Baileys Cupcakes
Last year I made a delicious Baileys chocolate cake for St. Patrick’s day, and this year I decided it was time for some Baileys cupcakes.
There’s something about Baileys and chocolate that is just so delicious!
That being said, I like to bake something special each year to celebrate St. Patrick’s day.
In the past I’ve made an adorable shamrock cake, a giant beer mug cake, and even a clover patch cake.
While making cakes and cupcakes with intricate decorations is a blast, sometimes it’s nice to focus on a special ingredient and really help it shine.
This recipe is packed with Baileys, which is included in the cupcake batter and frosting!
What Is Baileys?
Baileys is an Irish whiskey and cream-based liquor, which is actually pretty strong (17% ABV).
I thought I knew quite a bit about Baileys, until I realized I had been spelling it incorrectly!!
As I was writing this post, I was quite surprised to see that Baileys is spelled without an apostrophe. Guess you learn something new everyday!!
Are These Cupcakes Boozy??
By adding Baileys into the cupcake batter and the frosting, these cupcakes have that delicious Baileys flavor along with a little bit of a kick.
The alcohol in the cupcakes does bake out, but the Baileys in the frosting doesn’t.
If you want an extra bit of flavor (or to make them a bit more boozy), you can also drizzle a bit of Baileys over the baked cupcakes!
You can also add a pipette of Baileys to allow people to add as much as they’d like.
That being said, these are definitely adult cupcakes and are not kid-friendly!
Decorating These Baileys Cupcakes
I wanted these cupcakes to have a fun look, and decided to use one of my favorite frosting tips to decorate them.
To create this look, I added a small dab of frosting on top of each cupcake once it was fully cooled. Then I dunked the cupcake into a bowl of chocolate sprinkles.
The last step is to pipe a generous dollop of buttercream frosting on top of the sprinkle-covered frosting with an Ateco 869 tip.
Tips for Making The Best Baileys Cupcakes:
- Properly measure your all-purpose flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level) or use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients
- Use a cookie scoop to easily fill your cupcake liners
- Ingredients at room temperature mix together better, so be sure you set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
- Be sure your cupcakes are COMPLETELY cooled before you frost them! If they’re even a little bit warm, the frosting can melt right off.
Making These Cupcakes In Advance & Storage Tips:
- Make these Baileys cupcakes in advance! If stored unfrosted in an airtight container, they can last for 2 days at room temperature, up to a week in the fridge, or up to 3 months in the freezer
- You can also make your frosting ahead of time or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.
- Frosted cupcakes can sit out at room temperature overnight in an airtight container, but I find frosting them right before serving is best.
Let Me Know What You Think!
If you try this recipe for Baileys cupcakes, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating, and let me know your thoughts by sharing a comment.
Also tag me @chelsweets, and use the #chelsweets on social media so that I can see your amazing creations!
Baileys Cupcakes
Ingredients
Baileys Cupcakes
- 1/4 cup warm water 60 grams
- 1/2 cup Baileys Irish Cream 120 grams
- 1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil 75 grams
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips, melted and cooled – milk or dark 57 grams
- 2 large eggs, room temperature 112 grams
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 95 grams
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar 150 grams
- 1/2 tsp baking soda 3 grams
- 1/2 tsp fine salt 2 grams
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted 30 grams
- 1 tsp white vinegar 4 grams
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4 grams
Baileys Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 226 grams
- 1/2 tsp fine salt 3 grams
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4 grams
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar 454 grams – or a 1 lb bag
- 1 Tbsp heavy whipping cream, room temperature 15 grams
- 2 Tbsp Baileys Irish Cream 30 grams
Additional Tools / Decorations
Instructions
Baileys Cupcake Recipe:
- Begin by preheating the oven to 350°F. Place cupcake liners in baking pans.
- Add 1/4 cup of warm water, 1/2 cup of Baileys, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 1/3 cup melted and cooled chocolate chips, and 2 large eggs into a large bowl.
- Whisk together until smooth.
- Sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients (3/4 cup flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/3 cup baking cocoa) and stir until just combined.
- Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a spatula.
- Add in 1 tsp vinegar and 1 tsp vanilla extract, and mix until the batter is smooth – it will be a bit thick!
- Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full, and bake for about 18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.
- Allow cupcakes to cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove and place in the freezer for 15 minutes (to accelerate the cooling process).
Baileys Buttercream Frosting:
- Beat the butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle or whisk attachment, until smooth.
- Mix in the salt and vanilla extract on a low speed.
- Slowly add in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Alternate with additions of the heavy cream and Baileys.
- Beat on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated, and the desired consistency is reached.
- If the frosting is too thick, add an extra Tbsp of heavy cream. If it’s too thin, add in another 1/2 cup of powdered sugar.
- Stir by hand with a rubber spatula to get the frosting SUPER smooth.
- Place in a piping bag fitted with an Ateco 869 tip.
Decorating These Baileys Cupcakes
- Once the cupcakes are fully cooled, pipe a small dollop of Baileys frosting on the center of each cupcake.
- Dip in a bowl filled with chocolate sprinkles.
- Top with a large dollop of Baileys frosting, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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I made these today! Used Baileys chocolate chips!
They taste so delicious!!
So happy to hear that Patty! Bailey’s chocolate chips sound so incredible, I hope I get to try them some day!!
Hey everytime i make my buttercream using your recipe the texture comes out to be grainy
I use powdered sugar or icing sugar but i can taste the sugary effect in my frosting
Where am i going wrong and what should i do??
Please let me know
Hi Kriti,
If your frosting comes out grainy, it’s usually because you need to add more heavy cream, or the brand of powdered sugar you’re using isn’t fine enough! Maybe try a different brand of powdered sugar, or add more cream next time. Hopefully one of those will fix that, happy baking!
These were amazing! I made them gluten free using bob mills 1 for 1 and they game out perfect perfect! Used taking 244g of gluten free flour instead of the 260g reg flour, like in the gluten free recipe you have. Thank you so much for this! They were a huge hit!
Aw I am so happy to hear that Ailene!! That’s wonderful to hear 🙂 happy baking!!
These were phenomenal!! I made these cupcakes for a Birthday party and they were a huge hit, people thought they came from a bakery! Also my kid who does not like frosting actually enjoyed these without scraping the frosting in the trash.
That is so wonderful to hear Whitney 🙂 That’s awesome!!! Thank you for sharing, happy baking!!
How would you make a Vanilla version of these?
Hi Alicia! I haven’t, but it should work if you replace the cocoa powder with an equal amount of flour!
HI Im Jules Babcock in Connecticut. I made these and they were a big hit. I love your recipes they are so easy to follow and no surprises. I did add a “whopper” malt ball on top. So cute! Thank you for the recipe!
So happy to hear that Julieanne!! I bet they’d be so cute and tasty with a whopper topper 🙂
Really dumb question but could you bake this as a cake instead of cupcakes?
Hi Michael,
Not a dumb question at all!
You could do that, but I also have a really great recipe for a chocolate Baileys cake which would probably be a lot easier to use 🙂
Here’s the link: https://chelsweets.com/2019/03/11/baileys-chocolate-cake/
You are amazing already made your banana bread and dairy free cupcakes both were massive hits with the family. Cant wait to try this one too.
That’s wonderful! I am so happy to hear that Michael 🙂 Hope your cupcakes turn out great!!
I made this today. But instead of cupcakes I made it as a big cake. And it Didn’t rise very much..it’s very flat. Cooked but flat ha, I followed the recipe I wonder what I did wrong
I have been watching you make these creations on TikTok and I couldn’t wait to try one out for myself! I made these and they turned out AMAZING! I loved out it made a perfect batch of 12, no extra batter to need a second cupcake pan, and no extra frosting! Can’t wait to try other recipes!
Hi I was making it through the weights of things and It didn’t seem to have enough flour
Other than that it has been lush
Can you use cake flour instead ?
Can you give pointers on melting chocolate?
This has to be the best chocolate cupcake Ive ever had!!! I whipped nutella with some baileys and used this as a filling for the center. I have also made these non-alcoholic using baileys coffee creamer. This site is my new obsession!
I can’t wait to try this recipe. Silly question would it work with any liquor?
Hey, can I use nutella instead of melted chocolate chips?
Looking forward to trying these next week. What size cookie scoop do you generally use? Thanks.
Could I use a moist chocolate cake mix and add the Baileys to it. Then use your recipe for the icing??
For sure! That would be delicious 🙂 Happy baking!!
Just the best! I did drizzle some extra Baileys over the cakes, just because our group love Baileys ?. Someone actually asked where they’d been bought from.
Hi Lisa,
Love that!! It sounds like they turned amazing 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing!!
Chelsey, these turned out to be the BEST cupcakes I have ever made and a great hit at my party! 🙂 I am a Baileys lover and being able to get this flavor in cupcake form is such a treat! Frosting turned out fine too, following your recipe exactly. I will be baking them as often as possible and they taste wonderful even without the frosting! ( I had to have one as soon as they cooled, since the smell in my home drove me wild! ) A BIG thanks from Belgium!
Hi Victoria,
I am so happy to hear that!! 🙂 Thank you for sharing!