Carrot Patch Cupcake Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Carrot Patch Cupcake Recipe

Perfect for Easter or other spring celebrations, these chocolate cupcakes are topped with Oreo "dirt" and have strawberry "carrots" pressed into the top.

Prep Time1 30

Cook Time20

Total Time1 50

Course: Dessert

Keyword: chocolate, chocolate cake, chocolate snack, cupcakes, Easter, easy snack, kid-friendly recipe, make with kids, spring

Servings: cupcakes

Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef

Cost: $12.00

Equipment

Mixing Bowl
Muffin Tin
Parchment Paper

Ingredients

12 small Strawberries (see note)
12 Chocolate Cupcakes (homemade or store-bought)
8 ounces Vanilla Almond Bark or White Chocolate Candy Melts (find this in the baking section; I like vanilla almond bark or Ghirardelli White Vanilla Flavored Melting Wafers)
Orange Food Coloring
18 Oreos (use regular; NOT double-stuff)
2 cups Chocolate Frosting (homemade or store-bought)
Wax or Parchment Paper and a Re-Sealable Plastic Bag

Instructions

Rinse and dry strawberries. (They need to be very dry so that the melted chocolate can stick, so be sure to do this ahead of time.)
Make cupcakes according to recipe / package directions. Allow to cool completely.
Melt almond bark or candy melts according to package directions. Stir in orange food coloring until the chocolate reaches a nice carrot-like orange color.
Spread out a piece of wax or parchment paper (put it on a baking sheet if you’ll need to move the strawberries while they’re cooling).
Working with one strawberry at a time, gently gather the stem and dip the strawberry in melted almond bark / candy melts right up to the stem, completely covering the red part of the strawberry. Gently tap off any excess coating. Transfer the strawberry to wax / parchment paper. Repeat with remaining strawberries. Let cool at room temperature or in the refrigerator until chocolate hardens.
Put the Oreos in a plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin until they resemble dirt. Transfer the "dirt" to a shallow mixing bowl.
Use a spoon to scoop out a small hole from the center of each cupcake roughly the size of a strawberry. (See photos in the blog post.)
Frost the tops of the cupcakes, around the hole. Dip the top of each cupcake in crushed Oreos until the tops are fully coated in Oreo "dirt".
Sink a strawberry “carrot” into the hole in the center of each cupcake.
Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Strawberries – Look for strawberries that are on the small side, have bright green leaves, and are ripe but not too soft. You’ll want them to hold their shape when dipped in chocolate, especially if making them ahead. The smaller the strawberries, the better. Huge strawberries will be difficult to sink in the cupcake.

Make-ahead - Chocolate-dipped strawberries and cupcakes can be made up to two days ahead. Store chocolate-dipped strawberries in the refrigerator and cupcakes in a sealed container at room temperature. Frost and top the cupcakes up to two hours before serving.

Nutrition