I like this recipe from Glorious Treats because it incorporates the shamrock design into the cupcake itself. No need to use a pastry bag to pipe the design onto the cupcake. All you’ll need to find is a small shamrock cookie cutter.
You can use your favorite chocolate cake recipe or box mix to make the cupcakes. My all time favorite chocolate cake recipe is the Black Magic Cake from Hershey’s Kitchens. You can also use your favorite frosting recipe as long as you can add green food coloring. Betty Crocker has a very easy buttercream frosting. Just add as many drops of food coloring as needed to make the shamrocks the right shade of green.
Shamrock Cut-Out Cupcakes
1. Bake a batch of cupcakes.
(Note- You’ll want the cupcakes to have a bit of a dome above the top edge of the cupcakes liners, so fill the liners about 2/3 -3/4 full. I’ve found that I can not plan to use the whole batch of cupcakes, because due slight inconsistencies, some may rise quite enough to use for this technique. Plan accordingly.)
2. Prepare a batch of frosting (canned will work for these). I think adding 1/2 teaspoon of mint extract would be appropriate for these as well. Color the frosting light green.
3. When the cupcakes have cooled, used a small serrated knife to cut off the tops of the cupcakes, using the cupcake liner as a guide. Keep tops matched with their cupcakes.
4. Use a small shamrock cookie cutter to cut out the shamrock shape from the cupcake tops.
5. Mound a bit of green frosting onto the center of the (now topless) cupcakes. You’ll want the frosting domed a bit so that when you press on the cupcake top, the frosting will come up into the cutout shape a bit.
6. Place the cutout cupcake top, and press down a bit. *If desired, before adding cupcake top, sprinkle cutout top with powdered sugar.
Serve and enjoy!
Cupcakes will keep, covered loosely at room temperature 1-2 days.
