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Baileys Cupcakes with Bailey’s Irish Cream Frosting

You don’t have to wait for St. Patrick’s Day to indulge in Baileys chocolate cupcakes. It all starts with made-from-scratch moist chocolate cupcake, a rich chocolate ganache made of melted chocolate and topped with a fluffy buttercream with Baileys Irish Cream flavor.

Are you drooling yet?

chocolate cupcakes topped with baileys irish cream frosting

The Best Baileys Irish Cream Cupcakes

Make the chocolate cupcakes:

Follow the recipe below or try my Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, or vegetable oil
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 6 Tablespoon water
  • 6 Tablespoons Hershey’s Dark Cocoa Blend
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons milk

How to Make Bailey’s Irish Cream Cupcakes

1. preheat oven to 350°F and line the cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

2. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light in color and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.

3. Add eggs one at a time, beating just until blended.

4. Add vanilla, water, and cocoa powder to another bowl and whisk until smooth. The mixture will be thick.

5. Add chocolate mixture to the batter and mix until combined. Scrape down the bowl’s sides as needed to ensure everything is well combined.

6. In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, and salt.

7. Alternate adding the flour mixture and milk to the wet ingredients batter. Begin by adding half of the dry mix, then mix well. Add the milk and mix well by hand or with an electric mixer, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix until smooth.

8. Fill cupcake paper liners 3/4 way with the chocolate cupcake batter.

Wondering how much batter to use per cupcake?

For standard 2½-inch cupcakes, fill cupcake liners with ¼ cup batter or about ⅔ to ¾ of the way full.

9. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few crumbs.

10. Allow cupcakes to cool for about 2-3 minutes, then remove them to a wire rack or cooling rack to finish cooling.

moist chocolate cupcakes in cupcake tins cooling on wiring rack

Once your cupcakes are cooled to room temperature, you can fill them.

You can fill it with the ganache recipe below or try my Irish Car Bomb Filling

Fill with Chocolate Ganache:

This delicious Chocolate ganache is the ultimate for all things sweet.

It’s not only easy but incredibly versatile.

You’ll find it adds a luxurious rich touch to desserts–frost cakes, use it as a cake filling, pour over ice cream sundaes, use it as a fruit dip, or roll it to make truffles.

It’s rich and glossy and oh, so delicious!

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
  • 5 Tablespoons Baileys Irish Cream
  • 5 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
  • 1 Tablespoon Irish Whiskey, optional

How to Make Chocolate Ganache

Put the chocolate chips in a small heat-proof bowl.

16. Combine the Baileys and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup and heat in the microwave until it just begins to boil.

17. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips, add whiskey if using and whisk until smooth.

18. Cut out the center of each cupcake with a cupcake corer or knife.

chocolate ganache in a bowl with spatula

Top with Bailey Iris Cream Frosting:

This Bailey’s Irish Cream Frosting Recipe is everything I love about the original…it’s sweet, creamy, and delicious.

I have enjoyed sitting with my dad or Charlotte the Great at the kitchen table, adding Bailey’s Irish Cream to our coffee.

I have indulged in the delicious taste in its pure form poured over ice.

I’m sharing how to make Bailey’s Irish Cream frosting for a delectable topping for cupcakes, cakes, and more!

Sometimes the occasion calls for buttercream, and sometimes, you want boozy buttercream and this Irish Cream Buttercream does not disappoint!

It’s sweet, creamy, delicious, and has just a hint of Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur.

You’ll want to keep an eye on the consistency of your frosting, and my rule of thumb is always to taste the frosting.

It may need more Bailey’s Irish Cream!

This recipe should make enough frosting to cover a 13-inch x 9-inch sheet cake, 2-layer round 8-inch cake, 24 cupcakes (applied with a knife) if you opt to pipe it on as a swirl, probably 12-15 cupcakes.

chocolate cupcakes topped with baileys irish cream frosting

BAILEYS IRISH CREAM Frosting Recipe:

 

Bailey's Irish Cream Frosting Recipe
 

This frosting is amazing.

Maybe add a chocolate drizzle?

Pure deliciousness!

One bite, and you may have a new favorite cupcake!

It also pairs well with chocolate cake, and yellow cake…who am I kidding?!

It pairs great with ALL cakes.

Hand Holding Cupcake Outdoors. Cupcake topped with irish cream frosting
 

This recipe should make enough frosting to generously ice a 13-inch x 9-inch cake, 24 cupcakes, and plenty to taste.

Bailey’s Irish Cream Frosting Ingredients:

2 cups butter

5 cups confectioners’ sugar

6 Tablespoons Baileys (try making your own Irish Cream)

Bailey's Irish Cream Frosting recipe ingredients

 

How to Make Bailey’s Irish Cream Frosting 

Beat butter on high speed with an electric mixer for 5 minutes.

Slowly (while on low speed) add powdered sugar until incorporated.

Add Baileys and continue whipping on high speed until light and fluffy Bailey's Irish Cream Frosting Recipe

Add Baileys and continue whipping on high speed until light and fluffy.

Transfer to a large piping bag with a large star tip and frost cupcakes.

 
Female baker decorating cupcake with cherry and irish creme frosting

Other Frosting Recipes you may Like:

Easy Strawberry Frosting Recipe–JUST 3 Ingredients

Margarita Frosting Recipe

Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Chocolate Frosting Recipe

Pineapple Frosting Recipe

Bailey’s Irish Cream Frosting Recipe

Orange Dreamsicle Buttercream Frosting Recipe

Pink Champagne Buttercream Icing Recipe

Root Beer Buttercream Icing Recipe

 

Tutorials for Frosting:

How to Do a Basket Weave with Frosting

How to Fill A Cake

How to Crumb Coat a Cake

Tasty and fresh cupcakes on the wooden table. Sweet food concept.

Hand Holding Cupcake Outdoors. Cupcake topped with irish cream frosting

Bailey's Irish Cream Frosting Recipe

Yield: 24 cupcakes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

This Bailey’s Irish Cream Frosting Recipe is everything I love about the original…it’s sweet, creamy, and delicious.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups butter
  • 5 cups confectioners sugar
  • 6 Tablespoons Baileys (try making your own Irish Cream)

Instructions

  1. Beat butter on high-speed w/electric mixer for 5 minutes.
  2. Slowly (while on low speed) add powdered sugar until incorporated.
  3. Add Baileys and continue whipping on high speed until light and fluffy.
  4. Transfer to a piping bag with a large star tip and frost cupcakes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 238Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 122mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 0gSugar: 24gProtein: 0g

The Nutritional Information may not be accurate.

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About Julee: Julee Morrison is an experienced author with 35 years of expertise in parenting and recipes. She is the author of four cookbooks: The Instant Pot College Cookbook, The How-To Cookbook for Teens, The Complete Cookbook for Teens, and The Complete College Cookbook. Julee is passionate about baking, crystals, reading, and family. Her writing has appeared in The LA Times (Bon Jovi Obsession Goes Global), Disney's Family Fun Magazine (August 2010, July 2009, September 2008), and My Family Gave Up Television (page 92, Disney Family Fun August 2010). Her great ideas have been featured in Disney's Family Fun (Page 80, September 2008) and the Write for Charity book From the Heart (May 2010). Julee's work has also been published in Weight Watchers Magazine, All You Magazine (Jan. 2011, February 2011, June 2013), Scholastic Parent and Child Magazine (Oct. 2011), Red River Family Magazine (Jan. 2011), BonAppetit.com, and more. Notably, her article "My Toddler Stood on Elvis' Grave and Scaled Over Boulders to Get to a Dinosaur" made AP News, and "The Sly Way I Cured My Child's Lying Habit" was featured on PopSugar. When she's not writing, Julee enjoys spending time with her family and exploring new baking recipes.
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