3D Rainbow & Cloud Macarons with Vanilla Filling

Stunning 3D style rainbow & cloud macaron set filled with vanilla. Perfect for St. Patrick's Day, birthday parties, baby showers, afternoon tea and other special occasions. Download free templates and detailed instructions on how to make multiple colors from one batch of macaron batter.

The Rainbow After the Storm

2021, you couldn't have come soon enough! Like everyone else, I am hopeful that this new year will be a brighter one for the entire world. More than ever, we need to receive uplifting messages and positivity. Today, on this first day of this new year, I want to bring you this tutorial for a 3D rainbow and cloud macaron set. It plays on a similar design, Over the Rainbow Macarons, but this time we're stacking 2 different macarons on top of each other for a 3D macaron effect. I first created the original cloud macaron with rainbow gummy design way back and it has been shared countless times on Pinterest, maybe because rainbows are just a cheerful and hopeful symbol that seems to inspire everyone. Let's make 2021 the rainbow macaron after the storm 🙂 I wish you a bright, new year ahead.

XOXO,
Mimi

How to Prepare Multiple Colors in One Batch

This rainbow and cloud macaron design will require multiple colored macaron batters: blue, yellow and pink. There are several methods to making multiple colors from one batch of macaron batter and below is a short recap of my top recommended method. I also recommend that you take a closer look at the full tutorial on how to make multiple colors from one batch of macaron batter.

1. Determine in percentages how much batter of each color is required. For this design, we need 50% of the batter to be blue, 25% to be yellow, 25% to be pink.
2. Sift the dry mix (sifted almond flour + powdered sugar) together then divide it into separate bowls according to the same percentages for the corresponding color. For example: 130 grams almond flour + 130 grams powdered sugar = 260 grams. For the blue batter we need 130 grams (50% X 260 grams = 130 grams) and so forth for the other colors.
3. Prepare the meringue in one batch. Once meringue is at stiff peaks, stop the mixer.
4. Weigh the meringue, divide the meringue into separate bowls according to the same percentages for the corresponding color. For example: 90 grams castor sugar + 100 grams egg whites = 190 grams. For the blue batter we need 96 grams of meringue (50% X 190 grams = 96 grams, rounded up 1 gram to compensate for yellow/pink)
5. Add the gel color into the bowl filled with meringue, then gently incorporate the color with a whisk, making sure not to deflate the meringue.
6. Once the color is mostly incorporated, pour the almond flour into each bowl of meringue with the same respective percentage.
7. Macaronage/fold in the almond flour as usual.
8. Transfer macaron batter into separate piping bags and pipe clouds and rainbows as per instructions below.

How to Pipe Cloud and Rainbow Macarons

Print out the 2 templates provided in this post. (I am using a bear macaron template here for the rainbows. You can save paper and reuse this template if you already have it printed out from prior projects).

Start piping the cloud macarons first since it takes longer to dry and will use the most batter. If you have extra blue left over, then you can make extra rainbows, instead of not having enough batter for the clouds.

To pipe the clouds, use round piping tip #10 and start piping in the white target zone. Keep bag at a 90 degree angle for maximum precision. If possible, try to use a coupler because we will need to switch the piping tip to a finer one after.

Switch to a small round piping tip #6 (#5-7 will all work great) and pipe a small arch for the rainbow.

Follow the outline and pipe the yellow and pink batter in that order. You do not need to wait for the batters to dry in between piping each color. This technique will allow the different colored batters to blend into one cohesive design. This method also makes it easier to bake as well because there is no joints to worry about. Sometimes, cracks can occur along the joints during baking if the character macarons aren't fully rested before baking. If you want more definition, let each color develop a light skin before baking before piping the next color. But remember to give it more time to dry before baking.

Which Filling to Use

For the filling, I chose a vanilla buttercream because I wasn't exactly sure what rainbows taste like so I thought this Swiss buttercream that tastes just like vanilla ice cream would be a great pairing. Alternatively, I've recently discovered that cotton candy just makes sense for use in rainbow colored treats. I used a specially concocted version of this extract in this post: Cotton Candy Meringue Kisses.

Whichever macaron filling you choose, keep these notes in mind if you plan to use for assembling into the 3D design:

• Choose a filling that's not too high in moisture. This will prevent the macarons from becoming too soft to handle when you're assembling. Buttercreams and chocolate works great.
• Avoid oily fillings for "gluing" the two pieces together to prevent a pooling of oil on top of the cloud macaron. If using buttercream, make sure the cream doesn't start separating while you're piping, it's especially common near the end after you've handled the piping bag for too long. For my recipe below, just re-whip it again either with a mixer or even just by hand! This tip is especially helpful when you don't have enough left to mix in the mixer. Just use a small bowl and stir it vigorously with a small spatula, it will all come together again.
• Choose a lighter color filling to help create a seamless overall appearance for this 3D design.

Rainbow and Cloud Macaron Templates

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Recipe

Yield: 9 sets

3D Rainbow and Cloud Macarons

Print

Stunning 3D style rainbow & cloud macaron set. Free templates and detailed instructions on making multiple colors from one batch of batter.

Prep Time 1 hour 30 seconds

Cook Time 14 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 14 minutes 30 seconds

Ingredients

Rainbow & Cloud Macaron Batter

• 130 grams almond flour
• 130 grams powdered sugar
• 90 grams castor sugar (Note 1)
• 100 grams egg whites, aged
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
• Gel food coloring (blue, pink, yellow)
• Optional: White nonpareil sprinkles

Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream

• 65 grams egg whites
• 130 grams granulated sugar
• 195 grams butter, room temperature
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract (or any other flavoring, added to taste)

Instructions

Rainbow & Cloud Macarons

1. These instructions are for the experienced macaron baker, if you're new to macaron baking, please read Best Macaron Recipe for additional information before starting.
2. Determine in percentages how much batter of each color is required. For this design: 50% blue, 25% yellow and 25% pink.
3. In a big bowl, sift together almond flour and powdered sugar. Divide it up into separate bowls according to the same percentages for the corresponding color. For this design: 130 grams for blue, 65 grams for yellow and 65 grams for pink.
4. In a separate bowl, whip room temperature egg whites on low speed with a handheld mixer until foamy, add cream of tartar. 
5. Increase speed to medium. Once the beater starts leaving tracks in the egg whites and the bubbles have tightened up in size, add granulated sugar ⅓ at a time.
6. Increase speed to high, whip until meringue starts to clump in whisk. Test meringue stiffness. It should have pointed peaks when the whisk is pulled out.
7. Divide the meringue into separate bowls according to the same percentages for the corresponding color. For this design: 96 grams for blue, 47 grams for yellow, 47 grams for pink.
8. Add the gel color into the bowl filled with meringue, then gently incorporate the color with a whisk, making sure not to deflate the meringue.
9. Once the color is mostly incorporated, pour the almond flour into each bowl of meringue with the same respective percentage.
10. Macaronage/fold the almond flour into the meringue as usual. Stop folding once the dry ingredients have been fully incorporated and the batter has reached a “lava” like or honey consistency. The batter should pass the figure-8 test.
11. Transfer batter into separate piping bags.
12. Place cloud and rainbow macaron templates underneath silicone mats or parchment paper. Pipe cloud design first with blue batter and #10 round tip, then pipe the rainbows with #6 round tip. The colors can be piped one after the other if you want less definition (texture-wise) between each color.
13. Remove the paper template from underneath the parchment paper or mat.
14. Rap the tray several times on the counter to rid of excess bubbles
15. Before the batter dries, pop any remaining bubbles with a toothpick.
16. Let it rest on the counter for 30 min. AND until a “skin” has developed. This will prevent the shells from cracking during baking.
17. Preheat oven to 320 F. 
18. Bake the rainbow shapes first, they will be the first to dry. (If you've waited to pipe in between each color, then give it longer time to dry. Joint lines in between each color can be weak.)
19. Place the tray on the middle shelf and bake only one tray at a time. Rainbows take about 10-12 minutes, clouds take about 14-16 minutes.)
20. Take macarons out and test doneness. The feet should not push back and the shell should not be wobbly.
21. Let them cool off on the pan
22. Once cooled, fill with your favorite filling and let them mature according to recipe before eating.

Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream

1. Set butter out at room temperature.
2. Bring a small pot of water to a boil.
3. Place egg whites and sugar into a heat proof bowl. Stainless steel is light and safe. Gently whisk the whites & sugar mix over the boiling water. Pay attention to whisking the mixture when it starts getting hot, you don’t want to cook the eggs.
4. Whisk the mixture until the temperature reaches 160F (Note 2)
5. Pour the mixture into the counter mixer with the balloon whisk attached. Whip on low to start, then increase to medium. Once the mixture is stiff and the bottom of the bowl is cool to the touch, stop mixer.
6. Change the whisk attachment to the paddle attachment.
7. Add butter a little bit at a time while beating with the paddle attachment on medium speed. The mixture might look curdled or separated for a while but keep mixing. It will all come together.
8. Add any extract, flavourings or food colouring if desired. Whip until incorporated.
9. Using a flexible spatula, fold out excess air in the frosting so that it can be piped or spread smoothly. Use for assembly immediately.

Assembly

1. To assemble into a 3D macaron set, fill macarons and let set in the fridge individually until it is no longer wobbly.
2. Add some filling on the 2 bottom ends of the rainbow macarons. Secure it onto the cloud macaron.
3. Place in an air tight container in the fridge and let set.
4. Pipe some filling along the bottom edge of the rainbow macaron, lightly sprinkle white nonpareils onto the filling to cover.
5. Once macarons fully mature according to recipe used, enjoy!

Notes

1. Castor sugar is an extra fine granulated sugar also known as berry sugar. It can be substituted with regular granulated sugar but castor sugar is preferable.

2. This is the temperature generally regarded to be able to kill salmonella in eggs. Caution should always be taken when serving meringue based desserts to children, pregnant women or those with a compromised immune system. 

3, Store any leftover buttercream in an airtight container until use for a maximum of 5 days. Before using, place on counter until it comes to room temperature, then re-whip with a paddle attachment until it becomes fluffy again. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

3. This recipe yields 9 rainbow macarons + 9 cloud macarons

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Wilton Coupler Standard
• 
  Round Piping Tip #10
• 
  CK Products Non-Pareils White, 3.8 Oz.
• 
  Ateco Disposable Piping Bags, 12-Inch, Pack of 100
• 
  India Tree Superfine Caster Baking Sugar, 1 lb. bag
• 
  KitchenAid 9-Speed Digital Hand Mixer with Turbo Beater II Accessories and Pro Whisk - Contour Silver
• 
  USA Pan Rimless Baking Sheet for Better Airflow to Macaron Shells
• 
  Regular Sized Silpat Non-Stick Silicone Baking Mat
• 
  McCormick Gourmet All Natural Cream Of Tartar, 2.62 oz
• 
  Bob's Red Mill Super-Fine Gluten Free Almond Flour, 3 Pound
• 
  Gel Food Coloring AmeriColor Junior Kit, 8 Colors.75 Ounce Bottles

Nutrition Information

Yield

9

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 185Total Fat 7gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 0mgSodium 19mgCarbohydrates 28gFiber 2gSugar 25gProtein 4g

This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although indulgewithmimi.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

Did you make this recipe? Share your results with me 🙂

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