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Close up of a frosted Irish Cream Chocolate Cupcake, its green cupcake wrapper pulled off. The white frosting is decorated with green sprinkles. A few cupcakes sit in the background, along with a bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream.

Irish Cream Chocolate Cupcakes

These adults-only Irish Cream Chocolate Cupcakes feature moist chocolate cake flavored with coffee and Irish cream and a luxurious Bailey’s cream cheese frosting.
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Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:20 minutes
Total Time:35 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Cupcake
Servings: 16

Ingredients

Chocolate Cupcakes

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, (spoon & level method; about 125g)
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • ½ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • ½ cup hot strong coffee
  • ¼ cup Bailey’s Irish Cream liqueur
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup brown sugar, packed
  • ⅓ cup neutral-flavored oil
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Irish Cream Frosting

  • 6 oz cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup butter, (1 stick) softened
  • 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 4 tbsp Bailey’s Irish Cream
  • ¼ tsp sea salt, or more

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a cupcake tray with cupcake liners.
  • Mix the dry ingredients together (except for the cocoa powder) in a bowl and set aside.
    1 cup all-purpose flour, ½ tsp sea salt, 1 tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp baking soda
  • In a separate container, pour the hot coffee over the cocoa powder and whisk until the cocoa has completely mixed in. Set aside to cool.
    ½ cup hot strong coffee, ½ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • In a large bowl, mix the sugars and the oil together with an electric beater until the mixture resembles wet sand.
    ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, ⅓ cup neutral-flavored oil
  • Mix the cocoa mixture into the wet ingredients, then mix in the Bailey’s Irish Cream and the sour cream.
    ¼ cup Bailey’s Irish Cream liqueur, ½ cup sour cream
  • Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then mix in the vanilla.
    2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Add the dry ingredients and mix them with the wet ingredients (careful not to overmix or cake will be gummy).
  • Fill each cupcake liner about ⅔ of the way full with batter (about 3 tbsp per liner).
  • Bake for 17-19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out with only a few crumbs attached. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting them.
  • For the frosting, mix the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, Irish cream, and sea salt with an electric beater until smooth.
    6 oz cream cheese, ½ cup butter, 2 ½ cups powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 4 tbsp Bailey’s Irish Cream, ¼ tsp sea salt
  • Frost the cupcakes using an offset spatula or a piping bag. Decorate with green sprinkles, if desired.