Baileys cupcakes recipe

These luxurious Baileys cupcakes have a smooth, velvety Irish cream-infused buttercream and deep, moist chocolate sponge. 

Flavour these delicious Baileys cupcakes with chocolate, coffee, and Irish cream chocolate. Top with two-tone chocolate and Irish cream buttercream. This indulgent cupcake recipe (opens in new tab) takes just 30 minutes to bake. Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day.

Ingredients

Equipment

• 9 muffin cases
• Deep muffin tray
• 3 piping bags (optional)
• Wilton 2D piping nozzle

For the sponge:

• 55g butter
• 55g 48% dark chocolate
• 5g coffee granules
• 30g self-raising flour
• 30g plain flour
• 5g cornflour
• 15g cocoa powder
• Pinch bicarbonate of soda
• 120g caster sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2tsp vegetable oil
• 25ml buttermilk
• 40ml of water
• 1 bar of Irish cream chocolate

For the chocolate icing:

• 100g of softened unsalted butter
• 80g of cocoa powder
• 340g of icing sugar
• 1 1/2tsps of vanilla
• 100ml of milk

For the Baileys buttercream:

• 140g of unsalted butter
• 200g of icing sugar
• 3tbsps of Irish cream/Baileys

Method

1. For the sponge: Before you start making these cupcakes, pop the Irish cream chocolate bar in the freezer.
2. Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3 and line a 12-hole muffin tray with cupcake cases. Place butter, chopped chocolate, coffee granules and 40ml of water in a large bowl over a pan of boiling water, stir gently until melted then remove from the heat and allow to cool.
3. Sift the flours, cocoa, and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar and make a well in the center. Add the beaten eggs, oil and buttermilk, and the cooled chocolate mixture, stirring with a large whisk until completely combined. Do not beat this mixture, there is no need.
4. Remove the chocolate bar from the freezer. Fill cupcake cases to 2/3 full and pop one square of the chocolate in the middle of each cake. Then bake for 30 mins until they are springy to the touch. Remove and cool in the trays for 10 mins before putting on a wire rack.
5. For the chocolate icing: To a large mixing bowl add the butter, vanilla and milk. Sift the cocoa and icing sugar into the bowl and mix on a medium speed for about 5 mins until smooth and shiny.
6. For the Baileys buttercream: Add the butter and the Irish cream into a large mixing bowl. Sift the icing sugar into the bowl and beat on a medium speed for about 5 mins, until smooth and shiny.
7. For the piping: Snipping just a tiny tip of 2 piping bags (just to let the air out) fill one bag with the chocolate buttercream and one with Irish cream buttercream.
8. Place a Wilton 2D onto the 3rd piping bag. Snip a larger tip off the ends of the other 2 piping bags. Place these 2 piping bags into the 3rd piping bag and squeeze all the air up out of the top of the bag and twist at the top of the icing.
9. Twist the icing bag and grip between your thumb and index finger. Place the other hand at the bottom of the bag and use this to guide the tip. Applying pressure with your hand at the top of the bag, pipe a star shape in the centre of the cupcake.
10. Now, pipe round the star keeping an even pressure as you squeeze. Keep piping in a spiral until the star is completely covered. When you reach the end push down slightly and pull up quickly to finish. Decorate with white sprinkles.

Top tips for making Baileys cupcakes

Drizzle each cupcake with Baileys for an extra punch of Irish cream flavour.

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