Baileys Irish Cream Cupcakes with Chocolate & Caramel Filling

Baileys Irish Cream Cupcakes are filled with a chocolate caramel ganache surprise. Taken up one more notch with a rich buttercream spiked with a dose of Bailey’s Irish Cream on top. The perfect St. Patrick’s Day treat.

Let’s admit it, chocolate makes you just a tiny bit happier right?  I mean, most people like chocolate right?  Add caramel, buttercream and a little Bailey’s Irish Cream to the mix and now we’ve got a party!

Why the need for a party?  Well, I’ve grown a whole year older!  Today is my birthday and I baked myself cupcakes!

IRISH CREAM CUPCAKES

Ok, to be honest, I share a birthday with a few family members on my husband’s side and I made cupcakes for all of us over the weekend.   I couldn’t decide what kind of cake I wanted, so I settled on cupcakes, since they travel well, and added a little Bailey’s for a St. Patrick’s Day twist.

These Baileys Irish Cream Cupcakes have an intense chocolate flavor with just a hint of Irish Cream and caramel and have a surprise chocolate caramel center.

I doctored up a batch of my favorite Dark Chocolate Fudge cake mix using Bailey’s Irish cream and milk and butter in place of the water and oil.

I worked on cupcakes while I watched the free Glamour Photography workshop with Sue Bryce on Creative Live. It was so good I purchased the course so I can watch it again and again!

Any who………after the cupcakes cooled, I used a sharp knife to cut out a cone-shaped section out of the cupcake and set it aside,  then filled the cupcake with chocolate caramel ganache and replace the cone-shaped cake back on the cupcake.

Next, I topped each cupcake with the fabulous Bailey’s Buttercream using a 1 M icing tip.

To garnish I placed the remaining ganache in a decorator bag and heated it for about 10 seconds in the microwave to soften, sniped the tip off the bag, and drizzled over buttercream.  Then drizzled with a little caramel ice cream topping.

In case you were wondering…..I am 17,167 days old today!

I wish I could share one with you!  Don’t have any Bailey’s?  Trust me, you are going to want to run out and get some! These Baileys Irish Cream Cupcakes would make a great St. Patrick’s Day treat!  you could replace the chocolate and caramel drizzle with green sprinkles!

Amy from Living Locurto was sweet enough to make some cute Happy Birthday cupcake flags that I printed and put on all the cupcakes before I took them to my sister-in-law’s.  You can print your own FREE party Printables for Birthdays or Easter at Living Locurto!

More St. Patrick’s Day Treats:

8 Green Food & Fun Ideas For St. Patrick’s Day 

Grasshopper Cocktails from Dine and Dish

Green Velvet Cheesecake from Recipe Girl

Irish Car Bomb Brownies from A Spicy Perspective

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies from Cetcu

These Baileys Irish Cream Cupcakes feature rich chocolate fudge cake and fluffy buttercream, both spiked with Irish cream, plus a gooey chocolate caramel center for the perfect bite—no need to wait for St. Patrick’s Day to enjoy them!

Bailey’s Irish Cream Cupcakes with Chocolate & Caramel

Yield: 24 cupcakes
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Additional Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

For the Cupcake

• 1 Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Dark Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/3 cup Bailey's Irish Cream

For Chocolate-Caramel Ganache

• 10 ounces bitterweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 3.5 ounces caramels (about 10-12 candies unwrapped)
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

For Bailey's Buttercream

• 1 cup shortening
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3-1/2 cup Bailey's Irish Cream
• 1/4-1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

For Garnish

• caramel syrup

Instructions

For the Bailey's Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Using a large mixing bowl, add cake mix, eggs, butter, Bailey's and milk and mix on low until combined. Then mix on high for 2 minutes.
3. Pour batter into paper lined cupcake pans. Bake for 20 min.
4. Cool completely.

For Chocolate Caramel Ganache:

1. Place chopped chocolate in medium bowl and set aside.
2. Using a medium sauce pan, heat whipping cream and caramels over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the caramels have melted completely.
3. Pour caramel cream over chocolate and stir until melted.

For Bailey's Buttercream

1. In large mixing bowl, cream shortening and vanilla for 2-4 minutes.
2. Add in powder sugar, one cup at a time
3. Combine Bailey's with cream in measuring cup and slowing add to sugar mixture, using more cream for a creamy consistency, use less milk for a stiff consistency.

To Assemble:

1. Using a sharp knife, cut out a cone shaped section of the cupcake and set it aside setting next to each cupcake.
2. Fill Cupcake holes with ganache, and place cake back over hole.
3. Top cupcakes with buttercream.
4. Garnish with remaining ganache and caramel syrup.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 24
Serving Size: 1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 461
Total Fat: 24g
Saturated Fat: 12g
Trans Fat: 0g
Unsaturated Fat: 10g
Cholesterol: 60mg
Sodium: 90mg
Carbohydrates: 55g
Fiber: 1g
Sugar: 52g
Protein: 3g

Nutrition information is estimated based on the ingredients and cooking instructions as described in each recipe and is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Please note that nutrition details may vary based on methods of preparation, origin, and freshness of ingredients used.