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Mango Strawberry Sunset Swirl Cupcakes

Close-up of a Mango Strawberry Sunset Cupcakes featuring bright yellow cake and vibrant pink and orange swirled frosting.
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Bake light cupcakes featuring mango and strawberry flavors, topped with a visually striking gradient frosting that mimics a sunset.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup mango puree (strained)
  • 1 tablespoon strawberry puree
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (for frosting)
  • 3 cups powdered sugar (for frosting)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for frosting)
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon milk or cream (for frosting)
  • Yellow food coloring gel
  • Orange food coloring gel
  • Pink or red food coloring gel

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla extract.
  4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.
  5. Divide the batter evenly into three separate bowls.
  6. Leave the first bowl plain (vanilla base). Mix the mango puree into the second bowl until the color is uniform. Mix the strawberry puree into the third bowl until the color is uniform.
  7. Spoon small dollops of the three batters randomly into each cupcake liner, alternating colors until the liners are about two-thirds full.
  8. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack.
  9. For the frosting: Beat the 1/2 cup softened butter until creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing on low speed until combined. Add the vanilla, almond extract (if using), and milk/cream. Beat until light and fluffy.
  10. Divide the frosting into four bowls: one large bowl for white, one small bowl for yellow, one small bowl for orange, and one small bowl for pink/red.
  11. Tint the yellow, orange, and pink portions with the respective food coloring gels.
  12. To create the sunset swirl, place a spoonful of white frosting, a spoonful of yellow, a spoonful of orange, and a spoonful of pink/red onto a piece of plastic wrap, side by side. Roll the plastic wrap gently to combine the colors slightly without fully mixing.
  13. Snip a corner off the plastic wrap and pipe the multi-colored frosting onto each cooled cupcake, rotating the cupcake as you pipe to achieve a gradient swirl effect.

Notes

  • For a stronger mango flavor in the cake, substitute 1 tablespoon of the milk with concentrated mango extract.
  • Use gel food coloring for the most intense and true sunset colors without thinning the buttercream.
  • If you prefer a simpler frosting, make one batch of vanilla buttercream and divide it, coloring the sections separately, then use a knife or offset spatula to gently swirl the colors on top of the cupcake after piping.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cookerykings.com/mango-strawberry-sunset-cupcakes/