Description
Delightfully rich and festive Pot of Gold Cupcakes featuring moist dark chocolate fudge cake, creamy green-tinted buttercream frosting, and a decorative peanut butter cup “pot” filled with gold sprinkles and a candy rainbow topper. Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day or any celebratory occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Cupcake Ingredients
- 1 (15 oz.) box Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge Cake mix
- 1 (3.4 oz.) box Jell-O Instant Chocolate Pudding mix (unprepared)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cup mini chocolate chips
Buttercream Frosting Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3–4 tablespoons heavy cream
- 3–5 drops green gel coloring
Decoration Ingredients
- 24 mini peanut butter cups
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- 1 cup gold sprinkles
- 24 Airheads Extremes Rainbow Strips
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 375°F and line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Set it aside for later use.
- Mix Cupcake Batter: In a stand mixer, combine the cake mix, instant pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, vegetable oil, milk, vanilla extract, salt, and mini chocolate chips. Beat until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.
- Fill Cupcake Liners: Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling each one about half to three-quarters full to allow room for rising.
- Bake Cupcakes: Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Bake the cupcakes for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool Cupcakes: Remove the cupcakes from the oven and transfer to wire racks to cool completely before frosting.
- Prepare Buttercream Frosting: Fit your stand mixer with the paddle attachment and cream the room-temperature butter until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing on low speed until incorporated. Once all sugar is added, beat on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Add Color and Texture: Reduce mixer speed to low and add vanilla extract, heavy cream, and green gel coloring. Increase speed again to medium-high and whip for 2 more minutes until light and fluffy.
- Frost Cupcakes: Using a piping bag fitted with a 1M tip, pipe the green buttercream frosting onto the cooled cupcakes in decorative swirls.
- Prepare Pot of Gold Decoration: Using the back of a small spoon, spread a thin layer of peanut butter on each mini peanut butter cup.
- Add Gold Sprinkles: Dip the peanut butter-coated peanut butter cups into the gold sprinkles to coat them evenly. Add another layer of peanut butter and sprinkles if needed to build up volume and resemble a pile of gold coins.
- Assemble Decoration: Press each decorated peanut butter cup gently into the center of each frosted cupcake to form the “pot of gold.”
- Create Rainbow Toppers: Take an Airheads Extremes Rainbow Strip candy and stick each end into the frosting on either side of the peanut butter cup to create a colorful rainbow arching over the pot of gold.
Notes
- Ensure cupcakes are completely cooled before frosting to prevent melting the buttercream.
- Use gel food coloring for vibrant frosting without thinning it out.
- The peanut butter acts as an adhesive for the gold sprinkles on the peanut butter cups.
- Airheads Extremes candy is flexible and easy to shape for rainbow decoration.
- Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate to keep longer.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
