St. Patrick's Day Pot of Gold Cupcakes

Whip up some lucky Pot of Gold Cupcakes to celebrate St. Patrick's Day!

If you're looking for a happy-go-lucky treat to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, you've come to the right place! These Pot of Gold Cupcakes are not only adorable, but they are so simple that the kids can help put them together. These fudgy cupcakes are topped with a chewy rainbow belt and Reese's pot of gold - making them the perfect St. Patrick's Day party treat. I hope you get inspired to bake up a batch for your own little leprechauns!

Follow the recipe to mix up the cupcake batter. Use a large scoop to fill cupcake liners about ¾ full and bake according to recipe directions. Once baked, cool completely on a wire rack.

Follow the directions below to whip up bright green frosting. Add the frosting into a piping bag with a 2D decorating tip. Starting in the center of a cupcake, use a steady, even, and gentle pressure to squeeze frosting in a circular motion to cover the surface of the cupcakes.

Making the tiny pots of gold is easy, and they are so cute! Open one Mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cup for each cupcake.
Pipe a small dollop of frosting on top of each cup and then press a variety of gold pearl sprinkles into the frosting. Use as many as you need to cover the entire top of the peanut butter cup.

*I kept the wrappers on the Reese's to give them more of a "pot of gold" look, but you can remove them if you don't want them on there.

To decorate the cupcakes, start by placing both ends of a Airheads Xtremes belt on the cupcake, arcing it to look like a rainbow. Gently press the "pot of gold" candies into the frosting of the cupcakes, in front of the rainbow.

St. Patrick's Day Pot of Gold Cupcakes

Servings: 24 cupcakes

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 15 Minutes

Chocolate Cupcake Ingredients:

• 3 cups sugar
• 3 cups flour
• 1 ½ cups cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 eggs
• 1 ½ cups milk
• 1 ½ cups warm water
• ½ cup oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Chocolate Cupcake Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350º F. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners or spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
3. Add in liquid ingredients and combine well for about 2 minutes until smooth.
4. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling approximately ⅔ - ¾ full.
5. Bake 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before decorating.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 3-4 Tablespoons milk
• Gel food coloring - lime green, yellow
• 24 Mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
• Gold Pearl Sugar Sprinkles
• 24 Rainbow Berry Airheads Xtremes

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Directions:

1. Using a standing mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the softened butter, salt, vanilla and half of the powdered sugar. Mix on low speed until combined.
2. Add in the remaining powdered sugar and about half of the milk. Slowly increase mixing speed to medium until the frosting is light and fluffy.
   *If mixture appears dry, add in remaining milk and mix again until you get desired consistency.
3. Mix in a few drops of green and one drop of yellow gel food coloring. Scoop frosting into a piping bag with a star decorating tip.

Cupcake Decorating Directions:

1. Lay 24 Mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups on a silicone baking mat. Removing the cup wrappers is optional.
2. Pipe a small dollop of frosting on top and press gold pearl sprinkles into the frosting, filling in all of the gaps. Repeat the process to cover all of the peanut butter cups.
3. Cut about 1½" off each Airheads Xtremes belts. This makes them just long enough to stand on their own.
4. Add one rainbow belt to surface of the cupcake, arcing it like a rainbow.
5. Gently press the Reese's pot of gold into the frosting on top of the cupcakes, in front of the rainbow.

Tips: 

• Storage: Refrigerate cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• Freeze: Cupcakes can be frozen for up to 3 months! Be sure that the cupcakes are completely cool, unfrosted, and are wrapped well in plastic wrap and then placed in a freezer bag. Before frosting and serving, thaw cupcakes in the fridge overnight or for a couple of hours at room temperature.

I'm so excited to make a bunch of St. Patrick's Day Pot of Gold Cupcakes for our parties, and hope you try them for yourself! Not only are they adorable, but they are SO yummy and the kids love them!! If you decide to give this recipe a try, I'd love to hear all about it! Please share your creations on Instagram, Facebook, or leave a comment/photo on the project pin on Pinterest!

If you like this recipe, don't forget to Pin, Like, and Share!