Supremely soft chocolate cupcakes spiked with Baileys Irish cream, crowned with fluffy chocolate Baileys frosting, and drizzled in silky chocolate ganache!
‘Tis the season to be boozy!
That’s how the saying goes, isn’t it?
Truthfully, I’m not very big on alcoholic beverages. I was never into beer (gross), nor have I been a “wine o’clock somewhere” kinda gal. However, every once in a while I’ll make an exception for Baileys Irish Cream. This is especially true during the holidays when it’s offered at various gatherings. It’s one of the few liqueurs that doesn’t have that overwhelming “alcoholy” flavor. It’s rich, creamy, and utterly dangerous. In fact, I think I made it even more lethal by combining it with chocolate and baking it into THESE glorious cupcakes…
These Baileys Chocolate Cupcakes are TO DIE FOR in every way possible! The cake is moist, fluffy, and deliciously dark chocolatey with the perfect hit of Baileys Irish Cream. The frosting is super light and creamy, and it tastes like an absolute DREAM. These Baileys beauties are also finished off with a silky drizzle of rich chocolate ganache, making them even more alluring for the eyes AND tastebuds.
Why You’ll Go Wild For These Cupcakes:
- Super soft, pillowy, and supremely fluffy cupcakes. Not one dry crumb in the house!
- A double dose of Baileys in every single bite! Both the cupcakes and frosting are spiked with Baileys Irish Cream.
- Rich and lusciously creamy chocolate frosting that’ll make you lick the bowl.
- Perfect for any holiday party, whether it’s Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Winter Solstice, or New Year’s Eve!
Tips For Making The BEST Cupcakes:
Use the right cocoa powder – For this recipe, I highly recommend you use DUTCH-PROCESSED cocoa powder. It has a deeper richness than natural cocoa powder, and it also balances out the sweetness of the cupcake. Hershey has a great dutch-processed cocoa powder, and you can find it in most grocery stores. It’s called “Hershey’s Special Dark 100% Cocao”.
Add a little espresso – I always add a little instant espresso powder to my chocolate baked goods. It intensifies the flavor of the chocolate and you won’t taste the coffee at all. Adding the espresso powder to hot water not only helps to completely dissolve the espresso powder, but also ensures that it’s evenly dispersed throughout the batter.
Use both vegetable oil and sour cream – For that perfectly moist crumb, I’ve found that a combination of vegetable oil and sour cream achieve the best results. Although butter provides the best flavor, it tends to create denser cupcakes. Vegetable creates a moister crumb that’s also lighter and remains moist for much longer than butter. Sour cream replaces some of the flavor lost from the absence of butter, and it adds a creamy richness to the cupcakes.
Whip it GOOD – Make sure to whip the frosting until it’s fluffy and voluminous. The color will also lighten up quite a bit after it’s been whipped for a few minutes.
Can I Make These Cupcakes Non-Alcoholic?
Certainly! If you’d like to serve these cupcakes to the young’uns, the Irish Cream in both the cupcake batter and frosting can easily be replaced with milk.
But if I’m being honest, what good is being an adult if you can’t forbid kids from eating cupcakes that are meant SOLEY for adults?
😉
Baileys Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Baileys Cupcakes:
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- ½ cup hot water
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (dutch-processed)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup Baileys Irish Cream (can substitute with milk)
- ½ cup sour cream
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Chocolate Baileys Frosting:
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature (3 sticks)
- 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 tablespoons Baileys Irish Cream (can substitute with milk or heavy cream)
Chocolate Ganache:
- 3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped or chips
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
Instructions
Make the Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF degrees, and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners. Add the espresso powder to the hot water, and stir until fully dissolved; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, both sugars, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Add the Irish cream, oil, sour cream, and the espresso liquid, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla, stirring until just combined.
- Pour batter into cupcake liners, filling 2/3 of the way. Bake in the oven for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on high until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the cocoa powder and salt, and mix on low until combined. Increase the mixing speed to high, and beat until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, as needed.
- Add the sugar, a cup at a time, beating on low with each addition, then beating at medium speed until incorporated.
- Add the vanilla and Irish cream. Beat on low until combined, then turn the speed up to high. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then continue mixing until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Make the Ganache:
- Place chocolate in a medium bowl; set aside. Pour heavy cream into a small saucepan and heat on the stove over medium-high heat. Once it starts to simmer, immediately pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Remove plastic wrap, and stir until smooth. Allow ganache to cool slightly.
To Assemble
- Transfer frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe frosting on top of cupcakes, using a swirl action. Use a fork or spoon to drizzle the ganache on top. Serve and enjoy!