Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I always love making treats to for St. Patrick’s Day and I’m excited to share these Leprechaun Mickey Cupcakes! These rich chocolate cupcakes are topped with a Baileys frosting and have a fun leprechaun design.
Typically, I make my Spiked Shamrock Cupcakes each year, but this year I modified them a little bit. This recipe is small batch so it only makes six cupcakes and doesn’t include the Guinness. So, if you’re looking for more, feel free to double the recipe or if you’d like a little extra flavor in your cake be sure to try the Spiked Shamrock Cupcakes!
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To make these cupcakes, first whisk the cocoa powder into boiling water. For these cupcakes, I used King Arthur’s Double Dark Cocoa Powder for a richer chocolate flavor, but any cocoa powder will work. Once mixed, set it aside to cool.
In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until well-mixed. Stir in the cocoa mixture. Then, add in the flour mixture and beat until combined.
Scoop the batter into a muffin pan lined with cupcake wrappers and bake at 375 F for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. For these cupcakes, I used a six cup muffin pan and my favorite parchment paper cupcake liners. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting and decorations. To make the frosting, beat the butter until creamy about 2-3 minutes. Add the sugar and beat on low until incorporated. Mix in the Baileys and beat on medium-high until fluffy.
If you’d like to make these without the Baileys, you can substitute milk. I would also add a touch of vanilla extract to give it some extra flavor.
Place a few scoops of frosting into a separate bowl. Stir in a few drops of black gel food coloring. Stir a few drops of green gel food coloring into the remaining frosting. For these, I used Ann Clark’s Gel Food Coloring.
Transfer the frostings to piping bags fitted with large star tips. If you don’t have two, transfer the black frosting first. Once you’ve used that, clean the tip and use it for the green frosting.
Next, make the belt buckles by rolling out a small chunk of black fondant. Use a sharp knife to cut the fondant into strips and then cut the strips into small squares. Cut out the insides of the squares to make a belt buckle. Spray the fondant belt buckles with gold edible food spray. Set aside until ready to decorate.
To decorate the cupcakes, pipe a line of black frosting around the perimeter of each cupcake. Then, pipe a swirl of green frosting inside the black frosting. Sprinkle some shamrock sprinkles around the bottom edge of the green frosting. Finally, gently press a fondant belt buckle into the black frosting and two chocolate rounds into the sides of the green frosting to make Mickey ears.
Enjoy these Leprechaun Mickey Cupcakes!
If you’re looking for more St. Patrick’s Day recipes, check out my Spiked Shamrock Cupcakes, Irish Cream Shamrock Brownies, Warm Chocolate Pudding with Irish Cream Liqueur Custard, and Mickey’s Pot of Gold!
Leprechaun Mickey Cupcakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ cup boiling water
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoons baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Baileys Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons Bailey’s Irish Cream Liqueur
- green gel food coloring
- black gel food coloring
Decoration
- black fondant
- gold edible spray
- shamrock sprinkles
- chocolate rounds
Equipment
- 6 cup muffin pan
- piping bags
- large star tip piping tip (Wilton 1M)
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
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Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners.
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Whisk cocoa powder into boiling water. Set aside to cool.
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In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
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In a medium bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
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Add the egg and vanilla and beat until well-mixed. Stir in the cocoa mixture.
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Add the flour mixture and beat until combined.
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Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pan and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
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Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
Baileys Frosting
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In a large bowl, beat the butter until fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
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Add the sugar and beat on low until incorporated.
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Mix in the Baileys and beat on medium-high until fluffy.
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Place a few scoops of frosting into a separate bowl. Stir in a few drops of black gel food coloring.
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Stir a few drops of green gel food coloring into the remaining frosting.
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Transfer the frostings to piping bags fitted with large star tips. If you don’t have two, transfer the black frosting first. Once you’ve used that, clean the tip and use it for the green frosting.
Decoration
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Roll out a small chunk of black fondant.
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Use a sharp knife to cut the fondant into strips and then cut the strips into small squares.
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Cut out the insides of the squares to make a belt buckle.
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Spray the fondant belt buckles with gold edible food spray. Set aside until ready to decorate.
Assembly
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Pipe a line of black frosting around the perimeter of each cupcake.
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Pipe a swirl of green frosting inside the black frosting.
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Sprinkle some shamrock sprinkles around the bottom edge of the green frosting.
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Gently press a fondant belt buckle into the black frosting.
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Gently press two chocolate rounds into the sides of the green frosting to make Mickey ears.