St. Patrick’s Day Cupcakes

These perfectly moist chocolate St Patrick’s Day cupcakes hide a surprise inside – a pot of gold (sprinkles)! They’re topped with buttercream and decorated with mini marshmallow clouds and rainbow candy. They’re festive, fun, and the perfect thing to add a magical touch to your St. Patrick’s Day celebration. 

If you are in charge of St Paddy’s day this year here are some great St Patrick’s Day Food Ideas.

Fun St. Patrick’s Day Cupcakes

When I think of St. Patrick’s Day desserts, I think of rainbows, pots of gold, and fun. These cupcakes bring all of those elements to life in the most delightful way! The rich chocolate cupcake batter makes the perfect moist base for the creamy buttercream topping. 

What makes these cupcakes extra special is the surprise inside. Each one is filled with gold sprinkles, so every bite feels like discovering treasure! Because they’re fun and festive, they’re a hit with kids. But they taste delicious, so adults will love them, too. 

Whether you’re hosting a St. Patrick’s Day party, a rainbow-themed birthday, or just want to serve your family some fun surprise cupcakes, these are guaranteed to bring smiles. 

Why Make This Recipe

• They’re fun – There’s nothing more exciting than biting into a cupcake and having gold sprinkles appear. 
• They’re delicious – The combination of the rich chocolate and creamy frosting can’t be beat. 
• They’re customizable – Change the decorations on top to fit whatever party theme you’re going for. 

Ingredient Notes

For The Cupcakes:

• Flour – For light and fluffy cupcakes, use all-purpose flour.
• Cocoa powder – Unsweetened cocoa powder gives the cupcakes rich flavor and a dark chocolatey color.
• Baking powder and soda – A combo of baking powder and soda give the cupcakes a fluffy rise.
• Sugar – You’ll need white granulated sugar for the batter.
• Heavy cream and milk – Both heavy cream and milk go into the batter, providing a smooth richness.
• Egg – The addition of one large egg to the batter helps it bind together for a great crumb.
• Unsalted butter – You’ll need some butter melted to incorporate into the batter.

For The Frosting:

• Sugar – Powdered sugar also called confectioner’s sugar for the frosting.
• Milk – A little bit of warm milk helps the buttercream come together. 
• Unsalted butter – Room temperature butter for the base of the frosting. 
• Sprinkles – Use gold or yellow sprinkles for St. Patrick’s Day or any color for fun surprise cupcakes. 
• Vanilla extract – A dash of vanilla extract in the frosting gives it a great flavor. 
• Decorations – Mini marshmallows and rainbow candies act as clouds and rainbows for the decorations on top of the St. Patrick’s cupcakes. 

How To Make St. Patrick’s Day Cupcakes

Get full ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.

For The Cupcakes:

1. Prep your oven and pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
2. Mix the dry ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar.
3. Add the wet ingredients: Pour in the heavy cream, milk, egg, and melted butter. Stir until just combined. 
4. Fill and bake: Divide the batter evenly into the cupcake liners, filling each about halfway. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

For The Frosting And Assembly:

1. Make the buttercream. In a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer until smooth, then gradually mix in the powdered sugar, warm milk, and vanilla extract, mixing until well combined.
2. Assemble and decorate. Remove a small section from the center of each cupcake and fill with sprinkles. Then, pipe a swirl of buttercream on top and decorate with candies.

Tips For Success

• To keep the cupcakes light and fluffy, don’t overmix the batter.
• Fill the cupcake liners evenly about halfway to ensure they bake uniformly with flat tops.
• Use a cookie scoop to get consistent portions of batter without making a mess.
• Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before coring and frosting.
• Use a tool like a melon baller or strawberry huller to remove a small portion of the center of the cupcake quickly.
• Add the rainbow decorations just before serving to avoid any of the colors running onto the white buttercream. 

Variations

• Flavor: Add a splash of peppermint extract to the batter for a mint chocolate version.
• Frosting color: Tint the buttercream green for a festive St. Patrick’s Day touch, or go blue to look like the sky for more generic surprise cupcakes. 
• Candy surprise: Instead of sprinkles, use mini chocolate candies to fill the cupcakes. 

Budget-Friendly Tips 

• Instead of buying a piping bag, use a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off to pipe the buttercream onto the cupcakes.
• Look for rainbow candies and sprinkles on sale after the Christmas holiday. 
• Skip the candies on top and create a rainbow effect using colored frosting.

Prep Ahead And Storage

• Prep Ahead – Bake the cupcakes and make the buttercream up to 2 days ahead of time. Store them in airtight containers with the cupcakes at room temperature and the buttercream in the fridge. Bring the buttercream to room temperature before decorating.
• Store – Keep fully assembled cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. 
• Freeze – Freeze undecorated cupcakes in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and then apply fresh frosting and decorations. 

FAQs

More Recipes You May Like

• Baileys Cupcakes
• 30 St Patrick’s Day Food Ideas
• St Patricks Day Dip – Lucky Leprechaun Dip
• Dump and Start Instant Pot Irish Chicken Stew

Serving Suggestions

• Caramel Frappe is made for cupcakes, right?
• Another one is this Mocha Frappe.
• And last but not least this Iced Boba Coffee?

Get The St. Patrick’s Day Cupcakes Recipe: