Irish Coffee Cupcakes

Irish Coffee Cupcakes

I have been trying to perfect this recipe since this last spring, and this was my third try. They came out exactly as I had hoped they would. I used them for a Halloween party. Since the kids were all eating candy, I thought we would have a little something for the adults. I made them gluten free, but if you want to make them regular just sub the ingredients in bold letters for regular flour.











Cupcakes
2 cups gluten free flour
1 teaspoon potato flour
1/2 teaspoon xathan gum
(or if you don't need them to be gluten free, sub those ingredients for 2 cups of flour)

1 1/2 stick butter (room temperature)
2 cups sugar
3 eggs (room temperature)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 table spoons ground coffee
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup strongly brewed coffee
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 shot Bailey's Irish Cream

Combine milk, brewed coffee, and vanilla in to a measuring cup and set aside
Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well combined.
Cream butter and sugar together, add eggs one at a time mixing between each.
Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients and mix well, add 1/3 of the wet and combine. Continue to add wet and dry mixing between each in thirds until done. Scrape bowl once, before last mix.


White Chocolate Ganache
3 4oz Ghiradelli White chocolate bars
5 table spoons of butter

Using a heat safe bowl over a pot of boiling water, melt chocolate and 3 table spoons of butter. Remove from heat and stir in the remainder of the butter. Set aside.

Caramel

4 tablespoons water

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

In a deep sauce pan combine water, sugar, and corn syrup. Using a wooden spoon stir until sugar is combined over medium heat. Once combined cover for 3 minutes keeping it on medium heat. Remove the cover and bring to a boil, if it isn't boiling already. Do not stir. To keep the caramel from burning shake the pan a little as it starts to turn golden brown. Once it turns golden brown, remove from heat. Add cream and stir. (be careful at this point because the mixture will bubble up, and it is very hot) Add butter and stir until melted, then add lemon juice and stir. Transfer to a heat safe bowl and set aside to cool.

Frosting

2 sticks of butter (room temperature)

1 shot coffee liqueur (or coffee)

1/2 shot Bailey's Irish Cream

1/4 cup milk

4 table spoons caramel

1/4 cup milk

4 cups confectionery sugar

Soften butter with mixer and add one cup of sugar. Add liquids and mix, add remaining sugar and mix until well incorporated.

* make the ganache last, so it doesn't cool too much before you are ready to assemble cupcakes

Assembly

Dip cooked cupcakes in to white chocolate and set aside to harden slightly. Frost the middle of the cupcake so the white chocolate still shows. Drizzle with caramel.

We used the rest of our caramel to dip apples and we have used left over caramel for caramel covered popcorn too.