Earth Day Cupcakes

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Easy Earth Day Cupcakes

Earth Day is an annual event that takes place on the 22nd of April. It is an awareness day to promote the protection of the planet and to do what we can to protect the world. There are a whole host of events that will be taking place, but you may be wanting to celebrate at home. You could host a party or gathering, and create some food around the theme.

This brings me to these delicious Earth Day cupcake recipe. Simple to make, taste amazing, and looks the part. So without further ado, here is everything you need to know how to create Earth Day cupcakes.

Earth Day Cupcakes, 4 on a wooden tray

Ingredients needed to make the Earth Day cupcakes

Here is everything that you need to create these incredible cupcakes.

  • 1 box chocolate cake mix + additional ingredients per box directions OR your favorite recipe
  • Blue and green frosting, in a piping bag on opposite sides
  • Pretzel sticks
  • Red Candy hearts
  • 2 oz white chocolate, melted with green oil-based food coloring
Ingredients need to make Earth Day Cupcakes, layed out on kitchen bench

How to make Earth Day cupcakes

Now that you have all your ingredients together, it is time to bring the Earth Day cupcakes to life. Here is the process to follow, and it is easier than you might think.

  1. First of all, we will start with the cupcakes and get them baked. You need to follow the instructions on your chosen cake mix. Once you have done that you need to let the cupcakes cool completely.
  2. Next up, lay the pretzel sticks 2 inches apart on a wax paper-lined tray and put to one side while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
  3. Now it is time for the chocolate. Melt white chocolate slowly and then get your green food coloring and add to create the desired green color. This will be used to create the leaves when it comes to decoration.
  4. Now that your chocolate is ready pour into a piping or food storage bag and snip of a tiny portion of the tip so that you can be ready to pipe.
  5. Pipe chocolate leaves over the pretzel sticks to create little plants. You can use the pictures as a guide.
  6. Now that you have completed your decorations place them in the refrigerator to set.
  7. Next up is the frosting. Place the green and blue frosting in a piping bag on opposite sides, and then pipe dual-colored frosting onto each cupcake in a swirl. This will give an effect on the earth.
  8. Get your candy hearts, and then place them in the desired position. Again you can use the pictures as a guide.
  9. Finally, you can press the chocolate pretzel plants into the frosting to complete your Earth Day cupcakes.
  10. Now for the best part, eating them. Enjoy!
Collage of images with the steps to make Earth day Cupcakes

Recipe notes and tips

  • Always leave the cupcakes to cool completely before adding the frosting and decoration. The longer the better. If the cupcakes are too hot the frosting will melt and create a big mess.
  • If children are helping, make sure they are supervised when using any equipment that you could be used to create the cupcakes. The cake mix method might need you to use a hand or stand mixer.
  • Make sure you store the cupcakes in an airtight container to ensure maximum freshness. Although I suspect they won’t last too long.
  • If you are making these cupcakes for an event or special occasion, a great tip is to make the cakes a day before. If you leave the frosting till the last moment they will look amazing and taste like perfection. It will save you a lot of time when preparing for the party.
2 images of Earth Day Cupcakes, both have different tees made from pretzel sticks in them

Variations to try

Like with many recipes there will always be variations to try. Here are a few suggestions. 

  • It doesn’t matter what choice of cake mix you use as the detail is all in the decoration and the frosting, so choose something you know you will enjoy. This might mean a chocolate cake mix, red velvet, or vanilla.
  • You could also make some green and blue cupcakes using food coloring in the cake batter to give these Earth Day Cupcakes an extra wow factor.
  • Why not add a few extra touches. Edible glitter always looks very effective when used for decoration purposes. You can still stick with the theme of Earth Day.
  • If you want a different theme then follow the same process for the cake recipe and choose a different color and theme for the decoration. This could serve as the perfect basis for many creations in the future for different events and get-togethers. This base recipe and idea could be recreated for other occasion days throughout the year.

FAQs

Like with any recipe, there are often questions that need answering. I thought I would share some of the common questions here, but if you have any comments or questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch directly.

Can it be made ahead of time?

A great tip is to make these cupcakes ahead of time. The frosting is not always the easiest to do, and you will always need those cupcakes to be completely cooled before you start decorating. So if you are making them for a specific event you could make these the day before, or even just leave the frosting until you need them and just get to the cooling stage.

How should I store the Earth Day cupcakes?

If you do need to store these cupcakes, the best way would be in an airtight container at room temperature. They should last a few days stored that way, although, they likely won’t last too long.

Can I freeze the Earth Day cupcakes after they are cooked?

If you do plan on freezing these cupcakes it would be best to do so after the stage of cooking and before you frost them. The frosting won’t freeze well in the freezer, so cooking the cupcakes and freezing them, and pulling them out to decorate will always be the best option when wanting to use the freezer.

Enjoy your Earth Day cupcakes. 

Earth Day Cupcakes

Earth Day Cupcakes

Ingredients

  • Here is everything that you need to create these incredible cupcakes.
  • * 1 box chocolate cake mix + additional ingredients per box directions OR your favorite recipe
  • * Blue and green frosting, in a piping bag on opposite sides
  • * Pretzel sticks
  • * Candy hearts
  • * 2 oz white chocolate, melted with green oil-based food coloring

Instructions

    1. First of all, we will start with the cupcakes and get them baked. You need to follow the instructions on your chosen cake mix. Once you have done that you need to let the cupcakes cool completely. 
    2. Next up, lay the pretzel sticks 2 inches apart on a wax paper-lined tray and put to one side while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. 
    3. Now it is time for the chocolate. Melt white chocolate slowly and then get your green food coloring and add to create the desired green color. This will be used to create the leaves when it comes to decoration. 
    4. Now that your chocolate is ready pour into a piping or food storage bag and snip of a tiny portion of the tip so that you can be ready to pipe. 
    5. Pipe chocolate leaves over the pretzel sticks to create little plants. You can use the pictures as a guide. 
    6. Now that you have completed your decorations place them in the refrigerator to set.
    7. Next up is the frosting. Place the green and blue frosting in a piping bag on opposite sides, and then pipe dual-colored frosting onto each cupcake in a swirl. This will give an effect on the earth. 
    8. Get your candy hearts, and then place them in the desired position. Again you can use the pictures as a guide.
    9. Finally, you can press the chocolate pretzel plants into the frosting to complete your Earth Day cupcakes. 
    10. Now for the best part, eating them. Enjoy!

    Notes

    While the recipe is straightforward, it is always nice to have a few different tips and suggestions to make things easier. So here are some of the recipe notes and tips to help you out:

    • Always leave the cupcakes to cool completely before adding the frosting and decoration. The longer the better. If the cupcakes are too hot the frosting will melt and create a big mess. 
    • If children are helping, make sure they are supervised when using any equipment that you could be used to create the cupcakes. The cake mix method might need you to use a hand or stand mixer. 
    • Make sure you store the cupcakes in an airtight container to ensure maximum freshness. Although I suspect they won’t last too long. 
    • If you are making these cupcakes for an event or special occasion, a great tip is to make the cakes a day before. If you leave the frosting till the last moment they will look amazing and taste like perfection. It will save you a lot of time when preparing for the party. 

    Did you make this recipe?

    Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

    Earth Day Cupcakes - Collage of images

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