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Original post published June 15, 2023. Post last updated on March 14, 2024.
I love the month of June. The warm, sunny weather, the blissfully long days, and as a morning person, seeing the sun come up at 4 AM (and still having sunlight at 9 PM!) all make me undeniably happy. Plus summer is just getting started, so there are plenty of picnics, beach outings, and fun summer events to look forward to in the months ahead.
June is also Pride Month, so in celebration, I created this rainbow whoopie pies recipe. Featuring rainbow buttercream sandwiched between soft vanilla cakes, plus rainbow sprinkles on top, these rainbow buttercream whoopie pies make perfect Pride desserts.
A Rainbow Whoopie Pies Recipe for Pride Month and Broadway Bares
June is also a time when I enjoy being in New York. Between the parties, the rainbow-colored decorations, and the annual parade, it is always such a fun, vibrant, and uplifting month. Plus, Pride celebrations always overlap with Broadway Bares, a charity event benefiting Broadway Cares to which I’ve donated my time to for more than a decade, designing costumes for hundreds of scantily clad dancers from Broadway and beyond.
Now that I’m living in London, I definitely miss my Bares family and the NYC celebrations (although London does have its own parade in July) but at least I can still make rainbow treats to celebrate!
Why Make This Rainbow Whoopie Pies Recipe?
Growing up in Pennsylvania, I developed a lifelong love of whoopie pies. Formed by a pair of soft, round cakes with a creamy frosting sandwiched in between, whoopie pies are readily available for purchase at greenmarkets, bakeries, and roadside farmstands throughout Central PA.
The classic whoopie pie consists of chocolate cakes filled with vanilla frosting. This version features a pair of vanilla-flavored confetti cakes and swirls of bright rainbow buttercream, plus an extra dose of rainbow sprinkles on the top. This rainbow whoopie pies recipe is great for Pride Month, but will also please friends and family at parties and picnics all summer long.
Making the Rainbow Buttercream
Making a rainbow buttercream piping bag is not difficult, but it does require does require a bit of extra effort. There are quite a few steps to follow, but it isn’t difficult so much as it is time-consuming. I’ve included step-by-step instructions (with process photographs) in the recipe below below.
To assemble the rainbow piping bag, you’ll need:
- Clingfilm/plastic wrap
To make the rainbow pattern, you’ll pipe stripes of each buttercream color onto a sheet of plastic, then roll it into a tube. Clingfilm/plastic wrap is a must-have for this recipe. - Disposable piping bags
I recommend using disposables for this recipe, rather than a reusable piping bag. You’ll need six bags (one for each rainbow color) plus another large, sturdy piping bag in which to place your buttercream tube. - Piping tip
I chose an open star, but you can use a closed star or even a round tip to pipe your rainbow buttercream. - Hand or stand mixer
To whip up the buttercream. There really isn’t an easy way to achieve light, fluffy buttercream without one.
Ingredients for Making This Rainbow Whoopie Pies Recipe
To make this rainbow whoopie pies recipe, you’ll need the following special ingredients:
- Gel food coloring
My go-to is the Chefmaster brand, but any quality gel colors will work. Don’t use water based food coloring, it’s much less potent than gel, and your buttercream rainbow will end up looking dull and muted, rather than bright and vibrant. - Rainbow sprinkles
You can use any kind you’d like, including standard rainbow sprinkles, rainbow nonpareils, or novelty sprinkles. If possible, try to choose sprinkles that won’t dissolve in the oven, ideally an American brand. - Cake batter flavoring
I used LorAnn Super Strength Cake Batter Flavor in this recipe. If you do not have cake batter flavoring, feel free to flavor the buttercream with vanillla extract, or other extract of your choice.
Rainbow Whoopie Pie Tips and Tricks
Do not skip the chilling step in this recipe! Chilling allows the cakes to retain their round shape while baking. (If you have a small refrigerator, pipe the whoopie pie rounds onto small trays—I used quarter-size baking trays for my rainbow whoopie pies.)
These rainbow whoopie pies are teeny tiny! As written, this recipe will make approximately 15-18 tiny (about 1 1/2 – 2-inch) pies. I’ve also tested these in a slightly larger size, piping 1 1/2-inch rounds to yield about a dozen 2 1/2-inch pies. You can make these any size you want, including full-size whoopie pies instead of miniatures.
Just remember that the bigger you pipe your rounds, the more space you’ll want to leave in between. You will also need to add a few extra minutes to the baking time, and the recipe will yield less cakes.
I prefer to pipe whoopie pies onto silicone mats because they don’t move around while you’re piping. However, sheets of baking parchment will also work. I do not suggest piping directly onto the trays.
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
Whoopie pies are best enjoyed on the day they’re made, or the day after. However, they’ll stay reasonably fresh for an additional 2-3 days if stored in an airtight container. Be sure to layer the pies between sheets of parchment or wax paper to prevent the cakes from sticking together.
At farmstands and markets in Pennsylvania Dutch country, whoopie pies typically come individually wrapped in plastic wrap, so this is a good option as well. The plastic helps the cakes to retain moisture, and the individual portions are easier (and less messy) to eat or distribute on-the-go.
Baked, unfilled cakes can also be layered between sheets of parchment and frozen in an airtight container, then thawed and filled with buttercream when ready to serve.
More rainbow recipes you might enjoy:
Rainbow Slice and Bake Heart Cookies
Funfetti Slice and Bake Shortbread
Geometric Rainbow Cookies
Rainbow Piñata Cookies
Italian Rainbow Brownies
Rainbow Rocky Road
If you make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
Print
Rainbow Buttercream Whoopie Pies
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 15-18 1 1/2 - 2-inch whoopie pies 1x
Description
These rainbow buttercream whoopie pies feature swirls of cake batter-flavored rainbow filling sandwiched between soft vanilla cakes, plus a healthy dose of rainbow sprinkles on top!
Ingredients
Confetti Cakes:
192 grams all purpose flour (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
60 grams unsalted butter, softened (4 tablespoons)
105 grams granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
75 milliliters whole milk (1/3 cup)
3 tablespoons rainbow sprinkles, plus more to decorate the cakes
Rainbow Buttercream:
60 grams unsalted butter, softened (4 tablespoons)
400 grams confectioner’s sugar (3 cups), plus more to adjust consistency
4 tablespoons whole milk, plus more to adjust consistency
1/2 teaspoon cake batter favoring
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Gel food coloring (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple)
Instructions
Confetti Cakes:
Preheat oven to 375° F / 190° C. Line two baking trays with silicone mats, and set aside until ready to use.
In a large bowl, sieve flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a separate mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, mix butter on high speed until light and fluffy. Mix in the granulated sugar, followed by the egg and vanilla extract, and continue mixing on high speed until well combined.
Add the dry ingredient mixture to the batter, followed by the milk. Mix until just combined.
Gently stir in the rainbow sprinkles, making sure they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
Transfer batter to a piping bag with 1/2-inch round tip. Pipe 1 – 1 1/4-inch rounds onto prepared trays, allowing space for the cakes to spread. With your fingertips, pat the tops of each cake to create a smooth, evenly domed surface.
Top with additional sprinkles.
Transfer tray to refrigerator to chill for 20 minutes.
Once chilled, bake in preheated oven for 8-9 minutes, or until the edges of the cakes are very lightly golden brown. Cool on trays.
While cakes are cooling, prepare the rainbow buttercream.
Rainbow Buttercream:
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the butter on high speed until light and fluffy. Add the confectioner’s sugar in small increments, mixing well after each addition and alternating with the milk.
Add the cake batter flavoring and salt. Mix on high speed until until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. If necessary, add more confectioner’s sugar or milk to adjust the consistency. The buttercream should be thick and creamy, but still soft enough to pipe.
Portion buttercream into six individual bowls.
Add 1-2 drops of gel food coloring to each bowl.
Stir to create six differently-colored buttercreams. You should have: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple.
Transfer each color to its own piping bag.
On a piece of clingfilm/plastic wrap, pipe a stripe of each color, mimicking the color pattern of the rainbow. Use all of the buttercream.
Gently roll the clingfilm around the buttercream, forming a tube.
Trim excess clingfilm from the ends of the tube, then place the tube inside a larger piping bag fitted with a star piping tip.
Assembly:
Divide the cakes into pairs, choosing tops and bottoms that are as close as possible in size.
Pipe a generous amount of buttercream on the flat side of the ‘bottom’ cakes.
Top each with the second cake to create a sandwich.
Store whoopie pies in an airtight container, layered between sheets of parchment, for up to five days.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Chilling Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 8-9 minutes
- Category: Whoopie Pies
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Desserts
