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Baileys Cupcakes take the Irish cream commitment seriously, it is in the chocolate batter, brushed over the warm baked tops as a soak, and whipped into the cloud of chocolate ganache frosting on top. I made them for a grown ups only birthday and they ended the argument over whether cupcakes are just for kids. If my baileys brownies started your Irish cream era, these cupcakes are the graduation ceremony.
One bowl batter, a pastry brush trick, and a frosting that eats like chocolate mousse.
Baileys Cupcakes Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 20 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 22 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 5 hours
- 🍽️ Serving: 24 cupcakes
- ⚡ Calories: 390kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Deep chocolate with creamy Irish cream warmth in every layer
- ✋ Difficulty: Intermediate, the ganache chill and whip need timing
Quick Answer
Whisk sugar, milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla, then mix in the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt, followed by a half cup of Baileys. Fill 24 lined cupcake wells with 3 tablespoons of batter and bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 22 minutes. Poke the warm cupcakes with a toothpick and brush with more Baileys. For the frosting, pour simmered Baileys and cream over bittersweet chips, whisk smooth, cool until firm, then whip 3 minutes and pipe onto the cooled cupcakes.
Jump to:
- Baileys Cupcakes Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Baileys Cupcakes
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Baileys Cupcakes FAQs
- Other Recommended Boozy and Chocolate Desserts
- Chocolate Baileys Cupcakes (with Baileys Ganache)
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Oil keeps the crumb moist for days. An oil based chocolate batter stays tender in the fridge, which matters because the ganache frosting likes the cupcakes stored cool.
- The toothpick soak is the flavor cheat. Poking holes and brushing Baileys onto the warm cupcakes drives the Irish cream deep into the crumb, the same trick tres leches uses.
- The ganache ratio is built to whip. Twenty ounces of chocolate to twenty ounces of combined Baileys and cream firms to a spreadable set, then whips into a stable, pipeable mousse.
- Bittersweet chips balance the sweet liqueur. Baileys brings sugar of its own, the darker chocolate keeps the frosting from tipping cloying.
- Whisking during the cool down speeds it up. Stirring the ganache every 10 minutes releases heat evenly, cutting the room temperature set from hours to a manageable window.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Baileys in the batter, the soak, and the frosting, no shy pours here.
- The whipped ganache pipes like a dream and tastes like chocolate mousse.
- The triple Baileys treatment, batter, soak, and frosting, makes them the most requested adult birthday cake in this house, right ahead of my tiramisu.
Key Ingredients
Standard cupcake pantry plus one very important bottle.
- Flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt: The dry team for a soft, deeply chocolate crumb.
- Sugar, milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla: The one bowl wet mix, no mixer needed for the batter.
- Baileys Irish Cream: Three quarters of a cup across the batter and soak, plus 12 ounces in the frosting.
- Bittersweet chocolate chips: Twenty ounces, the backbone of the whipped ganache.
- Heavy cream: Eight ounces to mellow the ganache so it whips silky.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
The triple layer format invites remixing.
- Use salted caramel Baileys in the frosting for a caramel mocha lean.
- Add a teaspoon of espresso powder to the batter to push it toward Irish coffee.
- Top with chocolate curls, cocoa powder, or a rolled wafer cookie for the bakery finish.
- Want the same flavors with less piping? My baileys brownies spread the whipped ganache in one swoop.
- Make them minis, bake 10 to 12 minutes, for party bite versions, the soak still works.
How to Make Baileys Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 24 cupcake wells. Stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
- In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients.
- Whisk until just combined, scraping the sides as needed.
- Add the half cup of Baileys.
- Stir until the batter is smooth.
- Fill each liner with 3 tablespoons of batter, you may have a little left over.
- Bake 18 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack.
- Immediately poke holes all over the warm cupcake tops with a toothpick.
- Brush the tops with the quarter cup of Baileys for the soak, then let the cupcakes cool completely.
- For the frosting, place the chocolate chips in a large heatproof bowl. Heat the Baileys, heavy cream, and salt to a bare simmer, whisking, then pour it over the chips and let it sit 5 minutes.
- Whisk the ganache until completely smooth.
- Cool about 3 hours at room temperature, whisking every 10 minutes or so, then refrigerate 1 hour until firm.
- Whip the firm ganache in a stand mixer with the paddle for 3 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping so no streaks remain.
- Pipe or spread the whipped ganache onto the completely cooled cupcakes and add garnishes if using.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Brush the soak while the cupcakes are warm. Warm crumb drinks the Baileys in, cold crumb lets it sit on top.
- Cool the cupcakes fully before frosting. Whipped ganache melts on even slightly warm tops.
- Watch the ganache temperature, not the clock. It whips best at a soft peanut butter consistency, too cold and it turns grainy.
- Use bittersweet chips, not milk chocolate. The Baileys brings plenty of sweetness already.
- Fill with 3 tablespoons, no more. Overfilled liners bake over the edge and lose the frosting real estate.
- Pipe with a large star tip. The whipped ganache holds sharp swirls that make these look pastry shop bought.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Serve the baileys cupcakes on a tiered stand with rolled wafer cookies in the frosting, they read fancy bakery with zero extra work.
For St. Patrick’s Day, set them out beside my mint brownies, one boozy and one minty covers the whole party.
Pair one with Irish coffee for dessert, or plate them with a dollop of my chocolate whipped cream for the chocolate maximalists.
Store baileys cupcakes covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days, the ganache stays freshest chilled. Let them stand 20 minutes before serving so the frosting softens back to mousse. Unfrosted cupcakes freeze up to 2 months, thaw and frost fresh.
Baileys Cupcakes FAQs
Baileys cupcakes are chocolate cupcakes flavored with Irish cream three ways, a half cup mixed into the batter, a brush of Baileys soaked into the warm baked tops, and a whipped Baileys chocolate ganache piped on as frosting. They are a favorite for St. Patrick’s Day, adult birthdays, and any grown up dessert table.
The batter’s share mostly bakes off, leaving flavor. The soak and the frosting are not cooked though, so they keep a gentle kick, roughly a tablespoon of Baileys per finished cupcake across all three layers. Keep them on the adults’ end of the party spread.
Temperature, almost always. The ganache must cool to a firm but spreadable consistency before whipping, like soft peanut butter. Whipped too warm it stays soupy, straight from a long chill it can break. Let over chilled ganache sit out 15 to 20 minutes, then whip, it should lighten dramatically within 3 minutes.
Yes, in stages. The unfrosted, soaked cupcakes keep airtight overnight or freeze up to 2 months. The ganache can be made a day ahead and refrigerated, warm it slightly to spreadable before whipping. Frosted cupcakes hold 4 days covered in the fridge, just serve them after 20 minutes at room temperature.
After baking, you poke small holes in the warm tops and brush on Baileys, which carries the Irish cream flavor into the crumb itself. You can skip it for a milder cupcake, but it is the step that separates these from a chocolate cupcake with boozy frosting, and it keeps the crumb extra moist.
Any Irish cream liqueur works identically, including homemade. For a no alcohol version, swap the batter and soak Baileys for chocolate milk and use 2 teaspoons of vanilla plus a splash of cream in the ganache. Coffee creamer in Irish cream flavor also mimics the taste surprisingly well.
Made these Baileys Cupcakes? Leave a comment and a star rating below, and tell me which of the three Baileys layers won you over!
Keep the boozy warmth flowing with my kahlua hot chocolate.
Chocolate Baileys Cupcakes (with Baileys Ganache)
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup Bailey’s room temperature
For the soak:
- 1/4 cup Bailey’s
For the frosting:
- 20 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
- 12 ounces Bailey’s
- 8 ounces heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake sections with liners and set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.2 cups granulated sugar, 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 2 large eggs, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Add the flour mixture to the wet and whisk until combined.
- Add the Bailey’s and stir until smooth, scraping the sides as needed.1/2 cup Bailey’s
- Fill cupcake liners or muffin tin with 3 tablespoons of batter each; you may have a little batter left over, but that’s okay.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then, take them out and place them on a wire rack.
- Immediately start poking holes all over the cupcakes with a toothpick.
- Brush the tops with the additional Bailey’s for the soak. Allow to cool completely.1/4 cup Bailey’s
- While the cupcakes are cooling, make the ganache frosting. Place the chocolate chips into a large, heatproof bowl and set aside.20 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
- Place the Bailey’s, heavy cream, and salt in a medium-sized saucepot over medium heat.12 ounces Bailey’s, 8 ounces heavy cream, ½ teaspoon salt
- Whisk constantly until it just comes to a simmer. Pour over the chocolate chips and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Whisk until smooth. Allow to cool for 3 hours at room temperature, I like to continue to whisk it every 10 minutes or so, I believe this helps cool off faster.
- Place in the fridge for 1 hour to set.
- Place the ganache into the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Whip for 3 minutes until light and fluffy; scrape down the sides to ensure it is all mixed properly with no streaks.
- Add frosting to the cupcakes and add your favorite garnishes if using.
Notes
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Use room temperature ingredients for a smoother batter.
- Don’t Overmix: Mix just until the ingredients are combined to keep the cupcakes tender.
- Fill Cupcake Liners Evenly: For uniformly sized cupcakes.
- Regularly Whisk the Ganache: While cooling for a smooth texture. You’re going to love these Baileys chocolate cupcakes!
- Use a Piping Bag for Frosting: For a professional look.
- Let Cupcakes Cool Completely: Before frosting to prevent the ganache from melting.
Nutrition
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