St Patricks Day Green Velvet Cupcake Shamrocks Recipe 455 Food

ST. PATRICK'S DAY GREEN VELVET LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans, line with parchment and butter the parchment; set aside. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Whisk the buttermilk, food coloring and vanilla in a spouted measuring cup; set aside.
• Beat the granulated sugar and butter in a stand mixer (or a large bowl if using a hand mixer) on medium speed until very light in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. With the mixer still running, slowly add the eggs and beat until fully incorporated. Reduce the mixer speed to the lowest speed; with it running, add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then 1/2 of the buttermilk mixture, then 1/2 of the remaining flour mixture, then the remaining buttermilk mixture, then the remaining flour mixture. Scrape down the sides and beat until well mixed. Divide the batter evenly among the three prepared pans. Bake until slightly puffed and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes in the pan, then turn out to cool completely.
• For the frosting: Put the flour in a small saucepan. Vigorously whisk in about 1/2 cup of the milk, making sure to get the whisk into the edges of the pan, until you have a smooth, thick paste. (This step keeps the flour from clumping.) Slowly whisk in the remaining milk until fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Cook over medium heat, whisking continuously, until the mixture is very thick, about 5 minutes. (Toward the end of the process, the mixture will become a thick paste; it may seem to be forming lumps, but whisk vigorously and the lumps will disappear.) Scrape the frosting into a bowl, press plastic wrap onto the surface and refrigerate until cool, about 45 minutes.
• Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a hand mixer), beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the cooled flour mixture a tablespoon at a time and beat until smooth. Switch to the whisk attachment (or continue with the hand mixer), add the vanilla, salt and 3 to 5 drops food coloring if using and whip until very light and fluffy, like thick whipped cream, up to 10 minutes with a stand mixer or 12 minutes with a hand mixer.
• To assemble: Place one layer on a cake plate, spread frosting on top and repeat with the 2 remaining layers. Frost the sides and decorate with candies and sanding sugar if using.

GREEN VELVET CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350˚. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Sift the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. Whisk the sugar, milk, vegetable oil, egg, vinegar and vanilla in a separate large bowl. Whisk in the flour mixture until smooth. Add the green food coloring and stir until combined.
• Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups, filling them three-quarters of the way. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly in the pan, then remove to a rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the frosting: Put the white chocolate in a small heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water). Cook, stirring, until melted; remove the bowl from the pan and let cool slightly. Reserve the pan of simmering water.
• Whisk the egg whites, sugar, salt and cream of tartar in a large heatproof bowl set over the pan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water). Cook, whisking, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture registers 130˚ on a candy thermometer, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pan; beat with a mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and beat until the bowl is no longer warm, 1 to 2 more minutes.
• Increase the mixer speed to medium high and continue beating, adding the butter one piece at a time, until thick and combined. (The mixture might separate, but keep beating and it will smooth out.) Add the melted white chocolate and vanilla and continue beating until just combined.
• Transfer the frosting to a resealable plastic bag and snip a corner. Pipe onto the cupcakes and decorate with green sprinkles.

ST. PATRICK'S DAY GREEN VELVET CUPCAKE SHAMROCKS RECIPE - (4.5/5)

Steps:

• CUPCAKES: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners and spray with cooking spray. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Whisk the buttermilk, food coloring and vanilla in a spouted measuring cup; set aside. Beat the granulated sugar and butter in a stand mixer (or a large bowl if using a hand mixer) on medium speed until very light in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. With the mixer still on medium, slowly add the eggs and beat until fully incorporated. Reduce the speed to the lowest setting; with the mixer running, add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then 1/2 of the buttermilk mixture, then 1/2 of the remaining flour mixture, then the remaining buttermilk mixture, then the remaining flour mixture. Scrape down the sides and beat until well mixed. Fill the prepared liners about 3/4 full of batter. Bake until the cupcakes bounce back when pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. FROSTING: Put the flour in a small saucepan. Vigorously whisk in about 1/2 cup milk, making sure to get the whisk into the edges of the pan, until you have a smooth, thick paste. (This step keeps the flour from clumping.) Slowly whisk in the remaining milk until fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture is very thick, about 5 minutes. (Toward the end of the process, the mixture will become a thick paste; it may seem to be forming lumps, but whisk vigorously and the lumps will disappear.) Scrape into a bowl, press plastic wrap onto the surface and refrigerate until cool, about 45 minutes. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a hand mixer), beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the cooled flour mixture a tablespoon at a time and beat until smooth. Switch to the whisk attachment (or continue with the hand mixer), add the vanilla, salt and 3 to 5 drops green food coloring and whip until very light and fluffy, like thick whipped cream, up to 10 minutes with a stand mixer or 12 minutes with a hand mixer. To assemble: Using a sharp serrated knife, cut 3 cupcakes in half vertically, gently sawing through the paper liners; set aside. Frost the remaining cupcakes. Put the sanding sugar on a small plate and roll the edge of each cupcake 3/4 of the way around in the sugar, making a green border around each with a gap on one side. On a large serving platter, arrange 18 cupcakes in groups of three, pushing them together at the gaps, to make 6 shamrock cakes. Dip the tops of the cupcake halves in sugar and wedge a pointy end of 1 half between 2 of the cupcakes in each group to form the stems. Alternatively, you can make the shamrock stems with mini cupcakes instead of halved full-size cupcakes: Fill 8 liners in a mini-cupcake tin 3/4 full of batter and divide the remaining batter among the two full-size cupcake tins. (The larger cupcakes will have a slightly smaller dome.)