Bailey's Chocolate Cupcakes
Decadent chocolate cupcakes filled with an Irish creme liquor caramel filling and topped with a Bailey's cream cheese frosting, these cupcakes are the perfect boozy treat!
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer or handheld mixer
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 4 oz chopped chocolate
- ½ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1 tsp espresso powder
- ½ cup boiling water
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup Greek yogurt, plain
- ¼ cup oil
- 2 tbsp Bailey's or Irish creme liquor
- ⅔ cup light or dark brown sugar
- ½ cup sugar
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
Bailey's-Infused Caramel
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 4 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp Bailey's
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp butter, room temp
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp salt
Bailey's Frosting
- 8 tbsp butter
- 3 oz cream cheese
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp Bailey's or Irish creme liquor
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Take two muffin or cupcake pans and line with 16 cupcake liners. Preheat oven to 350°.
- In a large bowl, add in the chopped chocolate, espresso powder, and cocoa powder. Pour in the boiling water and gently stir so that the chocolate melts and turns into a smooth mixture. Let cool for 5 minutes.
- Add in the yogurt, oil, eggs, Bailey's, and vanilla and stir until smooth.
- Add in the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking soda, salt) and mix until just combined (don't overmix!)
- Pour batter into lined cupcake molds, filling each to about halfway up. Filling the molds with more batter will create a domed top whereas for cupcakes we want a smooth, flat top.
- Bake for 17-18 minutes, until a toothpick or knife inserted inside comes out clean.
- Let cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove and cool on a wire rack for at least 45 mins.
Irish Creme Liquor Caramel
- In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Heat at medium heat and let it boil– do not stir. The mixture will go from clear to light brown. Once brown, turn the stove off and remove the pan from heat. To the sugar mixture, pour in the room temp heavy cream. This will cause the mixture to boil profusely but keep stirring (but be careful!).
- Once mixed, add in the butter and mix until melted into the caramel. Add in the Irish creme liquor, salt, and vanilla extract and stir until incorporated. Set aside.
Bailey's Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer, mix the butter until fluffy then add the cream cheese and Bailey's. Mix until combined then add in the powdered sugar cup by cup. Mix until a uniform thick mixture forms.
Assembly
- If filling cupcakes with the caramel, take a treat or cupcake corer to carve out a slender hole in the cupcake (not all the way through the cupcake). You can also take a knife to carve out a half inch hole in the cupcake (again, about halfway or3/4 way down, not all the way through). Fill the hole with the caramel until it reaches the top. You can fill with a small spoon or with a piping bag.
- If frosting cupcakes, either spread frosting with an offset spatula or place in a piping bag and decorate cupcakes. Top with optional sprinkles and enjoy!