Dark Chocolate Bailey’s Irish Cream Cupcakes

Shame on me! If I were you, I’d be pointing your finger at me in shame with a look of utter disapproval. Why? Because it has been far too long since I’ve baked and posted a cupcake recipe. Me! The girl who owns cupcake t-shirts, a cupcake Tiffany necklace, cupcake dessert plates, and the list goes on. Well, the dry spell ends here. Today I plead for forgiveness with these Dark Chocolate Bailey’s Irish Cream Cupcakes. A gift for you, from me, on Valentine’s Day.

I stumbled upon this recipe on Tutti Dolci as I was perusing the long list of food blogs that I love. Laura, the baking mastermind behind Tutti Dolci, is a girl that I could seriously see myself becoming friends with. She believes that dessert should come first. I mean, that right there is my life’s motto. Eat dessert first! Laura clearly knows what she’s talking about.

I decided to make Tutti Dolci’s Bailey’s Irish Cream Cupcakes for the Super Bowl party that I co-hosted with my girlfriend. Being the queen of adaptation, I made a few minor changes.

I made these cupcakes with Hershey’s special dark cocoa powder. The result was a rich, chocolatey cupcake the color of dark espresso.

The cake was moist and mildly sweet, creating the perfect base for the sweet Bailey’s buttercream to rest its swirled, fluffy peaks.

The buttercream is light and fluffy with hints of roasted cinnamon and toasted caramel. It’s silky on your palette and melts in your mouth.

Together, the rich chocolate and creamy buttercream are the perfect Valentine’s Day marriage. Add a few festive sprinkles or grated chocolate to the top and you’re sure to put a smile on that special someone’s face.

Now, go smooch that special someone. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Print Recipe

Dark Chocolate Bailey's Irish Cream Cupcakes

Yield: 16 cupcakes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

Cupcakes

1 cup boiling water
3/4 cup Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder
1/2 cup Bailey’s Irish Cream w/ a hint of caramel
1 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room-temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 and 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Bailey’s Buttercream

3 sticks unsalted butter, at room-temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
small pinch cinnamon
2 tablespoons Bailey’s Irish Cream

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two muffin tins with baking papers.
2. Whisk together boiling water and cocoa powder, cool completely. Whisk Bailey’s Irish Cream into the cooled cocoa mixture.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat sugar, butter, and vanilla extract until pale in color and fluffy. Add eggs and beat well.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add half the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and beat until just combined. Add cocoa mixture, then finish with remaining flour mixture.
5. Fill each baking cup 2/3 of the way full with batter. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in the pans for 2 minutes on a wire rack. Carefully remove the cupcakes from the pans and cool completely before frosting.

Bailey’s Buttercream

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until smooth. Add Bailey’s and cinnamon; beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.
2. Fit a pastry bag with a large round tip and pipe a fluffy cloud onto each cupcake. Sprinkle with grated chocolate or colored jimmies. Store leftover cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days.

All images and text ©One Sweet Mess.

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