Carrot Patch Cupcakes

Sweet and full of chocolate, these carrot patch cupcakes are adorable for Easter and Spring! An orange chocolate-covered strawberry made to look like a carrot sits on top of a chocolate cupcake coated in chocolate cookie crumbs to make the cutest little carrot garden on a platter.

 

Why We Love Carrot Patch Cupcakes

• Fun For Easter Or Spring Parties– These cupcakes look really adorable at any Easter party, brunch or spring party on a platter! These cupcakes remind me of easy pudding dirt cups but in cupcake form!
• Use Boxed Mix Shortcuts– This recipe can use boxed cake mix and storebought frosting to make creating this treat even faster.

Ingredients For Carrot Patch Cupcakes

• chocolate cupcakes vanilla can be used also, already baked. You can use store-bought cupcakes too!
• chocolate sandwich cookies like Oreos, center frosting can be removed but doesn’t have to be.
• chocolate frosting
• orange candy melts – these can also be found in the cake decorating section of most craft stores
• strawberries

You could also use some of the fruit to make fun bugs snacks in your carrot patch!

How To Make Carrot Patch Cupcakes

1. With a small knife, spoon or melon baller, scoop out a hole in the top of each cupcake.

2. Frost the top of each cupcake with chocolate frosting. You want to frost the outer edge of the cupcake around the hole you created.

3. In a large plastic bag or food processor, crush the oreo pieces until they are large crumbs. Dip the tops of each cupcake in the oreo crumbs, this gives the chocolate more of a “dirt” appearance. Set the cupcakes to the side.

4. Rinse the strawberries and dry them really well. Any extra moisture can make the orange chocolate seize (become grainy.)
5. In a medium sized bowl, melt the orange candy melts at half power in a microwave, stirring every thirty seconds. It will take 2-3 minutes before a nice smooth orange chocolate sauce forms.

6. Carefully dip each strawberry in the orange chocolate, using a spoon to cover it completely if needed without dipping the strawberry leaves. Set the chocolate-covered strawberry on a piece of parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
7. Place the pan of strawberries in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or until the orange chocolate firmly sets. Add an orange “carrot” strawberry to the top of each cupcake, then serve and enjoy!

How Long Will These Carrot Patch Cupcakes Last?

The chocolate-covered strawberries will taste best if eaten within two days. Store leftover carrot patch cupcakes in the refrigerator in a sealed container.

I like to place the strawberry carrots on top of the cupcakes right before I serve, keeping them separate until I place them on a platter.

Do I Need To Remove The Creme Centers Of The Chocolate Cookies?

While you can remove the creme centers of the chocolate sandwich cookies, I find it really isn’t a necessary step. You can remove the creme centers if you prefer.

Occasionally, you may find you have a larger chunk of chocolate cookie that shows a little bit of white frosting. Seeing that white creme can make the cupcakes look a little less like dirt, but you can also solve it by flipping the piece of cookie over on the frosting. I find flipping a few crumbs is faster than removing the creme fillings, but either way works.