Irish Cream Chocolate Cupcakes

March is definitely the month of all things Irish, and that includes many delicious food items, from a warm bowl of Irish oatmeal in the morning to a relaxing cup of coffee with a generous splash of Bailey's after dinner. If you really want to up the Irish-ness, you could enjoy one of these Bailey's cupcakes along with your Irish coffee. When I stopped by recently to enjoy the goodies on Sprinkle Bakes, I immediately knew these would make an appearance on our table well before St. Patrick's Day.

This chocolatey cupcake has a Bailey's ganache in the center and is topped with a Bailey's buttercream. Although the original recipe includes a hot fudge sauce on top that sounds wonderful, I omitted it for the sake of portable and easy eating. However, if I were serving these on a plate with a fork, I would most definitely drizzle that on top.

I highly recommend that you stop over at Sprinkle Bakes to see her beautiful desserts and a video  on her Irish cream hot fudge cupcakes, but be prepared to immediately want to get in the kitchen to make these. 

Bailey's Cupcake 
Sprinkle Bakes

Cakes
1/2 cup Irish Cream liqueur, or two mini bottles (50 ml each)

3 tablespoons well-beaten egg 
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup strongly brewed coffee

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with 6 large or 9 standard  muffin papers 

Place Irish Cream liqueur, egg, and vanilla in cup; beat together vigorously with a fork, set aside.

Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add butter and liquid mixture; beat with an electric mixer on low speed until dry ingredients are moistened.  Add coffee and beat again until well incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl using a rubber spatula and beat well again.

Divide batter between muffin cups.  Bake for 25-27 minutes or until cupcakes spring back when pressed in the center. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Chocolate Ganache Filling

1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp. heavy cream

1 cup milk chocolate chips

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons Irish Cream liqueur (about half a mini bottle)

Combine heavy cream and chocolate chips in a medium saucepan or a microwaveable bowl.  Heat on medium low until chips are melted and can be stirred smooth.  If using the microwave, heat at 30 second intervals until completely melted and mixture can be stirred smooth.  Add butter in pieces and stir until melted.  Add Irish cream.  Stir well.  Refrigerate until ganache is thickened but still fairly soft.
Cut a large divot out of each cupcake and fill with ganache. 

Irish Cream Buttercream Frosting

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

3 cups confectioners’ sugar

1/4 cup plus two tablespoons Irish cream (about 1 1/2 mini bottles)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine butter and confectioners’ sugar in a large bowl and mix on low speed with a hand mixer until just combined.  Gradually add in Irish cream.  Scrape down sides of bowl  and mix in vanilla.  Beat on high speed until light and fluffy.  Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large closed star tip.  Pipe frosting over the surface of the cupcakes.

 

Irish Cream Hot Fudge Sauce

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/4 cup milk chocolate chips

1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup coffee

1/2 cup Irish cream (2 mini bottles)

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Whisk to incorporate.  Bring to a boil and let bubble one minute.  Remove from heat and let cool slightly before pouring into the empty Irish cream bottles.

Pour a scant 1/4 cup of hot fudge sauce in each empty Irish cream bottle. Turn them upright and press the bottle neck into the frosting and down to the chocolate ganache filling.  Sprinkle with cocoa powder and serve.

****2x recipe made 18 standard cupcakes, 1.5x ganache filled 18 cupcakes and frosting recipe was enough to frost all 18

 

Foodie Friday

Chocolate Cupcakes

These cute football cupcakes are the perfect sweet treat to take to your next football party. I first saw these over at Shelly's blog cookies and cups some time ago. If you don't know Shelly you should drop on over she is one of the most creative and entertaining bloggers around. If you want detailed pictures on how to make these, you will find them on her blog.

We used our new favorite chocolate cupcake, which came from Cook's Illustrated, and our favorite butter cream frosting, which just happens to be nearly the same as Shelly's ( except I add a pinch of salt to mine). Since I didn't know what teams were playing on this particular day, I went for a generic football theme, but you can vary the colors of frosting and sprinkles to show your team spirit.

Chocolate Cupcakes from Cook’s Illustrated

Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
¾ cup hot coffee
¾ cup bread flour
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350. Place chopped chocolate and cocoa in a medium bowl. Pour hot coffee over mixture and whisk until smooth. Set in refrigerator until cool, about 20 minutes.
2. Whisk flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda together in a small bowl and set aside
3. Whisk oil, eggs, vinegar, and vanilla into cooled chocolate-cocoa mixture until smooth. Add flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
4. Divide batter evenly among cupcake pans. Bake until cupcakes are set and just firm to the touch, 17-19 minutes. Cool in pans until cool enough to handle. Let cool completely before frosting.

printable recipe

Butter Cream Frosting

via cookies and cups

1 stick softened butter

1/2 c. Crisco
2 t.vanilla .
1/4 cup milk
pinch of salt
6 to 7 cups of sifted powdered sugar 
Color as desired

Directions:

1. Cream the butter and shortening together at a med-high speed for about 2 minutes, until it appears smooth and creamy.
2. Slowly add powdered sugar and beat until fairly well incorporated, mixture will be crumbly
3. Add  milk and vanilla beat at medium-low speed until combined and then up your speed to med-high and beat until light and fluffy

printable recipe

 Oreo Truffle Footballs

1 pkg. Oreos, crushed

1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese, softened.
1 10 oz. pkg milk chocolate candy melts
Royal icing or white candy melts

1. Mix the cream cheese and the crushed Oreos together.
2. Form cookie mix into football shapes about 1and 1/2 inches long place on a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper. Chill in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes..
3. Melt chocolate in microwave until smooth and liquid, be careful not to over heat it. Dip footballs into chocolate, tapping off excess chocolate.  Place on a baking sheet lined with wax or parchment paper to set.
When the chocolate has set, pipe the stitching with either royal icing or white chocolate.

printable recipe

Go Gator!

Links: Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum