If you’ve spent any time with me in the last few months, you’ve probably heard me talk about my trip to Ireland. Let me tell you, the Irish are doing life right by starting the day with Irish Coffee!! Bold coffee, sweet Irish cream, and of course, smooth Irish whiskey – what could be better? The answer: putting all these flavors into Irish coffee cupcakes. With a rich, chocolate espresso cupcake soaked in whiskey and topped with a whipped cream Bailey’s frosting, you’ll be obsessed with these in no time.
What makes these Irish Coffee Cupcakes so incredible?
Instant Espresso: What are Irish coffee cupcakes without coffee? The espresso in this recipe not only contributes to the coffee flavor, but also brings out the rich chocolate flavors. It is important to use espresso instead of instant coffee in this recipe as regular coffee does not have as strong of a flavor. We’re going for a really intense coffee cupcake so we need espresso for that!
Jameson Whiskey: Only the finest whiskey for these cupcakes! Jameson offers a such a smooth taste to cupcakes without the nail polish remover taste (*cough* Jack Daniel’s). Though it seems like a sin to not use Irish whiskey in this cupcake, you can definitely use whatever brand you want! I would recommend splurging just a little bit since these Irish cupcakes will be soaked in whichever whiskey you choose. You want to pick one that has an overall good flavor so that when you soak them in whiskey you’ll get the flavor of the whiskey but not the actual alcohol.
Bailey’s Irish Cream: No coffee (or cupcake) is complete without Irish Cream. Since the cupcake itself is already so packed with flavors I decided to keep the frosting simple. On top, you have a whipped cream Bailey’s frosting with a touch of cocoa, espresso, and Bailey’s Irish Cream.
How can I make these?
Dissolve: In the instructions you’ll notice it says to dissolve the cocoa powder in boiling water. This does two things. 1) It makes sure there are no cocoa powder chunks in your batter. 2) Combining the cocoa powder with hot water will release more of the cocoa flavor from the powder.
Mix the dry and wet ingredients: Mix the dry ingredients together first. This includes the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugars, and salt. Then, separately combine the wet ingredients together. This includes the oil, whiskey, eggs, and vanilla.
Combine and bake: Mix all the ingredients together and bake at 350 F for 17 minutes. Get ready for 16 perfect Irish Coffee Cupcakes!
FAQs
Do I really need to use cake flour?
Yes! Cake flour is the secret to getting a perfect, soft cupcake. Cake flour has a lower protein content than all purpose flour. This is what gives it a soft, delicate structure. All purpose flour contains more protein and will cause the cupcakes to have a tougher texture. Cake flour gives these cupcakes the perfect melt-in-your-mouth consistency.
Can I make these without alcohol?
Absolutely! These will turn into more of a chocolate espresso cupcake instead, but they can be made without alcohol. To do this, replace the whiskey with milk or more water. Using milk instead of whiskey will give these cupcakes an even softer texture. Feel free to use water instead if you don’t have milk. For the frosting, just replace the Bailey’s with more heavy whipping cream.
Tips for success
Weigh your ingredients! Using a food scale is the only way to ensure this recipe turns out perfect every time.
Bring your cupcake ingredients to room temperature. Whenever you make a cake it is essential to make sure all ingredients are room temperature first. This ensures that all ingredients will combine seamlessly and you won’t have any chunks in your finished cupcake.
Freeze your mixing bowl and whisk before making the frosting. Throwing your bowl and whisk in the freezer for about 15 minutes allows you to get the perfect, stiff Bailey’s frosting. All ingredients need to be super cold to get a good whipped cream consistency. Do not skip this step!!!
Refrigerate your frosting before piping. The beautiful thing about this Bailey’s frosting is how light and delicate it is. It is the perfect compliment to these Irish coffee cupcakes. However, it will melt fast in a piping bag from the heat of your hand. I like to keep my frosting in the fridge and fill the piping bag with about 1/3rd of the mixture at a time. If you’re determined to do some intricate piping, you can stiffen the frosting with 1 tsp of cornstarch.
Store/Make ahead instructions
The cupcakes will keep for 2-3 days at room temperature and 5-7 days in the fridge. If you want to keep the cupcakes longer, I recommend making the frosting in smaller batches and frosting the cupcakes as needed. The Bailey’s frosting will only last about 2 days in the fridge. If you want to make these cupcakes ahead of time, bake the cupcakes and wrap them with plastic wrap or place them in an airtight container at room temperature. When ready to consume, soak the cupcakes in whiskey and frost them.
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Irish Coffee Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 133 g Cake flour 1 cup + 2 Tbs + 1 tsp
- 125 g Brown sugar 1/2 cup + 2 tsp
- 125 g Granulated sugar 1/2 cup + 6 Tbs
- 1 ½ tsp Baking powder
- ½ tsp Baking soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- 118 g Vegetable or canola oil 1/2 cup
- 2 large Eggs
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
- 67 g Cocoa powder 3/4 cup + 1 Tbs
- 158 g Hot water 2/3 cup
- 1 tsp Instant espresso powder
- 59 g Jameson whiskey + more for brushing 1/4 cup
For the Bailey's Mocha Whipped Cream
- 203 g Heavy whipping cream 3/4 cup + 2 Tbs
- 29 g Bailey's Irish Cream 2 Tbs
- 2 Tbs Granulated sugar
- 1 Tbs Cocoa powder
- 1 tsp Instant espresso powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and line two cupcake trays with 16 liners in total.
- Combine hot water with espresso powder and mix until dissolved. Add cocoa powder and mix with a whisk or fork until all cocoa powder chunks have dissolved. Set aside to let cool before adding to the rest of the batter.
- In a large bowl or mixing bowl, add cake flour, brown sugar, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine whiskey, eggs, vanilla, and oil. Mix well until the egg yolks are thoroughly broken up. Add this mixture to the bowl with the dry ingredients and beat until just combined.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and pour the cocoa mixture into the batter. Mix until just combined. Be careful not to over mix your batter!
- Scoop about 3 Tbs of batter into each cupcake liner so that they are slightly over halfway full. (I like to use a ¼ measuring cup and just measure under slightly as ¼ cup is 4 Tbs.)
- Bake for 15-20 minutes. My cupcakes are almost always done right at 17 minutes, but everyone’s oven is different so it is important to check them around the 15 minute mark. You can test if a cupcake is done by gently pushing down on the top of the cupcake. If it springs back, it’s ready. If it leaves a dent, it needs another couple minutes. You may also use a toothpick to test if the cupcakes are baked all the way through.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely.
- Using a fork or toothpick, poke some holes into each cupcake. Brush away any excess crumbs on top. Then, pour ½ tsp of whiskey onto each cupcake. Feel free to reduce it to ¼ tsp or omit it completely for less of a whiskey flavor.
For the Bailey's Frosting
- Place your mixing bowl and whisk in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. You want these really cold!
- Remove the bowl and whisk from the freezer and add all Bailey’s frosting ingredients to the bowl. Whip with a whisk attachment on high speed for 4-6 minutes. The time depends on your mixer. Keep an eye on it every minute or so as it can very quickly become over whipped. You want to whip until you get stiff peaks. To test if it’s ready, grab a spoon or spatula full of frosting and hold it upside down. It shouldn’t move! If it immediately falls off or looks runny then keep whipping. If you’ve whipped it for several minutes and it doesn’t seem to be stiffening, try placing your bowl in the freezer for about 10 minutes. Then whip again. The cream needs to be really cold!
- If you’re piping the frosting: Place the frosting in the fridge for about 15 – 30 minutes before piping onto the cupcakes. Give it a good whip with a spatula after taking it out of the fridge to get some air back into it.
