These Pot of Gold Cupcakes are perfect for St. Patrick's Day! Made with a doctored chocolate box mix and sweet buttercream frosting then topped with candy to make a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!
Preheat oven to 375°F and line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners and set it aside.
Combine all of the cupcake ingredients in a stand mixer and beat until combined.
Fill the cupcake liners ½ – ¾ full with the batter.
Reduce heat to 350°F and bake for 18 to 22 minutes until a toothpick comes clean from the center.
Remove from oven and transfer the cupcakes to wire racks to cool completely before frosting.
Buttercream
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing at low speed, until incorporated. Increase mixing speed and beat for about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Reduce speed to low and add in the vanilla, heavy cream, and gel coloring. Increase speed to medium-high to whip for an additional 2 minutes.
Use a 1M piping tip to frost the cupcakes.
Pot of Gold
Using the back of a small spoon, evenly spread a tiny bit of peanut butter on the peanut butter cup.
Dip the peanut butter topped peanut butter cups into the coin sprinkles/confetti sprinkles. Then add more peanut butter if needed and another layer of sprinkles so it stands up more like a bunch of “coins”.
Press the peanut butter cup into the frosting of the cupcake.
Take the Airheads Extremes and stick each end into the frosting to make the rainbow.
Notes
You can use a toothpick to help support the airheads - just make sure to let guests know it's in there!
Feel free to make white, yellow, or another flavor of cupcakes with the same decorating.