I honestly don’t think I am capable of letting a holiday go by without making cupcakes. When I was a kid, on St. Patrick’s Day my family didn’t do much to celebrate, not anything really – aside from avoiding getting pinched at school. When my kids were little, I always did the corned beef and cabbage for dinner, but it wasn’t until I had grandchildren that I really got the spirit of the holiday. Who knew Leprechauns could be so much fun? The mischievous little fellows get into all sorts of trouble on St. Patrick’s Day doing things like turning our favorite foods green and making messes everywhere they go.
These St. Patrick’s Day Rainbow Cupcakes are certainly not original. I can’t remember where I first saw them, but when I cam across some rainbow striped Sour Power candy strips at Dollar General the other day, I knew it was a sign that these cupcakes just had to be made. I believe that the AirHeads brand makes a similar rainbow striped candy.
St. Patrick’s Day Rainbow Cupcakes
ingredients and supplies:
a batch of your favorite cupcakes
1 recipe Buttercream Frosting, tinted green with food coloring
miniature marshmallows
gold sprinkles
Sour Power or AirHeads rainbow candy strips
pastry bag fitted with a grass tip (Ateco #133 or Wilton #233), optional
directions:
1. Bake cupcakes according to package directions. Meanwhile, prepare buttercream frosting and tint with green food coloring.
2. Spread frosting over cooled cupcakes. Optionally, pipe grass onto the top of each cupcake.
3. Cut about 1 to 1/2 inches from each rainbow strip – otherwise they will be a little too long. This also provides a great snack while you are making the cupcakes. Press each end of the rainbow into the top of the cupcake, as pictured. Gently press a few miniature marshmallows into the frosting around the ends of the rainbow, to form the clouds. Sprinkle on the gold.
Tip: I recommend adding the rainbows no more than 2 hours before serving, or they may begin to droop and loose their shape.
How does your family celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?
St. Patrick's Day Rainbow Cupcakes
Instructions
- 1. Bake cupcakes according to package directions. Meanwhile, prepare buttercream frosting and tint with green food coloring.
- 2. Spread frosting over cooled cupcakes. Optionally, pipe grass onto the top of each cupcake.
- 3. Cut about 1 to 1/2 inches from each rainbow strip - otherwise they will be a little too long. This also provides a great snack while you are making the cupcakes. Press each end of the rainbow into the top of the cupcake, as pictured. Gently press a few miniature marshmallows into the frosting around the ends of the rainbow, to form the clouds. Sprinkle on the gold.
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These are so cute and with a little variation can also be used for Easter cupcakes
Cupcakes are my fave. These would be so cute to make for my son’s class!
These are the cutest cupcakes! They are so cute that I wouldn’t want to eat it and mess it up! My grandsons would absolutely love to eat these.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen the rainbow candy before. I’ll have to keep my eyes peeled.
These are so beyond adorable! I just love St Patrick’s Day
These are such cute cupcakes! I love the rainbows.
Wow!! These cupcakes look amazing, what a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day treat. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
These cupcakes are so cute! These would make a great St. Patrick’s Day surprise for my family!
These cupcakes are adorable! I may have to make them for St. Patrick’s Day and send them to my boyfriend’s office. They love getting surprise cupcakes!
These cupcakes are super cute. I am not very good at icing and decorating food so not too sure I would be able to pull them off and make them look even close to the pictures here, lol. They are almost to pretty to eat but bet they taste delicious !!