Get into the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day with these delightful Green Velvet Cupcakes! These green cupcakes, topped with delicious Bailey’s Irish Cream Frosting, are ideal for celebrating the holiday season. Whether you’re Irish or just Irish at heart, these cupcakes are a fun way to add a touch of green to your festivities.
A Nostalgic Recipe with a Modern Twist
This recipe is one of the earliest creations from JavaCupcake, dating back to 2009! It’s been a beloved favorite, especially around St. Patrick’s Day. I’ve updated this post with new photos and added tips to make baking these cupcakes easier over the years. It’s amazing to see how far this blog has come, and this recipe is a wonderful reminder of that journey.
Why You’ll Love These St. Patrick’s Day Cupcakes
These Green Velvet Cupcakes aren’t just eye-catching; they’re also incredibly delicious. The soft, velvety texture of the cupcakes pairs beautifully with the rich, creamy frosting. And let’s not forget the star of the show: the Bailey’s Irish Cream! The Irish cream adds a subtle, yet unmistakable, flavor that perfectly complements the sweetness of the cupcakes. Plus, the green color adds a festive touch that’s perfect for St. Patrick’s Day.
These cupcakes are perfect for St. Patrick’s Day and any event where you want to bring some fun and cheer. Think birthdays, themed parties, or just a Tuesday afternoon pick-me-up!
Step-by-Step: How to Make Green Velvet Cupcakes
Making these cupcakes is simple and straightforward, so they’re perfect for bakers of all skill levels. Here’s a quick overview of the process:
- Prepare Your Ingredients: Gather all your ingredients ahead of time. You need some basic ingredients for the cupcakes. These include flour, sugar, and eggs. You will also need buttermilk and green food coloring. The buttermilk and food coloring give the cupcakes their special color and texture.
- Mix the Batter: Start by whisking together the wet ingredients, including the vibrant green food coloring. This is where the magic happens! In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients, then combine the two mixtures until just combined. Be careful not to overmix – you want to keep that batter light and airy.
- Bake to Perfection: Divide the batter evenly among your cupcake liners, filling each one about two-thirds full. Bake them in a preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The smell of these cupcakes baking is simply irresistible!
- Whip Up the Frosting: While the cupcakes cool, it’s time to make the frosting. Cream together the butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy, then add a splash of Bailey’s Irish Cream for that signature flavor. Mix until smooth and creamy – you might need to adjust the amount of Irish cream to get the perfect consistency.
- Decorate with Flair: Once the cupcakes are completely cool, it’s time to frost! Use a piping bag for a professional-looking swirl, or an offset spatula for a rustic, homemade touch. Finish them off with a sprinkle of green sugar crystals for extra sparkle and festivity.
Tips for the Perfect St. Patrick’s Day Cupcakes
- Go Bold with Color: Don’t be afraid to use plenty of green food coloring to achieve that vibrant hue. Remember, St. Patrick’s Day is all about going green!
- To enhance the Bailey’s flavor in the frosting, add a bit more, but avoid making it too runny.
- Get Creative with Decorations: You can top these cupcakes with more than just green sugar crystals. Try adding shamrock sprinkles, edible gold glitter, or even little fondant leprechaun hats for an extra festive touch!
Share the Love and Your Creations!
I’d love to see your take on these St. Patrick’s Day cupcakes! If you make them, be sure to snap a photo and share it on Instagram with the hashtag #JavaCupcake. Your creations always inspire me and bring so much joy to our baking community.
Stay Connected for More Festive Recipes!
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Wishing you all a very Happy St. Patrick’s Day filled with joy, laughter, and plenty of cupcakes!
More Festive Treats to Try:
- Grasshopper Fudge
This easy and delicious fudge is a perfect treat for mint lovers. This tasty treat mixes white chocolate and peppermint. It has a bright green color. This makes it a great addition to your St. Patrick’s Day dessert table. Find the full recipe here! - Caramel Apple Milky Way Cupcakes
These Caramel Apple Milky Way Cupcakes combine chocolate cake with caramel apple filling. They are topped with creamy caramel frosting. This creates a fun twist on regular cupcakes. They’re ideal for those who love rich flavors and a bit of creativity in their baking. Check out the recipe here!
These recipes are sure to add some fun and flavor to your holiday celebrations. Be sure to explore JavaCupcake for even more creative baking ideas!
St. Patrick's Day Green Velvet Cupcakes
Ingredients
Green Velvet Cupcakes
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp liquid green food coloring
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp sat
- 1 cup buttermilk
Bailey's Irish Cream Frosting
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3-4 Tbsp Bailey's Irish Cream
- Green sugar crystals, for garnish
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Line cupcake pan with liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, eggs, vinegar, vanilla and green food coloring.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda.
- Add half the flour mixture to the wet mixture and fold gently.
- Stir in the buttermilk.
- Fold in the remaining flour mixture and fold until just combined.
- Fill the cupcake liners 1/2-2/3 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
- Cool in the pans for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Bailey's Irish Cream Frosting
- Cream the butter and sugar together until smooth.
- Add the salt and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Mix in 3-4 Tbsp Irish Cream. Add more or less depending on the consistency of frosting you desire.
- Beat on high for 2 minutes.
- Using a large round top, pipe swirls of frosting onto the cupcake.
- Alternately, use an offset spatula to spread the frosting over the top of the cupcake. Line the sides with green sugar crystals
Those are too cute!
Love those! Green Velvet, how awesome!
Beautiful! These look dee-lish!
Oh yum. Makes me almost like St. Patty’s Day!
Those cupcakes are adorable!
YUM! What kind of tool do you use to frost your cupcakes – I just realized that sounded waaaay dirtier than I intended, but I can’t think of any other way to word it..just wonderin’…
Those look good. I especially like the ones with the flat tops of white icing and the sprinkles around the sides.
How do you get your icing that pretty?
Thos look soooo good!! Wow you inspire me i want to make cupcakes now.. 🙂
oh….I like the flat topped cupcakes with the sugar around the edge……it looks so different….so cool.
Mmmm…green velvet. Sounds so fun!! And these are so so pretty!
Mmmm…green velvet. Sounds so fun!! And these are so so pretty!
I made these yesterday and gave a lot away. I made them to trial them because my daughter’s birthday is on St. Patrick’s Day, and I have to make cupcakes for her class. (I usually just buy them from a bakery!) The compliments I have been getting back after making them have been amazing. These were the best cupcakes I have ever made, thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
I just made these and I have to say, there is WAY too much oil! It’s seeping out the bottom of the wrappers! The color and flavor are ok but they also didn’t rise up past the top of the cupcake liner. If I try these again, I will cut the oil down to a cup. Hopefully that will fix the problems.
Thanks for the feedback! This is one of my earlier recipes and I’m certain it hasn’t been perfected yet. It looks like it’s time to try them again and get them “just right”! Happy Baking!