Green Cupcakes
Green Cupcakes are a fun and festive dessert perfect for celebrations like St. Patrick's Day. These cupcakes are light, fluffy, and bursting with a vibrant green color, topped with creamy green frosting. Made with simple ingredients like flour, sugar, butter, and eggs, they come together quickly and are sure to impress. Optional mint or lime zest can add extra flavor, and decorating with sprinkles adds a fun touch. These cupcakes are easy to make, store well for a few days, and can even be adapted to a vegan version if needed. Enjoy a colorful, sweet treat!
Ingredients
- For the Cupcakes:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons green food coloring gel or liquid
- For the Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 teaspoons green food coloring gel or liquid
- Optional: sprinkles or decorations
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a muffin tin with paper cupcake liners.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. This ensures that your dry ingredients are evenly distributed and helps prevent clumping.
- Cream butter and sugar: In a large bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter and sugar together using an electric mixer on medium speed. Beat for about 3-4 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs and vanilla: Beat in the eggs one by one, making sure each is fully blended before adding the next Add the vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, alternating with the milk. Start and end with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined—be careful not to overmix the batter to keep it light.
- Add green food coloring: Stir in the green food coloring until you achieve your desired shade of green. You can use a few drops for a lighter shade or more for a bold, vibrant green.
- Fill the cupcake liners: Using a spoon or an ice cream scoop, divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about 2/3 full.
- Bake the cupcakes: Put the muffin tin in the preheated oven and bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Cool the cupcakes: Once baked, remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool in the tin for 5 minutes. Next, transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely before frosting
Notes
- Food Coloring: For a deeper green color, use gel food coloring instead of liquid.
- Flavor Twist: Add mint extract or lime zest to the batter for a refreshing twist.
- Storage: Store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Make It Vegan: Use a plant-based butter and egg replacer, and substitute non-dairy milk for a vegan version.