Peas and Carrots Cupcakes Recipe | Whimsical Chocolate Treat
Eat Your Peas and Carrots Cupcakes
Eat Your Peas and Carrots Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (refer to Cook's Note)
- 6 tbsp Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 6 tbsp buttermilk, warmed to room temperature
- 6 tbsp hot coffee
- 1/4 cup neutral-flavored oil (e.g., vegetable or canola)
- 1 large egg, brought to room temperature
- 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp orange zest, grated from 1 large orange
- 1–2 tbsp fresh orange juice, as required
- 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 6 drops green gel food coloring
- 1 lb green candy-coated chocolates (like Sixlets)
- 18 orange fruit chew candies (such as Starburst), each cut into 4 pieces
Instructions
Step 1
Preheat your oven to 350°F and grab your 12-cup muffin tin. While the oven warms up, line each cup with silver foil paper liners — they'll keep your cupcakes from sticking and make cleanup a breeze. Set your timer for 15 minutes so you don't forget them in there!
Step 2
Grab your stand mixer bowl and set it on the scale (or just trust your measuring cups). Add the flour, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, then whisk them together until everything looks evenly distributed and no streaks of cocoa remain. In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk, coffee, oil, egg, and vanilla until the mixture is smooth and slightly frothy on top. Now, pour about half of that wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Turn your mixer to low speed and let it run just until the flour disappears—don't overthink it, you're looking for a shaggy dough with a few dry patches. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, making sure to get those stubborn bits stuck to the bottom. Add the rest of the wet ingredients and mix on low again until everything comes together in a thick, glossy batter. Give the bowl and paddle another good scrape, then bump the speed up to medium and let it beat for exactly one minute. You’ll notice the batter lighten in color and get silkier—that’s your cue it’s ready. Set it aside while you prep your pans, and try not to peek at it too long; that batter smells like a bakery window.
Step 3
Grab your muffin tin and line it with those colorful paper liners — you'll want to fill each one about two-thirds full, which works out to roughly 3 tablespoons of that vibrant green batter. Pop the whole tin into your preheated oven and bake for 16 to 18 minutes, but here's how you'll know they're ready: gently press the top of a cupcake with your fingertip and watch it spring right back, plus a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean without any wet batter clinging to it. Let those beauties cool in the pan for just 5 minutes — this gives them a chance to set up a bit so they won't break when you move them. After that quick rest, carefully transfer the cupcakes directly onto a wire rack and let them cool completely, which usually takes about 40 minutes. You want them totally cool before frosting, otherwise that cream cheese frosting will just slide right off. While you're waiting, catch up on that show you've been meaning to finish — these cupcakes aren't going anywhere!
Step 4
Start by creaming your softened butter and salt together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Crank the speed to medium-high and let it go for a full minute until the mixture looks light and fluffy. With the mixer dialed down to low, gradually add in your confectioners' sugar — about a cup at a time works well here. Once all that sweet powder has been incorporated and no dry streaks remain, slowly bring the speed back up to medium-high and let it whip away for 2 to 3 minutes until you've got yourself a silky, spreadable buttercream that holds soft peaks when you lift the beaters.
Step 5
**Step 5** Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to make sure everything gets incorporated. Add the orange zest, 1 tablespoon of orange juice, and the vanilla paste. Turn the mixer back to medium-high and let it whip for about 4 minutes, until the buttercream looks light, fluffy, and maybe just a little bit glossy. If it seems too thick, drizzle in a bit more orange juice—just a teaspoon at a time until you get the consistency you like. Once it's whipped and airy, add a few drops of green gel coloring. Mix on low at first to keep it from flying everywhere, then bump it back up to medium and let it go until the color is even and your buttercream looks like a spring garden.
Step 6
In a wide bowl, arrange your chocolate candies so they're ready for dipping. Take each cooled cupcake and spread about 3 tablespoons of green frosting evenly over the top, making sure to get right to the edges. Carefully dip the frosted side down into the chocolate candies, gently twisting as you lift so the candies stick evenly across the surface. Press any loose pieces back into place, and don't worry about achieving perfection here—those little gaps and imperfections will give your cupcakes character. Fill those spaces with 5 to 6 orange square candies per cupcake, pressing them gently into the frosting so they stay put.
Nutrition Information
My Tip
Mix the wet and dry ingredients gently — overmixing the buttermilk and coffee mixture into the flour can make these cupcakes dense instead of light and tender.
Leftovers
Store cooled cupcakes in an airtight container with parchment between layers to maintain that tender crumb. They'll keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. For reheating, pop them in a 300°F oven for 5-7 minutes to revive the texture.
Make It Your Own
Swap buttermilk for full-fat coconut milk and add 1/4 cup pureed sweet potato to the wet ingredients for extra moisture and a subtle earthy sweetness that complements the cocoa and coffee beautifully.