Baileys Cupcakes
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These Baileys Cupcakes are the perfect grown-up cupcake recipe. The recipe starts with super moist and fudgy chocolate cupcakes. Then they’re topped with super fluffy Irish cream frosting.
**This post was updated December 5, 2024 with new photos & recipe tips**
If you love adding a coffee with Irish cream, or an Irish cream chocolate over the holidays – then you’re going to love these Baileys cupcakes. They start with moist, fudgy, perfectly rich chocolate cupcakes. Then they’re frosted with incredibly creamy Baileys frosting. The combination of rich chocolate and Irish cream makes for a cupcake that’s perfectly rich and loved by grownups.
I love making this recipe for Christmas, New Year’s Eve or St. Patrick’s Day.
The Perfect Baileys Cupcakes
I actually played around with this recipe a lot. If you want to get straight to the recipe, feel free to scroll down but for more tips, baking science, etc – keep reading.
At first, I wanted to make a chocolate cupcake recipe infused with Irish cream. However, after multiple recipe tests I realized that the chocolate flavor would just take over and you really couldn’t taste the Baileys in the baked cupcakes.
So instead – I settled on the best chocolate cupcake recipe around topped with Baileys frosting. Trust me, you’ll get plenty of Irish cream flavor.
The chocolate cupcakes are super moist because we’re using oil and milk. Oil keeps them tender because it’s liquid at room temperature as opposed to butter, which is solid. Then the right amount of milk keeps them soft and fluffy.
The deliciously fudgy, chocolate flavor is because we’re using cocoa powder and boiling water. I like to use Dutch-process cocoa because it gives a richer chocolate taste. The boiling water actually helps to bring out the chocolate flavor because it makes the cocoa bloom. I find a richer chocolate flavor pairs perfectly with the Irish cream frosting.
The Baileys frosting is a simple American-style buttercream using butter, powdered sugar, Baileys, a little salt, and instant coffee powder. I like the addition of a tiny amount of instant coffee powder to help cut the sweetness and amplify the Baileys flavor, but it’s optional.
Recipe Tip
If you’d like to make a non alcoholic version, the Baileys can be substituted with Irish cream flavored coffee creamer.
These Baileys cupcakes are a must-make for the holiday season. Moist and fudgy with fluffy Baileys frosting on top – these are perfect for you holiday party.
Looking for more grown up desserts? Then be sure to try:
Baileys Cupcakes
Equipment
- 12-cavity muffin pan
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (125 grams)
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder (45 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil (80 ml), or canola
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup buttermilk (120 ml)
- 1/3 cup boiling water (80 ml)
Baileys Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter (226 grams), softened but not starting to melt
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar (330-440 grams)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3-4 tablespoons Baileys Irish Cream (45-60 ml), or Irish Cream coffee creamer
- 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules, optional, small grounds will dissolve more easily
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) degrees.
- Line a muffin pan with muffin papers – you’ll end up with 12-14 cupcakes total.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. If the cocoa powder is lumpy, be sure to sift it first.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, egg, vanilla and buttermilk until you no longer see pieces of egg.
- Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the well. Give the mixture a few stirs with a rubber spatula.
- Carefully pour in the boiling water. Then whisk the mixture until smooth and you no longer see streaks or lumps of dry ingredients.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling each about 2/3 full.
- Bake in the middle of the oven for about 16-19 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist cake crumbs.
Baileys Frosting
- Whisk together the instant coffee powder and Baileys. This is to help dissolve the coffee powder. If it isn't fully dissolved, that's OK.
- In a large bowl beat the butter until very fluffy (about 3 minutes).
- With the mixer on a low speed, beat in 2 cups powdered sugar and salt.
- Beat the rest of the powdered sugar into the butter about 1/2 cup at a time, alternating with 1 tablespoon of Baileys until the desired consistency and sweetness level is reached.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag (I used a 1M tip) and frost, or frost with a knife. Optionally, decorate with a dusting of cocoa.
Notes
- Baileys Frosting: This recipe will make enough for each cupcake to be piled high with a generous amount of frosting. If you prefer less and/or plan to frost with a knife, you can divide the recipe in half.
- Make Ahead Tips: Cupcakes can be baked and cooled. Store overnight at room temperature in an airtight container. Make the frosting and decorate the day you plan to serve.
- Storage: Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. **On the bottle, Baileys states that it should be stored between 32-77 F or 0-25C. If your kitchen is warmer than this, be sure to store in the fridge.
- Nutrition: Details provided are an estimate only and based on 1 cupcake with frosting, assuming the recipe yields 12 uniform cupcakes and all the frosting is used.
Nutrition
I made a gluten-free version of these for a friend’s birthday dinner. They turned out amazing, although they definitely make 14 cupcakes, not 12. I made an even dozen and they overflowed the cupcake wells, then cratered in the center. I covered the collapsed centers with the Bailey’s frosting and they still tasted AMAZING, they were just less than aesthetically pleasing. LOL! Great recipe and a definite keeper. No one believed me when I said they were gluten-free!
I’m so glad they tasted so delicious! And thank you for touching base with your tips and letting other readers know that they turned out with gluten-free flour too
If i want to make a cake instead of cupcakes what would i have to change?
Depends on what size of cake you’d like to make. I’d recommend using this chocolate sheet cake recipe for the cake, then frosting it with the Bailey’s frosting below (the amount of frosting will be enough for the top of the cake for a 9×13 inch pan.
You have not mentioned when to add the buttermilk to the batter.
In Step 5 for making the cupcakes you’ll mix in the buttermilk