The McDonald’s shamrock shake is one of my favorite special seasonal treats. I’ve wanted to make it in cupcake form for a while now, and I found a great recipe from the Brown Eyed Baker, adapting it to replace the cream cheese frosting with vanilla buttercream and using sea salt instead of kosher in the cupcake batter.
The man I made these for told me they were even better than my creamsicle cupcakes, which transported him back to childhood like that scene in Ratatouille when Ego takes a bite of Remy’s signature dish. That was high praise, indeed, so I’m glad I took the trouble to find mint extract (not peppermint extract) online for these treats – it’s what really gives them their shamrock shake flavor. The next time I make these, I’ll fill the cupcake wells a bit fuller with batter – the cupcakes were a bit shallow, though they were still delicious.
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons mint extract
- Green food coloring
For the frosting
- 12 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 – 2 tablespoons milk
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake wells with paper liners; this recipe made 15 cupcakes for me, but I think I under-filled my wells so I bet 14 is more accurate.
In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine cake flour, flour, sugar, baking powder, and sea salt. Mix on low for 1 minute, then add butter, a few cubes at a time, continuing until all the butter has been added and the mixture looks like coarse sand. This is the reverse creaming method, and trust me, it works. While this is mixing, combine your milk, vanilla extract, and mint extract in a glass measuring cup for easy pouring in the next step.
With the mixer running on low, add eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl between each, then slowly pour in the milk mixture. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl as necessary, until the mixture is smooth. Batter will be on the thin side.
Using a 2-inch cookie scoop, fill cupcake wells about 2/3 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean – I’d start with 15 minutes and check every minute or so until they’re done. Remove from oven and remove from tins to cook completely on a wire rack before frosting.
To make the frosting, beat butter on medium speed for about 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar and beat on low speed until the sugar is fully incorporated into the butter; this takes several minutes. Add vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon milk; add more milk if necessary. Fit a piping bag with a large star tip (I use the Wilton M1) and pipe swirls onto each cupcake to look like whipped cream. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
amy bakes in the 'burgh 