St. Patrick's Day Cupcakes

These St. Patrick's Day cupcakes are full of chocolate, topped with delicious buttercream, decorated with rainbow candy, and have a golden coin surprise inside. Test your luck and enjoy these St. Patrick's Day treats with your friends and family.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 12 cupcakes

Why you'll love making St. Patrick's Day cupcakes:

1. Festive - These chocolate cupcakes make the perfect sweet treat to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. The vibrant green buttercream, with the rainbow candy and marshmallow clouds, add a touch of magic to this holiday.

2. Easy & simple - These cupcakes can be whipped up in almost no time. Beyond the festive decorations, the chocolate cupcakes themselves are rich and satisfying. Making these cupcakes is a breeze, offering a festive baking experience for all skill levels.

Why do I choose Mosaic bakeware for this recipe?

Mosaic bakeware from Home Hardware is an excellent choice for this chocolate cupcake recipe. With Mosaic, you can bake with confidence, knowing that your St. Patrick's Day creations will turn out beautifully every time!

Variations

1. Mint Chocolate Bliss Cupcake - Infuse the chocolate cupcake batter and buttercream with a hint of mint extract for a refreshing twist. On top, place mini mint chocolate chips.

2. Triple Chocolate Indulgence Cupcakes - Fill the cupcake with chocolate ganache, instead of the gold sprinkles for an intense chocolate taste. For the buttercream, use only half the amount of the powdered sugar and add 1 cup of chocolate hazelnut spread. Top with chocolate sprinkles.

3. Rainbow Delight Cupcakes - Add rainbow-coloured sprinkles into the chocolate cupcake batter and fill each baked cupcake cavity with more! Opt for a lightly mint-flavoured green buttercream for a subtle hint of freshness. Top with more rainbow-coloured sprinkles.

Directions: Chocolate Cupcakes

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line the Mosaic Non-Stick Muffin Pan with green paper liners. The cupcakes will slide out from this pan beautifully, but the paper liners offer a festive twist!

2. In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave, by heating it on 70% power for 1 minute. Repeat if necessary for an additional 30 seconds, until the chocolate chips are completely melted. Set aside.

4. In a large bowl, cream softened butter with granulated and brown sugar until creamy and fluffy. Add eggs and mix until they are well incorporated. Stir in the vanilla extract and the melted chocolate. Mix until well combined.

5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk. Begin and end with the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined. Be careful not to overmix.

6. Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling each about 2/3 full.

7. Bake in the preheated oven for about 15–18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

8. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the muffin pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Green Vanilla Buttercream

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter using an electric mixer or a stand mixer with paddle attachment until it is creamy and pale.

2. Gradually add the powdered sugar to the creamed butter. Start with a slow speed to avoid a cloud of sugar, then increase the speed as the sugar is incorporated. Continue beating until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. Scraping down the sides of the bowl.

3. At the end, add the vanilla extract & green food colouring to the buttercream. Mix until the vanilla and green food colouring is evenly distributed throughout the buttercream.

4. Pour the vanilla buttercream inside a piping bag with a 1M piping tip and pipe the buttercream with a swirl motion onto the cupcakes.

Assembly of Cupcakes

1. Once the cupcakes are cool, use a 1-teaspoon measuring spoon to cut out the middle of your cupcakes. Fill the cupcakes with golden sprinkles and cover back with the cut-out piece of the cupcake.

2. Pipe the green vanilla buttercream on top of each cupcake and decorate with strips of rainbow candy and marshmallows as clouds.

Expert Tips

• Quality Ingredients Matter - Use high-quality chocolate chips with a cocoa content of at least 60% for a rich and intense chocolate flavour.

• Room Temperature Ingredients - Bring eggs, butter, and milk to room temperature before starting. Room temperature ingredients blend more smoothly, resulting in a better-textured batter.

• Weigh Your Ingredients - For precision, consider weighing your dry ingredients, especially the flour and cocoa powder, instead of relying solely on volume measurements.

• Avoid Overmixing the Batter - Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined. Overmixing can lead to denser cupcakes.

• Proper Cupcake Filling - Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 full to allow room for the cupcakes to rise. Use a cookie scoop or spoon for even distribution.

• Mindful Baking Time - Keep a close eye on the cupcakes during baking, as oven temperatures can vary. Use a toothpick to check for doneness; it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

• Cool Completely Before Frosting - Allow the cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack before applying the green buttercream. This prevents the frosting from melting and maintains the cupcakes' structure.

• Stiffen the Buttercream for Piping - If using a piping bag for frosting, ensure the buttercream is stiff enough to hold its shape. Adjust the consistency by adding more powdered sugar if needed. Or place the buttercream in the refrigerator for 20 minutes, before piping it onto cupcakes. Mix the buttercream for a short 30 seconds to restore the fluffiness.

• Rainbow Candy Placement - Prepare the rainbow candy in advance by placing the strip over a round object, for example a bottle of vanilla extract, to keep the rainbow round shape.