Shamrock Shake Cupcakes
If you flock to McDonald’s at the first sign of those minty green shakes, you’re going to go bonkers over these cupcakes. I didn’t have a non-spiked St. Patrick’s Day cupcake in my repertoire yet, and thought that this riff on the popular milkshakes could be a really delicious treat. I made a homemade shamrock shake a few years ago, and used that as a jumping off point, starting with green-hued vanilla-mint cupcakes and topped them with fluffy whipped cream frosting.
I adapted my new favorite vanilla cupcake recipe, added in some mint extract (be sure to use regular mint, and not peppermint, or the taste won’t be the same), and tinted it a lovely shade of green. The mint flavor is distinct but subtle; feel free to amp up the amount if you want a super minty cupcake. Likewise, you can adjust the green food coloring to make the batter as light or dark green as you’d like.
The frosting is the same fluffy whipped cream frosting that I used for my pumpkin spice latte cupcakes; it has a cream cheese base, which helps to stabilize it and results in a beautiful frosting that’s light as air and perfect for piping. Throw some pretty green sugar on top and finish it off with a green maraschino cherry, and you have a perfectly festive cupcake fit for a St. Patrick’s Day party!
Sometimes, milkshake-inspired cupcakes make the best dessert, right?
One year ago: Homemade Baileys Irish Cream
Two years ago: Irish Whiskey Soda Bread with Irish Whiskey Butter
Three years ago: Guinness-Milk Chocolate Ice Cream
Four years ago: Shamrock Sugar Cookies
Five years ago: Braised Beef with Mushrooms and Cabernet Sauce
Six years ago: Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Seven years ago: Texas Sheet Cake
Shamrock Shake Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- ¾ cup (93.75 g) + 2 tablespoons cake flour
- ½ cup (62.5 g) + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (150 g) + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1¼ teaspoons (1.25 teaspoons) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) kosher salt
- ½ cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup (122 ml) whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) mint extract, NOT peppermint extract
- 6 drops green food coloring
For the Frosting:
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) vanilla extract
- 2 cups (476 ml) heavy cream
To Garnish:
- Green sanding sugar
- Green maraschino cherries
Instructions
- Make the Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners; set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flours, sugar, baking powder and salt, and mix together on low speed for 1 minute. With the mixer on low, add the butter, a few cubes at a time, continuing until all the butter has been added and the mixture resembles coarse sand.
- Keeping the mixer on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions. Slowly pour in the milk, vanilla and mint extract, and mix until combined. Add the green food coloring and mix until color is evenly dispersed throughout the batter. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes, until batter is smooth, scraping the sides of bowl as needed.
- Fill the liners two-thirds full (about ¼ cup of batter) and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the centers are set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Make the Frosting: On medium speed, beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract in a mixer with the whisk attachment until smooth and completely combined, about 3 minutes. Slowly add the heavy cream, scrape the sides of the bowl, then increase speed to medium-high and whip until stiff peaks form.
- Assemble the Cupcakes: Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes, then sprinkle with green sanding sugar and top with green maraschino cherries, if desired. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
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