Irish Coffee Cupcakes

It doesn’t have to be a holiday to enjoy one of these Irish Coffee Cupcakes! Just like the classic coffee cocktail, these chocolate & coffee cupcakes are kissed with whiskey, and the fluffy whipped cream pillow on top of each one is infused with Bailey’s Irish Cream! Sláinte!

I think it’s safe to say I’m already over eating nothing but healthy food this year. Must be some kind of record, since it’s still January.

The number of sweets and snacks I’ve shared so far in this year definitely outnumbers the number I’ve actually eaten, but it’s not like I’m surviving on kale smoothies and zucchini noodles.

That’s definitely not my style.

You’d think after the holidays, life would slow down a little, right? After over forty years on this planet, I’ve discovered that that just is never the case.

Each day is usually some blend of happiness and stress and opportunity and work – lots of work. And did I mention stress?

The kind of stress that requires a shot of booze in your morning coffee. Or a spiked coffee cupcake, if you’re feeling froggy.

Or maybe a small batch of Irish coffee cupcakes are what you need instead?

I had my first Irish coffee in London a several years ago, ironically. Abe and I were out in the town proper, getting lost for fun, and we found this adorable, tiny coffee and pastry shop (one of the many we stopped in – I couldn’t tell you what it was called anymore). It was a typical cold, dreary February afternoon, and after walking around all morning, the warmth of the shop was so welcome.

We ordered a couple of croissants and our coffees and waited, huddled together, shaking the cold from our bones. The shop owner looked over his shoulder to ask a question and started chuckling when he saw us, and how out of place we were. Suddenly, his thick Irish accent cut through the empty room.

“D’you wanna have a gargle?”

The blank looks on our faces must have been more obvious than we intended them to be because his laughter just got louder. He then held up a bottle of Irish whiskey and it all made sense.

Oh no please, don’t spike my coffee. What a horrible idea.

The whiskey was one thing, but the layer of thick cream on the top nearly ruined me for regular coffee.

And you know what? Even if it’s nowhere near St. Patrick’s Day, Irish coffee-turned-cupcakes are a super idea.

Ingredients

Coffee, chocolate, whipped cream, and booze. What could be better in a dessert?

And even better – baking a small batch of Irish coffee cupcakes means you (1) have just enough for you and your sweetie or (2) you don’t have to share with anyone.

• All-purpose flour – can use a 1:1 GF free flour for gluten allergies.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder
• Instant espresso powder
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Kosher salt
• Granulated & brown sugar
• Egg, room temperature
• Vanilla extract
• Hot brewed coffee
• Irish whiskey – Jameson or Bushmills are our faves!
• Unsalted butter, softened to room temperature.
• Cream cheese, softened.
• Irish cream – Bailey’s, St. Brendan’s, or make your own!
• Heavy cream

For exact ingredient measurements and recipe instructions, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post!

How to make Irish Coffee Cupcakes

1. To make the coffee cupcakes: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place 6 cupcake liners in a muffin pan. Set aside.
2. With a stand mixer or hand mixer, combine butter and sugars. Beat well until smooth, then add the egg and vanilla and mix until well combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Beat in the coffee and whiskey and beat until just combined (batter will be thin).
3. Divide evenly between prepared muffin cups. Place in the oven and immediately drop the temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake for 16-18 minutes, until the tops spring back when you touch them, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. To make the Irish whipped cream: With a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add the Irish cream and mix until combined.
5. Slowly add the cream, whipping until thick, stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes.
6. Top each cupcake with the whipped cream, garnish, and serve.

Wanna make your cupcakes look just like these? Grab the pearlized gold sugar, the pretty little edible gold star sprinkles and these cute little pipettes (perfect for squeezing an extra shot of booze into each treat) on Amazon!

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Irish Coffee Cupcakes

It doesn't have to be a holiday to enjoy one of these Irish Coffee Cupcakes! Just like the classic coffee cocktail, these chocolate & coffee cupcakes are kissed with whiskey, and the fluffy whipped cream pillow on top of each one is infused with Bailey's Irish Cream! Sláinte!

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Irish

Keyword: coffee cupcakes, irish coffee cupcakes

Prep Time: 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 16 minutes minutes

Cooling Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 56 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 345kcal

Author: Erica

Ingredients

Irish Coffee Cupcakes

• ▢ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
• ▢ ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ ¼ cup brown sugar
• ▢ 1 large egg room temperature
• ▢ ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ ¼ cup unsweetend cocoa powder
• ▢ 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ Pinch kosher salt
• ▢ ¼ cup hot brewed coffee
• ▢ 2 tablespoons Irish whiskey

Irish Whipped Cream

• ▢ 2 ounces cream cheese softened
• ▢ ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ ½ tablespoon Irish cream
• ▢ ¾ cup heavy cream

US Customary – Metric

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Instructions

Irish Coffee Cupcakes:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place 6 cupcake liners in a muffin pan. Set aside.
• With a stand mixer or hand mixer, combine butter and sugars. Beat well until smooth, then add the egg and vanilla and mix until well combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Beat in the coffee and whiskey and beat until just combined (batter will be thin).
• Divide evenly between prepared muffin cups. Place in the oven and immediately drop the temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake for 16-18 minutes, until the tops spring back when you touch them, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Irish Whipped Cream:

• With a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add the Irish cream and mix until combined.
• Slowly add the cream, whipping until thick, stiff peaks form (about 3 minutes).
• Top each cupcake with the (stabilized) whipped cream, garnish, and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 345kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 88mg | Sodium: 102mg | Potassium: 186mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 720IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 1.2mg

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This post was originally published on January 25, 2018. It was republished with additional & updated information on January 15, 2025.