Irish Cream Chocolate Cupcakes with Baileys Cream Cheese Frosting
Rich, chocolatey cupcakes meet the indulgent flavor of Irish cream liqueur in these Irish Cream Chocolate Cupcakes with Baileys Cream Cheese Frosting. The cupcakes bake up moist and super chocolatey, while the soft and tangy cream cheese frosting gets a splash of Baileys for unmistakable Irish cream flavor. They’re simple enough for beginner bakers but feel fun enough for St. Patrick’s Day, dinner parties, or anytime you want an adults-only dessert that tastes a little extra special.
Ingredients
Irish Cream Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese cold
- 10 tbsp butter softened (1 stick plus 2 tbsp)
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 tbsp Bailey’s Irish Cream
- ¼ tsp sea salt or more
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 cup all-purpose flour about 125g (measure using scale or spooned and level method)
- 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
Instructions
- For the frosting, mix the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, Irish cream, and sea salt with an electric beater until smooth. For best results, chill in the fridge for an hour before using (optional).8 oz cream cheese, 10 tbsp butter, 2 ½ cups powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 3 tbsp Bailey’s Irish Cream, ¼ tsp sea salt
- 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.
- Frost the cupcakes using an offset spatula or a piping bag. Decorate with green sprinkles, if desired.
Notes
Tips:
- Chill the frosting for at least an hour before using. Baileys makes the frosting looser, and chilling it in the fridge helps make it more stable. This is optional.
- Only frost the cupcakes that you plan to eat/share immediately.
- Don’t overmix the batter or it'll get gummy.
- Use an ice cream or cookie scoop for even cupcakes.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting or the frosting will melt.