Irish Cream Coffee Cupcakes

Divinely rich and decadent, my Irish cream coffee cupcakes are the scrumptious dessert fit for a St. Patrick's Day celebration or birthday party. Prepared with a moist, devil's food-style cake batter flavored with real Irish cream liqueur and coffee, then topped with creamy Irish coffee frosting, this recipe is an absolutely irresistible treat perfect for the cupcake lovers in your life!

The decadent combination of Irish cream and coffee, in one delicious cupcake

There's something uniquely delightful about cupcakes, don't you think?

Even the word "cupcake" is sweet and buttery sounding, making my mouth water in anticipation of a big bite of moist cake topped with loads of fluffy frosting—bite after sweet and delicious bite.

Honestly, when I have a sweet tooth, cupcakes are a whimsical and pretty perfect treat, if you ask me!

One of my favorite decadent cupcake recipes is one inspired by St. Patrick's Day, and it's loaded with some pretty scrumptious flavors that are probably among my favorite combinations...

Made with a super moist, devil's food-style cupcake batter infused with real coffee and a hefty splash of Irish cream liqueur, these cupcakes are crowned with a thick, creamy swirl of Irish coffee frosting.

Whether you're looking for a really fun and festive treat to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with, or you just crave the flavor combo of chocolate, coffee, and Irish cream, these cupcakes are an ultra cozy and decadent treat you just won't be able to resist.

My recipe for Irish cream coffee cupcakes

When it comes to preparing these ultra moist, rich, and decadent Irish cream coffee cupcakes, using the perfect combination of dry and liquid ingredients is key.

Because this is a devil's food cupcake base (flavored with Irish cream liqueur), I use flour and cocoa powder as part of my dry ingredients. The cocoa offers a slight chocolatey slant that provides delicious depth of flavor and balances out the sweetness.

Then, there are quite a few liquid ingredients, which when adding to the cupcake batter, will almost seem like too much liquid, but this is just as it should be.

Adding a combination of vegetable oil, buttermilk, brewed and cooled coffee, Irish cream liqueur, and 4 eggs creates an exceptionally moist and velvety texture once baked, helping these cupcakes stay moist for days... No dry, crumbly cupcakes here!

As for the frosting (which is part of the appeal of big, beautiful cupcakes!), I make an Irish coffee-style buttercream using softened butter, powdered sugar, a splash of Irish cream liqueur, and instant coffee powder mixed with a spoonful of water.

Friends, all I can say about this frosting is, good luck not eating it by the spoonful when preparing it! It is sweet, but perfectly balanced with the deeper coffee note and the rich aromatic flavor of the Irish cream liqueur, and spreads or pipes onto the cupcakes like a dream.

I love to top these cupcakes with a little dark chocolate covered espresso bean as decoration, but a sprinkle of delicate mini chocolate chips also make a nice topper.

Here's a sneak peek at my Irish cream coffee cupcakes recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I prepare my cupcake batter and fill two 12-count, paper cup-lined cupcake tins with the batter (this recipe yields about 24 cupcakes),
2. Next, I bake the cupcakes until done.
3. Once the cupcakes have baked, I allow them to cool completely.
4. While the cupcakes cool, I prepare my Irish coffee frosting and keep it chilled (if needed).
5. Once the cupcakes have cooled, I either spread or pipe the Irish coffee frosting over each cupcake, then top with an optional chocolate espresso bean for decoration.
6. I either serve immediately or store the cupcakes in a covered container (refrigerated if my kitchen is warm). When ready to enjoy, I let them come to room temperature before serving.

Recipe

Irish Cream Coffee Cupcakes

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

These ultra rich and moist Irish cream coffee cupcakes are utterly decadent and scrumptious, the perfect sweet treat fit for a celebration!

Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Yield: 24 cupcakes

Nutrition Info: 419 calories per cupcake

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 22 minutes
Total time: 47 minutes

Irish Cream Coffee Cupcake Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 10 fluid ounces vegetable oil
• 8 fluid ounces buttermilk
• 8 fluid ounces brewed coffee (regular or decaf), cooled
• 4 fluid ounces Irish cream liqueur
• 2 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Chocolate-covered espresso beans or mini chocolate chips, for garnish

Irish Coffee Frosting Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 4 tablespoons Irish cream liqueur
• ½ teaspoon instant coffee or espresso powder combined with ½ teaspoon warm water

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your cupcake ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°, and line 24 cupcake molds with papers, then gently mist with cooking spray.
3. To prepare the dry ingredients, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt (I just use a large, fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl and shake it to aerate the ingredients and remove lumps), and set aside.
4. Next, prepare the wet ingredients by whisking together the vegetable oil, buttermilk, cooled coffee, and Irish cream liqueur, and set aside.
5. To a large mixing bowl, add the sugar, the eggs, and the vanilla, and with a hand-held mixer set on low or medium-low, mix those ingredients until they are pale and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Then, begin adding some of the dry ingredients into the sugar/egg mixture, and once those are fully incorporated, add some of the wet ingredients. Continue to add the two, alternating between the dry and wet ingredients, finishing with the dry, until all is added and incorporated.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared cupcake liners, and bake for about 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely.
8. While the cupcakes cool, gather and prep all of your frosting ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
9. To make your Irish coffee frosting, place the butter and the powdered sugar into a large bowl, and using a hand-mixer, carefully mix the two together to combine (the mixture may look "crumbly" at this point, which is normal).
10. Next, add in the instant coffee powder/water mixture and the Irish cream liqueur, and continue to mix until everything comes together and becomes very light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. (If making ahead, keep chilled in the fridge if the kitchen is warm.)
11. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, spread or pipe the frosting very generously and decoratively onto the cupcakes. Garnish each Irish cream coffee cupcake with a chocolate covered espresso bean, or mini chocolate chips, and serve immediately, or keep in a covered container until ready to enjoy.

Tips & Tidbits for my Irish cream coffee cupcakes recipe:

• This recipe makes a nice, big batch of cupcakes: This recipe yields about 24 to 26 cupcakes, which I love because they feed a large crowd—terrific to bring as a dessert to a gathering. I also like that I can freeze half of them (without frosting) for later enjoyment, if desired. If you prefer a smaller batch, simply halve this recipe to make roughly 12 cupcakes.
• Use decaf coffee in place of regular, if desired: When I'm cutting back on caffeine, I substitute decaf brewed coffee in the cake batter, and use decaf instant coffee (or espresso) powder in the frosting—no added jitters!
• Make a layer cake or sheet cake, if you prefer: I love that this recipe is really easy to adapt into a two-layer cake or a sheet cake if I'm feeling like going in that direction instead. If making a layer cake, use 2, 9-inch cake tins and bake for roughly 38 minutes. If you'd like to make a 9 by 13 inch sheet cake, then bake for about 55 to 60 minutes.
• Make the cupcakes ahead, and frost before serving: Sometimes it's helpful to make cupcakes ahead for when you'd like to serve them, and these are perfect for that since they stay super moist. You can bake off the cupcakes, allow them to cool completely, then keep them in a covered container for a day or two before serving. You can also prep the frosting and keep it chilled in the fridge, and then re-whip it a bit (it will be cold and firm out of the fridge) to make it fluffy again, before frosting the cupcakes.
• How to garnish these Irish cream coffee cupcakes: I love to top each with a dark chocolate-covered espresso bean or a sprinkle of mini chocolate chips.

Craving more sweet and decadent goodies? Check out my recipe for Strawberry Sundae Cupcakes, Brownie Cookies, Chubby Hubby Cookies, Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting, Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownies, Double Chocolate Chip Muffins, or even my recipe for Chocolate Truffles!

Cook's Note: This recipe was originally published in 2014, and has been updated with even more love!