Prepare Your Ingredients
Cupcakes
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup whole milk
Decoration
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups vanilla frosting
• Green sanding sugar
• Pretzel sticks
Gather Your Kitchen Tools
• Mini muffin pan
• Mini cupcake liners
• Medium bowl
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Whisk
• 3 large bowls
• Electric mixer
• Silicon spatula
• Aluminum foil
• Oven mitts
• Wire rack
• Offset spatula or butter knife
Make the Cupcakes
1. Heat the oven to 350°F and spray nonstick cooking spray in a mini muffin pan. Place mini cupcake liners in each cup.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar and butter in a large bowl on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and add the eggs, one at a time, beating to mix each one in before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
4. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture and then the milk in the following pattern: one third flour, half milk, one third flour, last half milk, last third flour.
5. Beat until the batter is just incorporated. (Try not to mix too much or the cupcakes will be tough instead of fluffy!)
6. Divide the batter between the muffin cups, pouring in about 1 1/2 tablespoons into each cup.
7. Ball up a little piece of foil and stick it between the outside of each liner and the pan to create an indent. Then place 2 small rectangles of foil (3 sheets thick) on opposite sides of the liners to create small hearts.
8. Bake until golden brown, about 12–18 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
9. Once cool, create the shamrock cupcakes by frosting the indented mini cupcakes with the buttercream frosting and dipping them in green sanding sugar. Then, arrange three cupcakes so the pointed sides touch to create the shamrocks. Use a half inch piece of pretzel for each stem.