Chocolate Cupcakes With Irish Cream Frosting

I'm always searching for the perfect cupcake recipe. And I truthfully have yet to find it. But these were pretty damn good. I made them around St. Patrick's Day (thus the Irish Cream). Irish Cream and I have always had a good relationship. 

Servings: 32

• 3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup hot water
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup sour cream
• 
  

• Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tins with paper liners or use those nifty silicone things (mind you I've never tried them. But they look cool). Combine cocoa and hot water until smooth. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  2. Combine melted butter with sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Add vanilla, then cocoa mixture, and beat until combined. Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the sour cream, and beating until just combined after each (I've always wondered about this part. Sometimes I'm lazy and just dump it in. Other times I follow it perfectly. If I'm making it for myself, I don't really care. For others, I'm more careful).
  3. Fill cups to 3/4 full. Bake for 20 min. or until a knife inserted in centers comes out clean (don't worry about the dent. The icing will cover it up ;)).  Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 15 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely.  

  
  

  Icing

  
  

  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3-4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 4-8 tablespoons Bailey’s Irish cream

  To make the frosting, beat butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and mix well. Add Bailey’s a few tablespoons at a time until you reach your desired consistency. You may have to play around a little bit till you get the consistency/intensity of Baileys you want. Ice the cupcakes in any way you desire.

  

  
  

  
  

  KEP

  PS. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months... but I really don't think they'll last that long