Bailey's Irish Coffee Cupcakes and Bailey's Buttercream

I have been watching the montly Cupcake Hero contest for a while now, and keep intending to submit an entry. So far, no luck. But this is going to be the month--I promise! I even put them in cute St. Patrick's Day cupcake papers and used my cupcake toppers for extra festive flair.

This recipe comes from Crazy About Cupcakes by Krystina Castella, which is in my stash of cupcake books. Ok, I have a problem...if it has cupcakes on it, I buy it. Well, except for the cupcake cookie jar at Target, which I stupidly decided to buy on my next visit. Bad move on my part because that $15 cookie jar is going for $50-100 on eBay.

Anyway, back to today's cupcakes, which combine two ingredients I love--coffee and Bailey's Irish cream. The recipe originally was just for Irish cream cupcakes, but I really wanted something that captured the flavor of my favorite winter pub drink. If you don't want coffee, substitute the water and instant coffee granules with milk.

Cupcakes:
2/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temp of course
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temp
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups Bailey's (or your favorite generic Irish cream)
2/3 cup water
2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Insert 24 liners into a cupcake pan.
2. Pour yourself a glass of Bailey's over ice to enjoy while baking.
3. In large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes with a stand mixer. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the liqueur, water and instant coffee. Mix well.
5. In third bowl, thoroughly combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
6. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, alternating with the liqueur mixture. Beat on medium speed for approximately 2 minutes.
7. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for about 20 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched.

These are very dense and moist cupcakes, so I felt that a regular buttercream would be too sweet. So, I instead opted for a traditional drink garnish--whipped cream. I made my own with the Orange Krush (my persimmon KitchenAid) using:

1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons confectioners sugar

Using the whisk attachment on the mixer, beat for approximately 5 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Remember to always chill your mixing bowl and make sure it is thoroughly clean. Drops of water or leftover food can ruin a whipped cream recipe.

I was pleased with the result, but will use less Bailey's and more coffee next time for a more Bailey's and coffee taste. These were really delicious and I can't wait to make more, especially with the cute St. Patrick's Day toppers and cupcake papers.

If you want another option, here's an easy recipe for Bailey's buttercream frosting:
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temp
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons Bailey's Irish Cream (any variety is fine)

Cream the butter on high speed for approximately 3 minutes. Add the Bailey's and mix thoroughly. Slowly add the powdered sugar until well blended.

Remember that Bailey's is a dairy product and should therefore be refrigerated!