Unicorn Cupcakes

These easy Unicorn Cupcakes are the perfect treat for the unicorn lover in your life! Made easy with boxed cake mix and topped with pastel swirls and cute unicorn horns, these adorable cupcakes taste just as magical as they look.

Originally published April 2022 – Updated June 2025

I know these rainbow unicorn cupcakes may look super fancy, but don’t worry, you don’t need magic to make them. They’re actually really easy to make (I promise).

I start with a simple boxed cake mix, add a little bubble gum flavor for fun, and then pipe on those colorful frosting swirls with my favorite easy pastry bag trick. Perfect for birthday parties, baby showers, bake sales and more, they bring a little extra sparkle to any occasion.

Ingredients

For The Cupcakes

• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1 (15.25 oz) white or French Vanilla cake mix
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 4 egg whites
• 2-3 drops bubblegum extract
• Food coloring gel (we used pink, purple and teal)

For The Frosting

• 2 sticks salted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3-4 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons half and half
• Food coloring – pink, purple and teal/blue

Supplies

• 3 small piping bags
• 1 large piping bag
• 1 large star frosting tip
• Unicorn cupcake toppers

How to Make Unicorn Cupcakes

For The Cupcakes:

Step 1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a standard muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray or line with cupcake liners.

Step 2. To prepare the cupcakes, add the cake mix to a large mixing bowl. Using a hand or stand mixer, mix the oil, water, and egg whites on medium speed until well incorporated.

Step 3. Slowly mix in a couple drops of the bubble gum extract. It’s very strong so you won’t want to add much more than that.

Step 4. Divide the batter evenly into three bowls. Color one with pink food coloring, one with purple and one with blue.

Step 5. Add a spoonful or two of each color to your lined muffin tin. Each one should be about 2/3 full.

Step 6. Use a toothpick or a butter knife to gently swirl the colors together.

Step 7. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Place the cupcakes on a wire rack and allow them to cool completely before frosting.

For The Frosting

Step 1. In a large bowl, use a hand or stand mixer on low speed to cream the butter for about two minutes. It should be light and fluffy.

Step 2. Add the vanilla extract and mix well.

Step 3. Slowly mix in 1 cup of the powdered sugar followed by 1 tablespoon of the half and half. Continue to alternate mixing in the powdered sugar and half and half until the frosting is creamy and stiff peaks have formed.

Step 4. Separate the frosting into three bowls. Add pink food coloring to one, purple to another and teal or blue to the third, mixing until you get the desired color. Use a little less food coloring for pastel colors and more for brighter colors.

Step 5. Add each frosting color to it’s own small piping bag. Then, insert all three of the smaller bags into a large piping bag fitted with a star tip.

Step 6. Be sure your cupcakes have cooled completely, then frost each one. It’s a good idea to squeeze a little frosting onto a plate until you get a good combination of colors (you may just get one color at first).

Step 7. Finally, add your unicorn toppers. I used this set from Amazon. They also came with some really cute cupcake wrappers, but because they hid a lot of the frosting, I displayed most of the cupcakes without them.

Serve and enjoy!

Tips & Tricks

• Be careful not to overmix your batter. It could cause your cupcakes to be dense and tough so you’ll want to mix until ingredients are just combined.
• If your frosting is too runny, add a little extra powdered sugar. If it’s too thick, add a little more Half & Half. Just use a little at a time, until you get the desired consistency.
• Be sure the cupcakes have cooled completely before frosting. If you frost them while still warm, the frosting could melt right off.
• Chilling your frosting slightly will help it hold its shape better when piping.
• Use a mason jar or a glass with a wide opening to fill your piping bags with frosting quickly and easily with no mess. Put the piping bag in a mason jar, fold the top of the bag over the jar, and scoop the frosting in with a spatula.

Can I Make These Ahead Of Time?

Yes! Making the cupcakes and frosting (and preparing the pastry bags) will save a lot of extra time. Store in the refrigerator overnight, then on the day of the party, all you have to do is add the frostings and toppers.