For a fun dessert on St. Patrick's Day, these cupcakes are a must make! Not only do they look like pots of gold, but they have a surprise center! These chocolate cupcakes topped with a caramel buttercream frosting taste amazing and are fun to eat. Kids can help make them and will definitely be happy to gobble them up before the leprechauns get to them!
(Disclaimer: Kids love these, but they are a little messy. My husband calls them cupcake grenades.🤣 You've been forewarned.)
Pot of Gold Cupcakes
Makes 12
1 gluten free chocolate cake mix
1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
1/2 cup caramel sauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon heavy cream
Green sprinkles
Gold sugar
Mix cake mix according to package directions. Put cupcake liners in a muffin tin and fill 3/4 full. Bake according to package directions. Cool completely. To make caramel frosting, in a mixing bowl beat butter until softened and fluffy. Add the caramel sauce, vanilla, and salt and mix. Add powdered sugar and cream and beat until smooth and creamy. Prepare cupcakes by using a melon baller to take out a middle section, retaining the top part as a plug but discarding the rest. Fill the hole with green sprinkles, then replace top plug. Put frosting in a piping bag and pipe frosting onto the tops of the cupcakes. Sprinkle with gold sugar. to finish off.
Step-by-step tutorial:
Gather your ingredients. You will need your favorite gluten free chocolate cake mix (and the ingredients to make it according to package directions), 2 sticks of butter, caramel sauce, powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, heavy cream, green sprinkles, and gold sugar.
First make the cake mix and pour the batter into cupcake liners.
Bake the cupcakes according to package directions, then cool completely on a wire rack.
To make the caramel frosting, start by beating the 2 sticks of butter until creamy, then add 1/2 cup caramel sauce.
Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon salt and beat well. Add 2 cups powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon heavy cream. Continue to beat until the frosting is smooth and combined.
This frosting is so yummy! Of course, buttercream is my favorite, so adding caramel to it is so amazing!
Use a melon baller to scoop out the top of each cupcake. Reserve the top portion as a plug, but discard the rest. You can go as deep as you'd like. Fill the hole with green sprinkles, then put the top plugs back on.
Put the frosting in a piping bag and frost the cupcakes. I used a large star tip. Sprinkle the frosting with gold sugar to look like pots of gold.
These cupcakes are gorgeous AND delicious. The combination of the caramel frosting with the chocolate cake is fabulous.
Then when you bite into it, you get a St. Patrick's Day surprise!
As I mentioned above, my husband calls these cupcake grenades and for a good reason. They can be a little messy..... buy sometimes a little mess is worth the magic and surprise on your kiddo's face. Just be prepared, and then enjoy the moment!
Recipe Source: Recipe from Shanna's recipe box