About
Candy is dandy and pumpkin spice is nice, but only mom’s rainbow-flavored candy cupcakes can raise a ghoul from the dead (now that’s talent). Not only are these baked goodies delicious, but they also provide something fun to do with the heaps of leftover candy coming your way. You and the little monsters can make a marvelous mess after you’ve trick-or-treated the neighborhood clean.
Directions
1 Remove the lids from your squeeze bottles, then mix your cake batter according to specifications on the box.
2 Pour a little batter into each bottle. Add a few drops of food coloring to each one. The goal is to make each bottle a different color.
3 Now squeeze some of each bottle into each cake tin, watching the rainbow colors collide. Place in the oven according to box instructions.
4 Let cool, then frost and clutter the top with all kinds of candy.
The Sci Behind the DIY
Can you really taste a rainbow? No, but science suggests color does affect the brain, our stomachs, and the way we perceive our food—it’s called logic. We’ve been wired to prefer colors that match a food’s flavor, which is why things like green ketchup, black butter, and red milk don’t exist. Most of the foods we eat are actually processed and would not look as appetizing if they weren’t artificially colored. Hot dogs, for instance, would actually appear corpse grey (hey, it’s Halloween so we couldn’t leave this descriptor out). The rationale is that if oranges are orange in a natural state, then orange juice should be orange. Ketchup should be red. And so on.
This may change the way you look at groceries forever, but things are not always as they seem. And, in actuality, things that are multi-colored—like these rainbow cupcakes—are typically perceived to be molding or rotting, which is why this recipe only comes out on the scariest day of the year. Ask the kids to describe what a real rainbow tastes like. The answer is probably strawberry, blueberry, orange, and grape!
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