It’s been said before, but I’ll say it again, this blog is going classy. No longer will I be serving Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes, I will be serving Irish Coffee Cupcakes. The difference is subtle, but the affect is sophistication at the highest of levels.
I hope you appreciate the sarcasm and irony in the above paragraph. I just ate mac & cheese and chicken fingers with ranch for dinner. Third night in a row. That was my dinner of choice this week. Tonight I stepped it up with a bottle of wine, a whole bottle. A bottle that cost less than $9 because I wanted to have enough money to order a spinach roll tomorrow for lunch. Friday lunches have become a haven of laughter, delicious but bad-for-you-food, and wonderful treats. I’ll post the treat I made for today’s lunch soon! Like I said – classy.
This week has been busy. It started with senior trip (I know I teach 8th grade and they are not seniors, but here in NYC the graduation rate is only about 50%, sad but true, so eighth grade is kind of a big year. In the next month we have senior trip, prom, awards night, and graduation.) and a painful sunburn. On top of that the humidity has been through the roof and the rain horrendous.
Easy, comforting food was a must for dinner. Tonight I’m flying off to Atlanta to spend some time with Lynn, so I had no need for tons of the food in the fridge. Everything makes sense now, right? Let’s talk cupcakes.
Rob is a classy guy, hence the classy cupcakes. Really he just kept asking for Irish car bomb cupcakes, but I’ve made them so many times, I didn’t want to make them again. Last year he received Man Cupcakes for his birthday in the midst of bacon cupcake obsession. Good times.
These cupcakes are of equal good times, if not better. The cake has a light crumb and is tender with tons of chocolate flavor. A whiskey ganache in the center is lovely the way only a whiskey ganache can be lovely. Really, what is wrong with booze in chocolate? To top it off, we have have a buttercream with a touch of cream cheese for softness and plenty of Irish Cream flavor. Each bite is decadent, rich, and wonderful. Stay classy friends, make yourself some Irish Coffee Cupcakes!
One Year Ago – Cake Batter Martinis
Irish Coffee Cupcakes
Adapted from The Boys Club
Yield – 12 cupcakes
7 ounces sugar
3 ounces cake flour
1.1 ounces cocoa
3/4 + 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 + 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon Kahlua
1/2 cup hot coffee
- Preheat the oven to 350 ˚F and line cupcake pans liners.
- Add the sugar, flour, cocoa, powder, soda, salt, and espresso powder to the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Mix until all the dry ingredients are well combined.
- Add the eggs, buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and Kahlua and mix again until well combined. Stream in the hot coffee and mix on low.
- Use a standard size ice cream scoop to portion the batter. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted inside comes out clean.
- Let cool completely on a wire rack.
Whiskey Ganache
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons whiskey
pinch of salt
- Chop up the chocolate evenly and add it to a heatproof bowl.
- In a small saucepan, heat the cream until scalding, add the cream to the chopped chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes.
- Stir the ganache until all the chocolate is melted and then stir in the butter, whiskey, and salt.
- Let cool and stir every so often.
- Add to a piping bag with an injection tip and pipe about a tablespoon into each cupcake.
Bailey’s Buttercream
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
16-20 ounces of powdered sugar
3/8 cup Bailey’s
shaved chocolate for garnish
- Beat the butter and cream cheese together for several minutes until light and creamy in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.
- Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time on low speed. In between additions, turn the mixer to high.
- Beat in the Bailey’s until light and fluffy.
- Add to a piping bag with a star tip and pipe onto each cupcake.
- Sprinkle with shaved chocolate.

















































