Before you start mixing, set your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line your cupcake tin with paper liners, so your cupcakes don’t stick, and they’ll look neat and polished when they’re done.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine:

1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder

¼ teaspoon of salt

Whisk these ingredients together to make sure they’re well mixed and ready to go. This ensures your cupcakes will rise evenly.

In a separate large bowl, beat together:

½ cup of unsalted butter (softened)

1 cup of granulated sugar

Use an electric mixer (or a hand whisk if you're feeling strong!) and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. This process incorporates air, making the cupcakes soft and airy.

Add 2 large eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then, stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. This adds a beautiful depth of flavor to your cupcakes.

Slowly add your dry ingredients to the butter mixture, alternating with ½ cup of milk. Start and end with the dry ingredients. Mix gently after each addition to avoid overmixing, which could lead to dense cupcakes.

Here’s the fun part! Divide the batter into two bowls. In one bowl, add a few drops of pink food coloring, and in the other, add blue food coloring. Stir each until you achieve the desired vibrant shades.

Spoon the pink batter into the cupcake liners, filling each about halfway. Then, carefully spoon a small amount of blue batter into the center of each cupcake. Finally, top with more pink batter until the liners are about ¾ full. The blue color will stay hidden until the reveal!

Bake for 18–20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Be careful not to overbake, as this could make the cupcakes dry.

Once baked, allow the cupcakes to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, use a cupcake corer or a small knife to carefully remove a small section from the center of each cupcake.

Now, here’s where the magic happens! Fill the hole in each cupcake with your choice of filling—either blue or pink buttercream frosting or fruit jam. The color will be the exciting surprise when your guests bite in.

Top each cupcake with your favorite frosting, piping it high for a fun, festive look. You can use white buttercream frosting, or feel free to add some colored frosting to match the theme of your party!

For that extra touch, decorate the cupcakes with sprinkles, edible glitter, or themed toppers to match your party's theme.