Irish Coffee Cupcakes

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Irish Coffee Cupcakes – all the flavors we love in a great mug of Irish Coffee now in a delicious cupcake!

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 🙂 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! 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! Click HERE to get the recipe for Homemade Coffee Extract.

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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PRINT THE RECIPE!

Irish Coffee Cupcakes

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 18 mins

Total Time: 48 mins

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Course: Dessert

Author: Tricia

PRINT RECIPE

Everything we love about a great Irish coffee in a delicious cupcake!

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

• 1 ⅔ cups cake flour
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• ½ 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 375°F. 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 ⅔ to ¾ 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 you’ll 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. 
• If you don't have coffee extract, try using espresso powder mixed with vodka or water. Use 1 teaspoon espresso to 1 tablespoon liquid.

Finally, here are a few more Irish inspired recipes you might enjoy:

AUTHENTIC IRISH COFFEE

IRISH CREAM BREAKFAST CAKE

IRISH APPLE CRUMBLE CAKE