St. Patrick’s Day Cupcakes with Green Food Coloring and Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with these moist and festive green cupcakes, perfectly paired with a creamy homemade cream cheese frosting and decorated with fun sprinkles to add a cheerful touch.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 42 minutes
- Yield: 24 cupcakes 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Cupcakes
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Nestle Toll House 100% cocoa)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1⅓ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon green liquid food coloring
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 24 white paper cupcake liners
Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- Festive sprinkles, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 350°F and line two 12-cup muffin pans with white paper cupcake liners. This ensures the cupcakes bake evenly and are easy to remove.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until fully mixed.
- Cream wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, use a handheld mixer on medium speed to beat together the room temperature unsalted butter, vegetable oil, and granulated sugar for 1-2 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add eggs: Incorporate the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition to ensure a smooth batter.
- Mix flavorings and color: Add vanilla extract, green liquid food coloring, and white vinegar to the butter mixture and beat just until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
- Alternate dry and buttermilk additions: Gradually add the dry ingredients and buttermilk in alternating portions — start with ⅓ of the dry mixture, beat on low for 30 seconds, then add half the buttermilk and beat again, followed by another ⅓ of dry ingredients, remaining buttermilk, and finally the last ⅓ of dry ingredients. Mix each addition just until incorporated to keep cupcakes tender.
- Fill cupcake liners: Spoon the batter into the paper liners filling each about two-thirds full to allow room for rising.
- Bake cupcakes: Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool in the pans for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare frosting: While cupcakes bake, beat room temperature cream cheese and unsalted butter together on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until smooth and fluffy.
- Add remaining frosting ingredients: Mix in heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt until combined, then gradually add sifted powdered sugar ½ cup at a time, beating on low until thick and smooth.
- Frost cupcakes: Once cupcakes are completely cooled, generously frost each one with the cream cheese frosting.
- Garnish: Decorate with festive sprinkles for a fun celebratory look perfect for St. Patrick’s Day.
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients like eggs, butter, and buttermilk to ensure a smooth batter and even cooking.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter once dry and wet ingredients are combined; overmixing leads to dense cupcakes.
- If you prefer, substitute green gel food coloring for a more vibrant color without altering batter consistency.
- The white vinegar in the batter reacts with baking soda to give cupcakes a tender crumb and help rise.
- Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting to prevent melting or sliding of the cream cheese frosting.
Keywords: St. Patrick’s Day cupcakes, green cupcakes, cream cheese frosting, festive cupcakes, holiday desserts
