Rainbow cupcakes for kids

Rainbow cupcakes. Photograph: Michael Thomas Jones for the Guardian

These cupcakes take a bit more time than normal, but when you want that 'wow' factor, you can't beat these technicolour treats.

Makes 12
125g unsalted butter
125g caster sugar
2 eggs
125g self-raising flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp milk
Red, blue, yellow and green food colouring

1 Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Cream together the sugar and butter until they have become pale and?fluffy.

2 Beat the eggs in one at a time, adding a little flour after each egg. Continue adding until the ingredients are mixed.

3 Add the vanilla essence and mix. Then add the milk 1 tbsp at a time, mixing after each addition.

4 Divide the mixture into six bowls. In bowl one, add ? cap of red food colouring; in bowl two, add ? cap of red and ? of yellow; in bowl three, add ? cap of yellow; in bowl four, add ? cap of green; in bowl five, add ? cap of blue; in bowl six, add ? cap of blue and ? of red. Stir the colouring in to each mixture after adding.

5 Divide the purple mixture between the 12 cases. Repeat with the other mixtures in this order: blue, green, yellow, orange, red.

6 Bake for around 10-15 minutes. Once they have cooled, decorate the cupcakes with your choice of sugar coating and?sprinkles.

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