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Green Velvet Cupcakes

These green velvet cupcakes are topped with fluffy vanilla frosting and are the perfect holiday sweet treat! Simple to make and delicious to enjoy!

green velvet cupcake topped with vanilla frosting.

I have a real love for cupcakes.

Especially when they are topped with fluffy vanilla ermine frosting.

That is just a fancy work for flour buttercream. Which sounds weird but is so delicious! Make sure to pop over to grab that recipe so you can top these delicious cupcakes!

Now, these cupcakes are just a festive green spin to your normal red velvet cupcakes.

I ran out of my brighter green food coloring so I mixed it with another color green and it got a little splotchy. It’s fine. It all tastes delicious.

And I’m never one to waste a perfect good cupcake.

This is actually the Magnolia cupcake recipe I grabbed off Epicurious years ago so if you’re familiar with their cupcakes you’ll love this recipe!

green velvet cupcakes on a cake plate.

Can I use red food dye instead?

Of course!

Traditionally these cupcakes would be made with red food coloring but since I wanted to keep these festive for both St. Patricks Day and Christmas I opted to make them green.

Whatever your favorite color cupcake will work perfect fine here.

What frosting works best with these cupcakes?

I really love my fluffy vanilla ermine frosting for these cupcakes.

I got the recipe from the Magnolia cupcake and it’s just the perfect not too sweet but still ultra creamy frosting I LOVE on a cupcake.

It’s 100% worth the effort to make this frosting.

unwrapped green velvet cupcake.

What type of food coloring works best?

Personally think gel food coloring is the best option.

I actually had 2 different color greens I mixed her and you can see it blended only so/so.

Now, I could have remade the cupcakes but as far as taste goes it was affected and I didn’t feel the need to throw out a bunch of perfect good cupcakes just because the color wasn’t 100%.

If you use the same color green for your cupcakes this will not be an issue.

Learn from my mistakes.

How do I store these cupcakes?

I like to store these green velvet cupcakes in the fridge if they haven’t all gotten eaten in just one day.

Which, once you taste on of these cupcakes you’ll have a hard time not eating them all.

Since the frosting is a type of buttercream (the technical term is Ermine buttercream) it will be fine for about a day at moderate room temperature (read: not sitting in the hot sun or a hothouse) but should be kept refrigerated past that.

Green velvet cupcakes with a bite taken out of it

Love these green velvet cupcakes?

Why not try a few of my other delicious dessert recipes!

Green Velvet Cupcakes

Author: Brandy O’Neill – Nutmeg Nanny
These green velvet cupcakes are topped with fluffy vanilla frosting and the perfect holiday sweet treat! Simple to make and delicious to enjoy!
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 30 cupcakes

Ingredients

For cake:

  • 3-1/2 cups cake flour
  • 3/4 cups unsalted butter room temperature
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • 6 tablespoons green food coloring
  • 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1-1/2 cups buttermilk
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

For Frosting:

Instructions

For cake:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Use 2 muffin pans, each with 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups, and line each cup with paper liner.
  • In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a small bowl, whisk together the food coloring, cocoa, and vanilla. Add to the batter and beat well.
  • In a measuring cup, stir the salt into the buttermilk. Add to the batter in three parts alternating with the flour. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not overbeat. In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda. Add to the batter and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth.
  • Divide the batter among the prepared cupcake tins. Arrange the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and bake the cupcakes, switching positions of the pans halfway through baking, until a tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely on the rack before icing.

For icing:

  • In a medium-size saucepan, whisk the flour into the milk until smooth. Place over medium heat and, stirring constantly, cook until the mixture becomes very thick and begins to bubble, 10-15 minutes. Cover with waxed paper placed directly on the surface and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
  • In a large bowl, on the medium high speed of an electric mixer, beat the butter for 3 minutes, until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sugar, beating continuously for 3 minutes until fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat well.
  • Add the cooled milk mixture, and continue to beat on the medium high speed for 5 minutes, until very smooth and noticeably whiter in color. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes (no less and no longer—set a timer!). Use immediately.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 316kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 274mg | Sugar: 28g
Course Dessert
Keyword christmas cupcakes, cupcake recipes, dessert recipes, green food coloring, green velvet cupcakes, green velvet recipes, holiday cupcakes, st. patricks day cupcakes
Did you try this recipe?Leave a comment and 5 star review!
Brandy

About Brandy!

I am a food lover and recipe developer bringing you delicious recipes that taste great and are easy to make! My food is inspired by travels around the world and my love of flavorful food. A list of things that make me happy: cats, Coke Zero, houseplants, and travel. Read more...

Recipe Rating




Naomi

Sunday 17th of March 2013

ATTENTION: Your recipe is most likely wrong. You have that it calls for 1 1/2 TBSP of salt, and I'm pretty sure you mean TSP. It's a small mistake that makes a huge difference!!!!

Brandy

Sunday 17th of March 2013

Naomi: Thank you for the heads up! I was changing the format on my recipes and I must have mistyped. Thank you! I changed it to be the correct measurement.

Denise @ Creative Kitchen

Thursday 5th of April 2012

Sweets are calling my name right now!!

omega57

Saturday 13th of March 2010

Fabulous idea! Our family favorite is, surprise, red velvet. Can't wait to make them. We also celebrated a "gotcha day" on the green holiday; extra special.

Tia @ ButtercreamBarbie

Saturday 13th of March 2010

st pattys day here i come with these! i love the idea.

Diane {createdbydiane.blogspot.com}

Friday 12th of March 2010

Thank you so much for linking up :) I love this cupcake!!!

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