolate candy melts using a Unicorn Horn Mold. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave and fill the mold. Let the chocolate harden, unmold, and color the horn with edible gold ink. Add some sprinkles, the gold horn, and ears. The ears are made out of a mini marshmallow cut on the diagonal. A dab of melted chocolate helps the ears adhere to the frosting. Take a step back and admire your beautiful Unicorn cupcakes. Then dig in and savor your delicious unicorn cupcakes. Cupcakes are best when shared and enjoyed with a child or a lover of unicorns.
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FAQ:
Q: Can I use store-bought frosting instead of making it from scratch?
A: You can, but the homemade buttercream-cream cheese blend gives a richer flavor and better texture for piping and swirling.
Q: What food coloring works best for vibrant cupcake colors?
A: Gel-based food coloring is recommended as it produces more vivid colors without thinning the batter.
Q: I don’t have a unicorn horn mold. Can I still make the cupcakes?
A: Yes! You can shape horns using fondant or even buy pre-made edible horns online.
Q: How do I get the frosting swirl effect?
A: Put each frosting color in its own small piping bag, flatten them, then insert them together into a larger piping bag fitted with a star tip.
Q: Can I make these cupcakes ahead of time?
A: Yes! You can bake the cupcakes a day ahead. Store them unfrosted in an airtight container and decorate just before serving.
Q: What’s the best way to store leftover unicorn cupcakes?
A: Store them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Let them come to room temperature before enjoying.
Unicorn Cupcakes
Equipment
- This page contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click a link, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you
- mold for the unicorn horn
- gold edible ink marker
- food coloring: pink, purple, and teal. (see notes for dye-free coloring options)
- muffin pans
- 12-inch disposable piping bags
- 18-inch disposable piping bag
- large decorating tip. Wilton 1M or Wilton 2D both work.
- sprinkle pop sprinkles
Ingredients
- 1 white cake recipe or purchased boxed white cake
Frosting
- 1 pkg softened cream cheese 8oz (225g)
- 1 stick softened butter (113g)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 4 cups powdered sugar (500g)
- ¼ tsp salt
Decorations
- sprinkles
- mini marshmallows for ears
- white chocolate for horn
Instructions
- preheat the oven and add 24 cupcake liners to a muffin pan.
- Make a white cake from either scratch or a box. Make according to the directions on the recipe or box. Once the cake is ready to put into the cupcake pan, split it into 4 bowls. You will have a little over one cup per bowl.
- Add 2 drops of each color of food coloring, stir to mix well. Leave one bowl white.
- Use a cookie scoop (1 tbs size) or large spoon to scoop tablespoon portions into the cupcake papers. Use one scoop of each color of cupcake batter for a cupcake. This keeps the colors from mixing and getting muddy looking. Alternately, wash the scoop between colors
- Bake the cupcakes according to the directions on the recipe or box. Once the cupcakes are baked let them cool completely before frosting. 2-3 hours.
Frosting
- Mix together the softened cream cheese and butter. Beat with a hand mixer until creamy.
- Add the powdered sugar ⅓ at a time, mixing after each addition.
- Add the vanilla and salt and beat on medium for 1 minute to mix in.
- Split the frosting into 3 bowls and add 1 drop of color to each bowl. Mix well until frosting is evenly colored. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure there are no dark streaks on the bottom.
Decorating the Cupcakes
- Put the large piping tip on a large 18-inch pastry bag.
- Put about half of each color of frosting into a 12-inch pastry bag, Don't overfill the bag. Cut about 1 inch of the tip-off of the bag and gently flatten the bag to be about 1/2 inch thick. Half of the frosting is enough for 10 - 12 cupcakes.
- Stack the 3 flattened bags together and insert them into the large pastry bag with the piping tip.
- Squeeze the bag until you see all 3 colors coming out. Pipe the frosting in a swirl pattern onto each cupcake. Add sprinkles, the horn, and ears.
- Make the horn out of white chocolate using a silicone horn mold. Color it gold with the edible gold ink pen.
- Cut a mini marshmallow in half. Cut it on the diagonal, attach each half to either side of the horn to form the ears.
- If you are unsure about the decorating instructions read the blog or watch the video.
