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Green Cupcakes
Green cupcakes are a fun twist on classic red velvet cupcakes. Green cupcakes have just the right amount of cocoa flavor and are topped with cream cheese frosting.
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Green cupcakes are the perfect shade of green for all of your green-themed celebrations, from the Christmas holidays to St. Patricks Day. Moist and fluffy, these cream cheese-frosted green cupcakes are a green version of a red velvet cupcake. Bright and vibrant, these green cupcakes are overflowing with plenty of festive spirit.
Looking for more easy and delicious cupcake recipes? Cookie Dough Cupcakes, Funfetti Cupcakes, and Brownie Cupcakes are three more yummy cupcake recipes for you to try.
Green Cupcakes Ingredients
You will need:
Cupcakes
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, I used Nestle Toll House 100% cocoa
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1⅓ cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon green liquid food coloring
- 24 white paper cupcake liners
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- ¾ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Festive sprinkles, for garnish
Substitutions and Additions
COLOR: You can color your cupcakes any color you prefer to coordinate with a holiday theme or party decorations; just note that the amounts of liquid food coloring may vary depending on the color that you choose.
ICING: I always love a great cream cheese frosting with my red, or should I say “green” velvet cupcakes; however, you can make your favorite vanilla buttercream frosting for these cupcakes if the cream cheese is not your desired flavor.
CREAM CHEESE: Be sure to use full-fat cream cheese in the block for the frosting in this cupcake recipe. You do not want to use the cream cheese in a tub or fat-free cream cheese as they will lend to a looser frosting that is not the intended taste or texture for this frosting.
SPRINKLES: These delicious cupcakes can be made to match any holiday that adds a little bit of green to the festivities just by changing up the sprinkles. Try St. Patrick’s Day sprinkles or festive Christmas sprinkles to match the season.
How to Make Green Cupcakes
PRO TIP: I highly recommend sifting your unsweetened cocoa powder and powdered sugar before adding them to your recipe. These ingredients can tend to have some harder lumps while in their packaging. By sifting them, you will ensure that you have a nice smooth batter and frosting without any tiny little lumps.
Cupcakes
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 (12-cup) standard muffin pans with cupcake papers. Set aside.
STEP TWO: In a small mixing bowl, add the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine.
STEP THREE: In a large mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer on medium speed, cream together the unsalted butter, vegetable oil, and granulated sugar for 1 to 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.
STEP FOUR: Add the eggs, one at a time, to the butter mixture. Make sure to fully incorporate each egg before adding the next.
STEP FIVE: Add the vanilla extract, green liquid food coloring, and white vinegar, and beat just until the mixture is smooth. This will take another 1 to 2 minutes.
STEP SIX: Next, you will alternate adding the dry ingredients with the buttermilk to the butter mixture. Start by adding ⅓ of the dry ingredients to the bowl with the butter mixture. Beat on low for 30 seconds or just until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Then you will add ½ of the buttermilk and beat on low for another 30 seconds or just until incorporated. Repeat adding the second ⅓ of the dry mixture, followed by the other ½ of the buttermilk, and ending with the last ⅓ of the dry mixture. Make sure to mix each addition just until the ingredients are incorporated. You do not want to overmix your cupcake batter, or your cupcakes will be dense and tough.
STEP SEVEN: Fill each cupcake paper ⅔ full with batter. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Allow the cupcake to cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting and serving.
PRO TIP: Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your cupcakes at the lower end of the recommended baking time.
Frosting
STEP EIGHT: While your cupcakes are baking, you can make your frosting by adding the room-temperature cream cheese block and the room temperature unsalted butter to a medium-sized mixing bowl.
STEP NINE: Using a handheld mixer on medium speed, beat together the cream cheese and unsalted butter for 2 to 3 minutes or until the mixture is smooth and fluffy.
STEP TEN: To the butter and cream cheese, add the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt and beat until fully incorporated.
STEP ELEVEN: Add the sifted powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time, to the cream cheese mixture and beat on low speed. Continue to add the powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time, until all the powdered sugar has been added and your cream cheese frosting is thick and smooth.
PRO TIP: If your frosting is a little too loose for your preference, then you can add additional powdered sugar, but I would start with just a ¼ cup at a time until you reach your desired thickness. If it is too stiff, you can loosen it up by adding a little extra heavy cream to it. I would start with just a splash (about 1 teaspoon), then mix it, and if that does not get you to your desired consistency, you can add an additional teaspoon.
STEP TWELVE: Frost each cooled cupcake with the cream cheese frosting and garnish with the sprinkles.
PRO TIP: I like to pipe the frosting onto my cupcakes. To do so, you can place a large piping tip (I like to use a Wilton 2A tip) into a large piping bag, or a heavy-duty zip-top bag with a corner snipped off of it, then transfer the cream cheese frosting into the piping bag. The cream cheese frosting pipes a little easier if you allow it to firm up just a little bit by placing it into the refrigerator for about 15 to 20 minutes before decorating your cupcakes. Be sure that your cupcakes are completely cool before frosting them, or your frosting will just melt right off the top of your cupcakes.
How to Serve Green Cupcakes
These easy cupcakes are the perfect sweet treats to make for a green-themed holiday or birthday party. Serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a mug of hot chocolate for an indulgent treat. You can also bring them along to a party or potluck for a fun dessert.
Storage
ON THE COUNTER: These green velvet cupcakes can be stored at room temperature for a couple of hours if your room is not too hot. Because of the cream cheese in the frosting, you will not want them to stay at room temperature for more than 1 to 2 hours.
IN THE FRIDGE: You can store these delicious cupcakes for up to 3 days in a covered container in the refrigerator. I would allow the cupcakes to come back to room temperature after being in the refrigerator before serving to allow the cream cheese frosting to be more enjoyable.
IN THE FREEZER: You can freeze green velvet holiday cupcakes for up to three months in an airtight container.
Green cupcakes have all the rich flavor of classic red velvet cupcakes, but they are tinted green for a fun twist. Topped with tangy cream cheese frosting, these green cupcakes are rich and delicious with just the right amount of cocoa flavor. Kids and adults will love these vibrant green cupcakes!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I freeze these cupcakes?
This easy recipe freezes well and can be stored in the freezer for up to three months in an airtight container.
Where can I get festive sprinkles?
You can find sprinkles online and at hobby stores. Check out our link for shamrock sprinkles on Amazon.
Can I color these cupcakes a different color?
The sky’s the limit with these cupcakes. Any color you can imagine would work fine with the base red velvet recipe.
Is green velvet the same as red velvet?
Green velvet cake is just red velvet cake with green food coloring added.
What is the secret to super moist cupcakes?
Baking fluffy, moist cupcakes is about creating air bubbles in your batter that expand in the oven. Overmixing the batter will cause the bubbles to collapse, and you will end up with a dense cake.
What is special about velvet cake?
Velvet cake contains additional ingredients like buttermilk and vinegar, which gives it a more complex flavor and texture. Adding cocoa powder results in a lighter, fluffier cake as well.
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Green Cupcakes
Green cupcakes are a fun twist on classic red velvet cupcakes. Green cupcakes have just the right amount of cocoa flavor and are topped with cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder I used Nestle Toll House 100% cocoa
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1⅓ cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon green liquid food coloring
- 24 white paper cupcake liners
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- ¾ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Festive sprinkles for garnish
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 (12-cup) standard muffin pans with cupcake papers. Set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, add the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine.
- In a large mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer on medium speed, cream together the unsalted butter, vegetable oil, and granulated sugar for 1 to 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, to the butter mixture. Make sure to fully incorporate each egg before adding the next.
- Add the vanilla extract, green liquid food coloring, and white vinegar, and beat just until the mixture is smooth. This will take another 1 to 2 minutes.
- Next, you will alternate adding the dry ingredients with the buttermilk to the butter mixture. Start by adding ⅓ of the dry ingredients to the bowl with the butter mixture. Beat on low for 30 seconds or just until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Then you will add ½ of the buttermilk and beat on low for another 30 seconds or just until incorporated. Repeat adding the second ⅓ of the dry mixture, followed by the other ½ of the buttermilk, and ending with the last ⅓ of the dry mixture. Make sure to mix each addition just until the ingredients are incorporated. You do not want to overmix your cupcake batter, or your cupcakes will be dense and tough.
- Fill each cupcake paper ⅔ full with batter. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Allow the cupcake to cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting and serving.
Frosting
- While your cupcakes are baking, you can make your frosting by adding the room-temperature cream cheese block and the room temperature unsalted butter to a medium-sized mixing bowl.
- Using a handheld mixer on medium speed, beat together the cream cheese and unsalted butter for 2 to 3 minutes or until the mixture is smooth and fluffy.
- To the butter and cream cheese, add the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt and beat until fully incorporated.
- Add the sifted powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time, to the cream cheese mixture and beat on low speed. Continue to add the powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time, until all the powdered sugar has been added and your cream cheese frosting is thick and smooth.
- Frost each cooled cupcake with the cream cheese frosting and garnish with the sprinkles.
Notes
I highly recommend sifting your unsweetened cocoa powder and powdered sugar before adding them to your recipe. These ingredients can tend to have some harder lumps while in their packaging. By sifting them, you will ensure that you have a nice smooth batter and frosting without any tiny little lumps.
Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your cupcakes at the lower end of the recommended baking time.
If your frosting is a little too loose for your preference, then you can add additional powdered sugar, but I would start with just a ¼ cup at a time until you reach your desired thickness. If it is too stiff, you can loosen it up by adding a little extra heavy cream to it. I would start with just a splash (about 1 teaspoon), then mix it, and if that does not get you to your desired consistency, you can add an additional teaspoon.
I like to pipe the frosting onto my cupcakes. To do so, you can place a large piping tip (I like to use a Wilton 2A tip) into a large piping bag, or a heavy-duty zip-top bag with a corner snipped off of it, then transfer the cream cheese frosting into the piping bag. The cream cheese frosting pipes a little easier if you allow it to firm up just a little bit by placing it into the refrigerator for about 15 to 20 minutes before decorating your cupcakes. Be sure that your cupcakes are completely cool before frosting them, or your frosting will just melt right off the top of your cupcakes.
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