St. Patrick's Day Desserts: Two Times the Irish Cupcakes!!

Oh dear, the luckiest day of the year is fast approaching and I feel as if we have been totally ignoring it!  St.Patrick's Day is right around the corner, and just in case you are looking for a few treats to get you in that holiday spirit, we've got you covered!

Here are two of my absolute favorite cupcake ideas; so super yummy and lots of fun too!  The first comes from The Fickle Pickle and they are just the cutest and most clever little things...topped with Air Head Extremes, no less, to make a rainbow!

RAINBOW CUPCAKES


Ingredients:
~ Food Coloring
~ Air Heads Extremes Rainbow Belts (you can find these at Target)
~ Rolo Candies
~ Frosting
~ White Cake Mix
~ Marshmallows for clouds (or you can use frosting!)

Directions:
1.) The airheads are usually a little soft and don't hold their shape when they're fresh out of the package.  Open up the package and let them sit for a day or two before putting them on your cupcakes!

2.) Use any kind of cupcake you fancy; bakery-bought, made from scratch, or even a box of pre-mixed cake batter (you can even divide up the white cake batter and make rainbow cakes if you like!  See how to do this HERE:)

3.) If you do decide to make your frosting at home, here is an simple & tasty recipe for you:

Easy Butter Cream Frosting:

1/2 cup butter (room temp)
1 lb. powder sugar (about 4 cups)
3 TBS milk
2 tsp. Vanilla

Cream butter til light and fluffy.  Add sugar 1 cup at a time mixing well in between.  Add milk and vanilla.  Then whip until it's light and fluffy...really, keep whipping!  Spoon th frosting into a quart sized baggie, snip one corner of the bag and pipe the frosting in swirls on top of the cupcake.

(photo courtesy of The Fickle Pickle)

These next tasty treats are from the woman herself, Betty Crocker, and just turn a favorite childhood breakfast cereal into a fun way to find your inner-leprechaun . . .

LUCKY CHARMS CUPCAKES

(were going to go the easy route on these guys:)

Ingredients:

~ 1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® yellow or devil's food cake mix

Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box

~ 1 container Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy vanilla frosting

~ 3 cups Lucky Charms® cereal

~ Green edible glitter

Directions:

1.)  Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.

2.) Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for 24 cupcakes. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

3.) Frost cupcakes with frosting. Top each cupcake with 2 tablespoons cereal; sprinkle with glitter. Store loosely covered.

(image via http://cupcakestakethecake.blogspot.com)

Aren't those fun and worth staying up late for?  See you tomorrow!!!