Description
Pot o’ Gold Cupcakes are festive and delicious chocolate cupcakes filled with golden caramel and topped with vibrant rainbow buttercream frosting. Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day, these delightful treats combine moist cake, luscious caramel centers, and colorful swirls decorated with gold sprinkles or chocolate coins, making them ideal for parties and celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Cupcakes
- 1 box chocolate cake mix (plus ingredients listed on box)
Filling
- 1 cup caramel sauce
Rainbow Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2–3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Gel food coloring (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple)
Decoration
- Gold sprinkles or chocolate coins
Instructions
- Prepare Cupcake Batter: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Follow the instructions on the chocolate cake mix box to prepare the batter.
- Bake Cupcakes: Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners. Bake for 18–20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before proceeding.
- Fill Cupcakes: Using a small knife or cupcake corer, remove the center of each cooled cupcake. Fill the hollow with about 1 tablespoon of caramel sauce to create a gooey, golden center.
- Make Rainbow Buttercream Frosting: Beat the softened unsalted butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and heavy cream, beating until smooth and fluffy.
- Color the Frosting: Divide the frosting into six small bowls. Color each bowl with a different gel food coloring: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple to create a rainbow palette.
- Pipe the Swirls: Place each colored frosting side-by-side in a large piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe a vivid swirl of rainbow frosting atop each cupcake.
- Decorate: Finish by sprinkling gold sprinkles or placing chocolate coins on top for a magical, festive touch.
Notes
- You can substitute the box cake mix with a homemade chocolate cupcake recipe if desired.
- For variation, try filling cupcakes with dulce de leche or butterscotch sauce instead of caramel.
- Use gel food coloring for more vibrant frosting colors without affecting texture.
- Make sure cupcakes are completely cool before filling and frosting to prevent melting.
