I have shared quite a few stuffed cupcakes on this blog of mine. Today you get to see what happens when Wilton and I team up because their latest creation is a Two-Tone Cupcake Pan Set, allowing you to create a perfect center of colored batter inside of a cupcake of another color. Imagine all the festive possibilities! With that thought in mind I decided to go all out for a St. Patrick’s Day cupcake, but before I get too excited about those awesome cupcakes let’s talk about this two-tone cupcake pan set (you can also purchase the insert alone in case you already have a fully stocked baking arsenal).

Normally, you would mix up a batch of your favorite cupcake batter. But before coloring, reserve about a cup of the batter in a separate bowl for the cupcake centers. Then color the outside or inside batter however you please. The insert fits right into three cavities of a regular cupcake pan (I even checked with a non-Wilton pan to make sure), and then you either spoon (if you batter is more runny) or pipe (for thicker batter) into the appropriate sections (2/3 full) for how you would like your cupcakes to appear. Once all three are filled, you simply lift it straight up, hold it just slightly off the top of the batter to let it drip and then transfer it to the next row and repeat!

However, I decided to make things more difficult on myself by using a chocolate batter for the outside and yellow on the inside. As you can imagine, it’s a little difficult to dye a brown batter to yellow. As a result I ended up with slightly more batter than needed and filled up my cupcakes 3/4 full (as you can see) instead of the recommended 2/3. They baked perfectly fine but came out with slightly higher domes than normal. Also, the two batters were slightly different in consistency – The yellow was slightly thicker but again this didn’t cause any problems with the end product. That being said, one thing I recommend doing before filling in your cupcakes is to spray the insert with nonstick spray, especially if your batter is thick! Otherwise it will stick and you won’t get your perfectly shaped centers.

Now, can we please talk about how freaking adorable these cupcakes are!? When they existed in my brain they weren’t nearly as cute as they turned out to be in real life. And before I even made them, I had a difficult time deciding on a name for them: “Follow the Rainbow Cupcakes” or “Hidden Pot o’ Gold Cupcakes”? Obviously you can see which one won, and I chose it because I felt it fit the theme of using the two-tone insert. These cupcakes have a chocolate stout outside batter, and a yellow-dyed vanilla inside (hence “hidden” pot of gold). For the clouds, I dotted on a Bailey’s frosting and then dusted with powdered sugar to make it look more puffy and cloud-like. Top it off with a rainbow striped candy and viola! You have a full rainbow cascading over some pretty, delicious clouds.

Thank you Wilton for yet another awesome baking tool! I’m absolutely in love with the cupcakes I made (they’re so cute it hurts) and I definitely see more two-tone cupcakes in my future. But what I am most thankful for is that the insert it is top-rack dishwasher safe because hand washing after getting nonstick spray and batter all over it would be a challenge in order to get it out of all the crevices.

One year ago: Split-Pea Soup

Two years ago: Creamy Baked Chicken Taquitos

HIDDEN POT O’ GOLD CUPCAKES

Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

CUPCAKES

1/2 cup stout (such as Guinness)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

6 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg

1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt

FILLING

4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg white

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Yellow food coloring

2 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt

6 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

Pinch salt

FROSTING

8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2-1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp Bailey’s Irish Cream

Extra powdered sugar for dusting

4 strips of Airheads Extremes rainbow berry sour candy, cut into thirds

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake tin with 12 liners and lightly coat cupcake inset with nonstick cooking spray, set aside.
2. To make the cupcakes: Bring stout and butter to simmer in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.
3. Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in large bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat egg and Greek yogurt in a small bowl to blend. Add to the stout-chocolate mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined.
4. For the filling: In another medium bowl, beat together with an electric mixer the butter and sugar. After a few minutes when the mixture is fully incorporated and fluffy, add in the egg white, vanilla extract, food coloring, and Greek yogurt. Once the wet ingredients are thoroughly incorporated, add in the flour, baking soda and pinch of salt then beat together but do not over mix.
5. Place cupcake insert into first row of baking cups; fill center 3/4 full with yellow batter. Fill remaining outside cup 3/4 full with chocolate batter. Remove insert. Repeat with remaining baking cups. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until cake tester or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
6. While the cupcakes cool, prepare the frosting. Beat butter and vanilla together. Add sugar slowly and beat until combined. Scrape down the sides and add Bailey’s. Mix until smooth and creamy.
7. To make the frosting cloud-like, use a decorating bag fitted with wide round tip and pipe large random dots of frosting around the cupcake. Sift a little powdered sugar on top so the frosting looks fluffier. Top with rainbow candy.

Source: Cupcakes adapted from Tracey’s Culinary Adventures. Filling adapted from from Dessert for Two. Frosting adapted from Bakerella.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary Two-Tone Cupcake Pan Set from Wilton. I was not compensated for this post. Thoughts and opinions are my own.