Be proud of who you are and never let your light go dim! Our fun, festive, sweet, and celebratory Rainbow Cupcakes will bring joy to your parties and dessert tables with their bright colors and mouthwatering flavor. Dairy-lovers are sure to enjoy the rich, moist cake made from Lifeway Vanilla Kefir and the creamy kefir icing, which is better than traditional frosting thanks to Lifeway kefir’s probiotics.
Cultured Dairy: The Nutrition Benefits You Actually Need to Know
With increasing research linking the correlation between probiotics, gut health, and immunity, it’s no secret that the integrity of our gut is vital to our health. Although additional factors such as stress, antibiotic usage, and individual health conditions can contribute to the condition of our gut, a focus on healthy food choices is one of the easiest ways to support the microbiome.
Several studies have shown a strong association between the gut-brain-microbiota. Probiotics introduced to the gut have been found to support immunity, improve allergies, and improve digestion.
Studies have shown that reduced diversity of healthy gut bacteria during early years is associated with an increase in food allergies during school-age years. In addition, kefir made from whole fat milk helps absorb key nutrients such as Vitamins A, D, E, and K. Vitamin K is important because it helps your bones absorb calcium. It’s important to know that kefir contains a special trio: vitamin D, K, and calcium – all three crucial elements to support bone health.
Prep Time: 45 mins Servings: 8-10Ingredients
- For the Cupcakes:
- 1 ¾ cup natural, unbleached all-purpose flour
- **or use 1 ¾ cup of a natural gluten-free all-purpose flour if needed
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. sea salt
- ⅔ cup Lifeway Vanilla Whole Milk Kefir
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup organic butter
- ¾ cup of natural cane sugar
- juice of ½ a lemon
- 3 egg whites
- ¼ cup natural cane sugar
- For the Icing:
- 8 cups powdered sugar
- 4-6 tbsp more Vanilla Whole Milk Kefir
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Food coloring kit - ColorKitchen Food Coloring Multi-pack plant based colors from Amazon used here
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees, Fahrenheit. Line a 12-cup cupcake/muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk until combined; set aside.
- In another bowl, add Lifeway Kefir and vanilla extract in a small bowl and stir to combine; set aside.
- With an electric or stand mixer, beat the butter, ¾ cup of sugar, and lemon juice in a large bowl on medium speed until it becomes light and fluffy. This should take about 4-5 minutes. Add the Lifeway Kefir and vanilla mixture above to the same bowl and ½ the flour mixture on low-medium speed to incorporate. Then add the rest of the flour mixture on medium speed to mix until everything is combined.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric or stand mixer on high-speed until it becomes foamy. Slowly add in the remaining ¼ cup sugar until stiff, glossy peaks form; this should take 3-5 minutes. Carefully using a spatula, fold this mixture into the batter mix in two separate batches until combined.
- In a cupcake tin, place your liners down and fill each one 3/4 way full with batter.
- Bake the cupcakes at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean and they smell fragrant.
- Let the cupcakes cool for at least 25 minutes in the pan on a wire cooling rack after baking.
- Prepare the icing and top the cupcakes with the icing, using a spatula. Add sprinkles if desired!
- Icing Directions:
- In a large bowl with a standing mixture, whisk together softened butter until smooth. Slowly add in vanilla extract and whole milk kefir and mix until smooth.
- Turn the mixer to low speed and slowly add in powdered sugar (1/2 cup at a time) until all mixed together. If needed, add more whole milk kefir to get a smoother consistency.
- To mix the colors, set out 5 small bowls. Divide the icing into 5 equal-sized portions and add a packet of the coloring you want to use to each of the 5 bowls (you can mix and match colors for more colors if you don’t have 5 different colors to use). Stir to make sure each bowl is vibrantly different colored.
- Scoop each color into separated pastry bag.
- In a large pastry bag, cut 1/3 way down the side of the bag. Add a line of each colored frosting.
- Squeeze down the colors so they don't come out of the cut area and pipe onto the cooled down cupcakes!
