Sweet Treats Saturday: Bailey's Irish Cream Cupcakes

It's March!  Woohoo!  For me, it's the ramp up time for St. Patrick's Day dance performances.  Being an Irish dancer around St. Patrick's Day means lots of dance rehearsals and performances.  The stress of learning new routines, the excitement of performing in front of an audience (that for once doesn't include someone tracking scores for each of your dances), is a reason to bust out some Bailey's!  And what better way than in cupcake form?

First, I have to warn you.  Don't leave me alone with this batter.  Seriously, I think I have a buzz from licking the bowl.  Soooo good!  I made half of a batch of the original recipe, so if you want the full recipe (aka two dozen cupcakes), definitely check out Cupcake Rehab for the full version.  While you're at it, check out the site anyways - there's some fantastic, creative recipes.  Also, I did the full recipe for the frosting, because I like to pipe mine on top (which uses a bit more than just spreading).  If you are just going to spread your frosting on top, you can cut the recipe in half.  I found that the frosting is a little less sweet, and tastes even better the next day, as the Bailey's has time to really infuse itself in and drown out the pure sugar flavor.  So if you can, make it the night before you enjoy it.

So, onto the cupcakes.  They're so delicious and a perfect way to enjoy your Bailey's.  And the scent makes you feel like you're drinking a delicious glass of it with a dollop of cream on top.

Bailey's Irish Cream Cupcakes
Recipe adapted from Cupcake Rehab
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Makes 1 dozen cupcakes

Ingredients for the Cupcakes:
1/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup Bailey's (or other Irish cream)
1/3 cup water
1 tbsp milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Ingredients for the Frosting:
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tbsp Bailey's (may need slightly more to achieve the right consistency)

Directions for the Cupcakes:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Line a cupcake pan with 12 liners.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter an sugar until creamy, about 2-3 minutes.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the liqueur, water, and milk.  Mix well.
4. In a third bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
5. Alternate adding the flour and liqueur mixture to the creamed butter mixture.  Beat on medium speed for approximately 2 minutes.
6.  Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for about 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Directions for the Frosting:
1. Cream the butter on high until fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
2. Add the Bailey's and mix thoroughly.  Slowly add the powdered sugar until blended and smooth.
3. If necessary, add more Bailey's to thin the frosting, or powdered sugar to thicken it.

Oh.

My.

Goodness!

 

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