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Fireball Cupcakes

For some reason I’ve always associated fireball with the Fall, so it seemed like the right time to whip up some cinnamon fireball cupcakes! I’m a big fan of boozy baking so this idea was right up my alley.

If you’re more of a wino, I highly recommend trying my Red Wine Drip Cake! It’s packed with red wine and chocolate.

I usually am a beer girl, but slowly whiskey has been growing on me. Not that fireball is REALLY whiskey…but it’s close enough!

Decorating These Fireball Cupcakes

Somehow topping them with a candy corn-inspired frosting seemed appropriate in the moment.

In retrospect, I’m not 100% sure the two go together, but that’s ok!! You could skip the gel food coloring, and just pipe a massive swirl of cinnamon buttercream on top.

There’s fireball in both the cupcake batter, the buttercream frosting, and the cupcakes are topped with a fireball pipette.

The recipe for these boozy cupcakes can be found below:

Fireball Cinnamon Cupcake Batter:

  • 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour (150g)
  • 1 cup sugar (200g)
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder (6g)
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt (3g)
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk (120g)
  • 1/2 cup Fireball whiskey(120g)
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil (56g)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract (8g)
  • 1 large egg (56g)
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon (4g)

Fireball Buttercream Frosting:

  • 1 cup or 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature (226g)
  • 4 cups powdered sugar (500g)
  • 1/4 tsp fine salt (2g)
  • 1 Tbsp Fireball whiskey(15g)
  • 1 tsp vanilla (4g)
  • 1 tsp cinnamon (4g)
  • yellow and orange gel food coloring – optional

Yield: 12-14 regular cupcakes, about 40 mini cupcakes

Prep time: 10 minutes

Bake time: 18 minutes for regular cupcakes, 9-10 minutes for mini cupcakes

Fireball Cupcake Batter

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and place cupcake liners in baking pans.

Add the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and salt to a large mixer bowl and gently mix.

Add the buttermilk, and gently stir until just combined.

Next, add in the fireball, egg, vanilla, and  vegetable oil, and mix until the batter comes together and is smooth.

Fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 way full.

Bake for 19 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Allow the cupcakes to cool for 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

Once cooled, poke holes into each cupcake using a fork, and drizzle fireball (1/2 – 1 tsp per cupcake) over each cupcake.

image of adding fireball simple syrup to my fireball cupcakes
Topping the cupcakes with a drizzle of fireball whiskey

Fireball Buttercream Frosting

While the cupcakes bake and cool, prepare the cinnamon fireball frosting. 

Beat the butter on medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment, until smooth.

Slowly add in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time.

Add the fireball half way through.

Once fully mixed, add in the vanilla and salt, and beat on medium low until the ingredients are fully incorporated, and the desired consistency is reached.

If the frosting is too thick, add in some additional fireball (1 Tbsp at a time).

Or if the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (quarter of a cup at a time).

Image of Piping candy corn frosting onto these fireball cupackes
Piping frosting onto the cupcakes using a wilton 1M frosting tip

If desired, color 1/2 of the frosting yellow with gel food coloring, 1/4 orange, and leave 1/4 of the frosting uncolored.

Place into piping bags fitted with a Wilton 1M tip (open star), and pipe swirls of each color onto the cupcakes.

I matched the color pattern of  candy corn, but you can pipe them however you want!!

Photo of adding a pipette of fireball to top off the fireball cupcakes
Adding a pipette filled with Fireball whiskey

The last step is to add a pipette of fireball into the side of each cupcake.

Then it’s time to enjoy (responsibly!) 😛

IMG_0570 (2)

Tina

Saturday 21st of October 2023

Are you using jumbo cupcake pans or standard?

Chelsweets

Sunday 22nd of October 2023

Hi Tina,

I use regular / standard cupcake pans. Hope that helps, happy baking!

Diane

Saturday 4th of December 2021

The directions, for the frosting, say to add in the salt. Does not say anything about adding in cinnamon and salt is not listed in the ingredients. ???

Michelle

Tuesday 4th of May 2021

I wanted to try making Apple Pie Moonshine cupcakes so I made a few substitutions to this recipe. Apple Pie Moonshine for the Fireball, Apple Pie spice for the cinnamon and Applesauce for the vegetable oil.

Rylee

Wednesday 19th of February 2020

How long do these stay fresh after making them?

Chelsweets

Friday 21st of February 2020

Hi Rylee,

If stored unfrosted in an airtight container, they can last for 2 days at room temp, up to a week in the fridge, or up to 3 months in the freezer! Hope that helps, happy baking!

April Menk

Sunday 26th of August 2018

love this recipe! i sub milk for the fireball in the frosting and use it for everyday buttercream. the only recipe i have that i can decorate with