Chocolate Irish Cream Cupcakes

As I have been saying, I am completely and totally on a cupcake kick right now. So when my husband and I were invited to a St. Patrick's day party a couple of weeks ago I offered to make some cupcakes. Since this was an adult-only bash, I knew that the dessert needed to be some drunken cupcakes! And since it was an Irish party I knew that I needed to find a way to get my favorite liquor, Bailey's Irish Cream, into the cupcakes.

When I coming up with the recipe, not only did I find a way to add Irish Cream to it, but I also decided to fill it was a wonderful surprise: Irish Cream Chocolate Ganache.

The cupcakes turned out absolutely decadent and rich. And they were a hit at the party...Enjoy!


Chocolate Irish Cream Cupcakes

Makes 24 cupcakes

Ingredients for the cupcakes:
1 package devil’s food cake mix
1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs; lightly beaten
1/2 cup warm water
1 teaspoon of vanilla

Instructions for cupcakes:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line (2) 12 cup muffin tins with paper liners.
3. In stand mixer, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs, vanilla and water.
4. Evenly divide the batter amongst the prepared pans.
5. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean.
6. Cool cupcakes thoroughly on wire rack.

Ingredients for Chocolate Ganache:
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate - chopped
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
2 teaspoons of Irish Cream

Instructions for Chocolate Ganache:
1. Heat the whipping cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate in a heat safe bowl.
2. Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth. (If this has not sufficiently melted the chocolate,  microwave for 20 seconds and stir until melted.)
3. Add the butter and Bailey's Irish Cream and stir until combined.

Filling the Cupcakes:
1. Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped (the fridge will speed this along but you must stir it every 10 minutes)
2. Meanwhile, using an apple corer, cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes. You want to go most of the way down the cupcake but not cut through the bottom, about 2/3 of the way.
3. Put the ganache into a piping bag with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.

Ingredients for Frosting:
3 sticks unsalted butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 small pinch of salt
2 lbs powdered sugar
4 tablespoons Bailey's Irish Cream

Instructions for Frosting:
1. In large mixing bowl whip butter until light and fluffy (a few minutes should do the trick)
2. Slowly add in the powdered sugar, mixing well between each addition.
3. Add in the salt, vanilla, and Irish Cream with mixer at low speed until these ingredients are incorporated.
4. Beat frosting at high speed until it is smooth and fluffy.

I frosted my cupcakes with a Wilton 1M Star tip and garnished it with green sanding sugar. Cupcakes will stay fresh for up to two days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.


I am linking up to: Blue Cricket Design,  The Trendy Treehouse, Sugar & Dots, Someday Crafts, This Weeks Cravings, bouffe e bambini: Handmade Hog, Night Owl Crafting, Fireflies & Jelly Beans, Transformation Thursdays, Strut Your Stuff Thursday, Recipe Swap Thursday, It's a Keeper Thursday, Simply Sweet Home, It's A Hodgepodge Friday, Feature Yourself Friday, WhipperBerry, Foodie Friday