Irish Coffee Cupcakes

Saint Patrick's Day is a pretty big deal. It was always one of my favorite days at college, since most of us were some percentage Irish and took the day very seriously (the more Irish Car Bombs and Black and Tans you drank, the more seriously you took it). Its also a pretty big deal because that's my boyfriend's name, and he is very Irish.

These cupcakes celebrate Saint Patrick's Day, and whether or not you're Irish, you'll certainly enjoy them!

Combine boiling water and instant coffee, stirring until granules dissolve.

Stir in the buttermilk.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring well with a whisk.

Place granulated sugar, butter, and vanilla extract in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes). 

Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. 

Add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups lined with paper liners. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. 

Cool cupcakes in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan.

 

To make frosting - combine Bailey's Irish Cream with confectioners sugar in a large bowl. I used non-alcoholic Bailey's (since I'm detoxing until the C-Ville Half Marathon on April 9th) - tastes just like the real thing! 

 

Whisk until thickened and peaks form.

 

I whisked and whisked and had Pat whisk and whisk, but peaks did not form - Bailey's is different from heavy whipping cream. Next time I will add some dried egg whites to help this stiffen up. You can see that the frosting was still drippy when I added it to the cupcakes:

 

 

Don't let the drippy frosting deter you from making these! I couldn't believe how much I loved the coffee cupcakes with the Bailey's frosting - they're even better if you have extra frosting and leave a bowl to dip your cupcakes in. I made these on Sunday and will admit that I ate 4 over the course of the day - they're that good!

 

Irish Coffee Cupcakes Recipe

Cake recipe adapted from Cooking Light.

Makes 12 cupcakes.

Ingredients:

• 2  tablespoons boiling water
• 4  teaspoons instant espresso granules or 8 teaspoons instant coffee granules
• 1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1 1/4  cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2  teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4  teaspoon salt
• 3/4  cup granulated sugar
• 5  tablespoons butter, softened
• 2  teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2  large eggs 
• 1 cup Bailey's Irish Cream
• 2 tablespoons confectioners sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine 2 tablespoons boiling water and 4 teaspoons espresso, stirring until espresso dissolves. Stir in buttermilk.
3.  Combine flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring well with a whisk.
4. Place granulated sugar, butter, and  vanilla extract in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
5. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups lined with paper liners. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan.
6. To make frosting - combine cream and confectioners sugar in a large bowl. Whisk or beat with a mixer until frosting thickens. To achieve stiff peaks, add some dried egg whites (available in the baking aisle at the grocery store).

What are your plans for Saint Patrick's Day this year? I've never had a traditional boiled dinner but I asked Pat to make me one this year!