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Irish Coffee in a delicious cupcake!
All the flavors we love in a great mug of Irish Coffee now in a delicious cupcake!
Irish Coffee Cupcakes are the perfect dessert for holidays, parties, potlucks and even weddings. They’re easy to eat, and easy to share, and great for just about any occasion. It’s hard not to love a tender little round cake piled high with rich buttercream frosting; especially when you get one of your very own ๐
This St. Patrick’s Day, be THAT friend and share an Irish Coffee Cupcake with your coffee loving grownups. They’ll enjoy the subtle flavor of coffee in the cake and the jolt of caffeine and whiskey in the frosting.
These Irish Coffee Cupcakes are flavored with homemade Coffee Extract.
Run to the kitchen right now and start a jar of this fantastic homemade Coffee Extract today!ย All you need is a cup of vodka and some coffee beans and you’re almost there.
It takes about a week for the coffee beans to meld into the vodka creating a rich extract that’s great in just about anything. Coffee extract is especially terrific in chocolate desserts, but also wonderful in BBQ sauces, gravy and marinades.
If you don’t want to make your own, coffee extract is sometimes available where you find vanilla extract, or you can purchase it on Amazon of course!
You know what I LOVE about St. Patrick’s Day?
I truly love all things Irish; the food, the people, and the beautiful country. I would go back in a heartbeat because I know I missed a pub or two on my way around the island. But besides all that, I enjoy St. Patrick’s Day as a kind of mini-holiday.
St. Patrick’s Day was once a minor religious holiday set aside to remember the death of St. Patrick, the Patron Saint of Ireland. Now it’s turned into a kind of all-encompassing celebration of Irish culture.
Unlike Valentine’s Day, you don’t have to be in a relationship to enjoy the day, nor are you required to give cards, candy, flowers and gifts to that special someone in your life. The pressure is off, and all that’s left behind is a day to wear something green, enjoy a sip or two of something especially Irish, and maybe a big bowl of Irish stew too.
Foodies, like me, embrace the challenge and set aside a few special recipes to share, with exceptional Irish flair!
The coffee extract and Irish whiskey meld together into one perfectly balanced treat.
The alcohol bakes out of the cupcakes, but not the frosting – hehe. If you’re a big fan of Irish cream liqueur, feel free to substitute it for the Irish Whiskey. I recommend a few taste tests to make sure the frosting has just the right balance of coffee and spirits. You may want to add just a little more, in true Irish fashion!
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Coffee Extract – a great addition to your kitchen pantry
Pure Coffee Extract is perfect for adding coffee flavor to all your favorite recipes. It’s great in cookies, candies, brownies, Tiramisu, frozen desserts, baked goods and icings or frostings. It’s also great inย savory dishes like soups, stews, tomato sauces, gravies, salsas, rubs, and moles. Add coffee extract to your favoriteย milkshakes, mocha drinks, home-brewed beer, and lattes too!
*Saving Room for Dessert is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program ~ I earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you, which I use to pay for web hosting and services for this blog.
Irish Coffee Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 1 โ cups cake flour
- ยพ cup granulated sugar
- ยผ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 ยฝ teaspoons baking powder
- ยผ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- ยฝ cup milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon coffee extract
- 2 tablespoons Irish whiskey
For the frosting:
- 14 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 tablespoon coffee extract
- 2 tablespoons Irish whiskey
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- pinch salt
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk, more or less as needed
For garnish:
- 12 chocolate covered coffee beans
- cocoa for dusting, optional
Instructions
To prepare the cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 375ยฐF. Grease a standard 12 well muffin pan, or line with greased cupcake liners.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the cake flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the butter and mix on low speed until sandy and coarse.
- In a 2-cup measuring cup with spout, whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla, coffee extract and whiskey. With the mixer on low, drizzle the egg mixture into the flour mixture and blend to combine.Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and blend again until well mixed.
- Divide the batter between the 12 muffin wells (Should be about โ to ยพ full). Bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Rest the hot cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool before frosting.
To prepare the frosting:
- Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the butter and cream cheese on medium-high until smooth. Add the coffee extract, Irish whiskey and vanilla. Blend until combined. Add the sugar and salt and mix on medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl then add the cream and whip on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and whip another 30 seconds.
- Spread frosting on cooled cupcakes or pipe on top in a decorative pattern. Top with a chocolate covered espresso bean and sift cocoa powder on top.
Recipe Notes
- The frosting will make a little more than you need for the 12 cupcakes. If you spread the icing on thinner than the photo, you can cut the recipe for frosting in half. If piping into swirls, then youโll need almost all the recipe as written.
- Leftover frosting is great spread between two graham crackers (chocolate grahams too) and frozen until needed.
- Substitute Irish Cream Liqueur for the whiskey if desired in both the cupcake and frosting recipes. For a lighter cupcake texture, use 1 cup granulated sugar and omit the brown sugar.
- All-purpose flour can be substituted for the cake flour but the texture will be slightly different.ย
- If you don't have coffee extract, try using espresso powder mixed with vodka or water. Use 1 teaspoon espresso to 1 tablespoon liquid.
Nutrition
Finally, here are a few more Irish inspired recipes you might enjoy:
AUTHENTIC IRISH COFFEE
IRISH CREAM BREAKFAST CAKE
IRISH APPLE CRUMBLE CAKE
Susan
Not only delicious but so pretty!! What a lovely way to use that coffee extract.
Tricia Buice
Thanks Susan!
Abbe@This is How I Cook
I am not generally a cupcake person, though I do love cupcakes, I don’t often bake them. Thes really do sound sublime though so I might just have to round up some friends so we can power through them. And just maybe I’ll be kind and gift them some of your wonderful coffee extract!
Tricia Buice
I don’t make them a lot either Abbe – but couldn’t resist the St. Patrick’s Day inspired combo. I bet your neighbors love you! Thanks so much.
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
Oh I love where you went with that coffee extract! These look absolutely perfect and great for some St. Pat’s celebrating ๐
Tricia Buice
Thank you Jennifer – I have another one coming up next week. Loving these coffee inspired recipes. Have a great weekend and thanks again!
angiesrecipes
What adorable and beautiful cupcakes! Wish I could reach in and grab one right now :-))
Tricia Buice
Wish I could share them with you Angie. Have a lovely weekend!
Liz
What a perfect St.Patrick’s Day dessert. Now if you could just stop by when you’re free and teach me how to pipe frosting so beautifully, I’d be ever so grateful!! Love these!!
Tricia Buice
Come on over Liz – but I know you don’t need lessons from me ๐ You bake some beautiful amazing desserts!