Irish Cream Cupcakes - Adults-only St. Patrick's Day Treats-

To celebrate St. Patrick's Day, I baked cupcakes... they are not green, but filled with Irish cream. Please note this cupcake is "adults-only" made with 30 proof liqueur! Yes, it is a perfect dessert to finish your St. Patrick's Day party.

Irish cream and coffee will add another dimension to the chocolate cake - Irish cream and coffee, AND coffee and chocolate are classic flavors that go well together.


Irish Cream Cupcakes
Adults-only St. Patrick's Day Treats

(Yield: 12-14 cupcakes / Cooking time: 30 minutes)


Ingredients:

Cupcakes
Dry ingredients & Butter
+ 1.5 cup cake flour, sifted
+ 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
+ 3 Tbsp chopped dark chocolate (60%)
+ 3/4 cup sugar
+ 1/2 tsp baking soda
+ 1/4 tsp baking powder
+ 1/2 tsp salt
+ 4 oz unsalted butter (1 stick), softened at room temperature


Wet ingredients
+ 2 large eggs
+ 3/4 cup black coffee, cooled
+ 1/4 cup Irish cream (I used Baileys)
+ 1 tsp vanilla extract



Irish Cream Frosting
+ 8 oz unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened at room temperature
+ 2 cups powdered sugar
+ 3 Tbsp Irish cream (I used Baileys)
+ 2 tsp vanilla extract
+ (optional) green sugar crystals or chocolate sprinkles



Procedures:
1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C), and line a 12-cup cupcake pan with parchment liners.

2. Put all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well.(I chopped the dark chocolate to smaller pieces.)


3. Add room temperature butter to the bowl and blend them together just to combine.

Before the butter is combined.


After the butter is combined.



4. Place all the wet ingredients in a bowl and mix well together. Pour the wet ingredients to #3, and mix gently until dry ingredients and wet ingredients are well incorporated.


5. Fill the cupcake pan with #3 up to 2/3 full. Bake for 18 minutes in the preheated oven until a cake taster comes out clean. When the cupcakes are baked, take them out from the oven and cool over wired rack until the cupcakes are completely cooled down. If the cupcake is warm, it will melt frosting.

Before baking.


After baking.



6. While the cakes are cooling, make the Irish cream frosting. It is very simple, just place all the ingredients (unsalted butter, powdered sugar, Irish cream, and vanilla extract) together in a mixer with paddle attachment, and mix until the frosting is smooth and fluffy.


7. When the baked cupcakes are cooled completely, finish each cupcake with Irish cream frosting, and top with green sugar crystals or chocolate sprinkles.


Enjoy~