Green Velvet Cupcakes
by Stella Zedman
Average User Rating:
Green through and through -- these cupcakes really are velvety and scrumptious. Have your kids decorate the tops for St. Patrick's Day with shamrocks made out of gumdrops and green licorice strings, or just sprinkle with green decorating sugar. Fun to make ahead for dessert of a yummy snack.
More St. Patrick’s Day Recipes
St. Patrick’s Day Recipes Slideshow
St. Patrick’s Day Leftover Recipes Slideshow
Ingredients
- Cupcakes
- 3/4 cup (175 mL) vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup (175 mL) granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp. (10 mL) white vinegar
- 1 tsp. (5 mL) vanilla
- 1/2 tsp. (2 mL) liquid green food colouring
- 1-1/4 cup (300 mL) all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. (2 mL) baking soda
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) buttermilk
- Icing
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) butter, softened
- 2 cups (500 mL) icing sugar
- 1 tsp. (5 mL) vanilla
- 2 tbsp. (30 mL) milk or cream
- green food colouring (preferably paste type)
- additional candies or decorating sugar for topping
Cooking Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350degrees F (180 degrees C). Place 10 paper liners into the cups of a muffin pan.
- In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat together the oil, sugar, egg, vinegar, vanilla and green food colouring until combined.
- In a smaller bowl, stir together the flour and baking soda. Add to the egg mixture, in two or three additions alternately with the buttermilk, beating well after each.
- Spoon the batter into the 10 paper liners, dividing the batter evenly among them.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick poked into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from pan and let cool thoroughly.
- Meanwhile, make the icing. In a medium bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter until creamy. Add the icing sugar gradually, in 3 or 4 additions, beating very well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Add the milk or cream, 1 tbsp. (15 mL) at a time, beating well, until the icing is creamy and spreadable -- the more you beat this, the better it will be. Add the food colouring, beating it in gradually until the icing is tinted the way you like it.
- Decorate cupcakes with green sprinkles or coloured sugar, shamrocks made out of gummy candies -- or whatever else your little leprechaun can think of.
How kids can help
• Help add ingredients to the bowl as adult beats the batter.
Line the muffin pan with paper liners.
Decorate the cupcakes.
