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Happy St. Patrick's Day Symbols

Emerald Isle Pot of Gold Cupcakes

This vibrant Emerald Isle Pot of Gold Cupcakes recipe is a delightful way to embrace the spirit of St. Patrick's Day, offering a sweet treat that's both visually appealing and incredibly satisfying.
Prep Time 40 minutes
Course: Cupcakes, Dessert
Cuisine: American

Ingredients
  

  • yellow cake mix
  • Ingredients required for cake mix (usually eggs, oil, and water)
  • green food coloring
  • vanilla frosting
  • gold sprinkles or edible gold glitter
  • small candy gold coins (optional, for filling)
  • brown food coloring (optional, for the "pot")
  • miniature paper cups or cupcake liners

Equipment

  • Mixing bowl
  • Muffin tin
  • Wire rack

Method
 

  1. Preheat your oven to the temperature specified on the cake mix box. In a large mixing bowl, combine the yellow cake mix with the ingredients listed on the package instructions (typically eggs, vegetable oil, and water). Mix until well combined and smooth, but be careful not to overmix.
    yellow cake mix, Ingredients required for cake mix (usually eggs, oil, and water)
  2. Add a few drops of green food coloring to the cake batter. Start with a smaller amount and gradually add more until you achieve your desired vibrant emerald green hue. Stir gently until the color is evenly distributed throughout the batter.
    green food coloring
  3. Line a muffin tin with miniature paper cups or cupcake liners. Spoon the green cake batter into each liner, filling them about two-thirds full. This ensures they rise beautifully without overflowing.
    miniature paper cups or cupcake liners
  4. Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven and bake for the time recommended on the cake mix box, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Baking time will vary depending on your oven and the size of the cupcakes.
  5. Once baked, remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool in the muffin tin for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. It's crucial they are fully cooled before frosting.
  6. While the cupcakes are cooling, prepare your frosting. If you're using store-bought vanilla frosting, you can use it as is. For a touch of extra thematic fun, you can add a tiny drop or two of brown food coloring to a small portion of the frosting to create a "pot" effect for the base of your decoration.
    vanilla frosting, brown food coloring (optional, for the "pot")
  7. Once the cupcakes are completely cool, spread a generous layer of white (or lightly browned) frosting evenly over the top of each cupcake. This will serve as your base.
    vanilla frosting
  8. Now for the magical part! Sprinkle a generous amount of gold sprinkles or edible gold glitter over the frosted tops, concentrating the sprinkle coverage towards the center to mimic a spill of gold. If you're feeling extra creative, you can pipe a small circle of the brown "pot" frosting around the base of the sprinkled area to create the illusion of a cauldron.
    gold sprinkles or edible gold glitter, brown food coloring (optional, for the "pot")
  9. For an extra surprise, you can hollow out a small portion of the center of each cooled cupcake with a spoon or small knife before frosting. Place one or two small candy gold coins inside the hollow before topping with frosting and sprinkles.
    small candy gold coins (optional, for filling), gold sprinkles or edible gold glitter, vanilla frosting

Notes

Store leftover cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. For longer storage, freeze unfrosted cupcakes for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before frosting.
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