Irish Coffee Cupcakes

When I was a kid, I loved the Hostess Cupcakes.  Still kind of do, have one maybe once a year.  Someone had suggested that I make an "adult version" of them and I had just come across a recipe for one in David Lebovitz's 'Ready For Dessert'.  This sounded like it was a going to be a fantastic cupcake.  Chocolate cake with a Bailey's Cream Cheese Filling and a Chocolate Whiskey Glaze.  Definitely a grown up version. 

mmmm....now thats a food porn shot

These are easy, just a little time consuming.  And of course, I had a boo boo.  Just a minor one but it was time consuming nonetheless. I made the cupcakes and let them fully cool.  Once cooled, I cored out the middle of each cupcake and set them aside (I really need to get a cupcake corer.  At first I thought they were needless, but now that I'm doing more and more filled cupcakes, it looks to be a wise investment.  Will be purchasing one in the near future).  I made the filling and filled each cupcake.  Then I saw my fatal mistake.  I had to put the cap back on each cupcake.  I had a giant mound of tops just sitting there waiting for me.  And of course I had eaten a couple because I wanted to taste the cake.  Fail - fail on my part.  Away I went trying to find the right cap for each cupcake and ended up with a lot of crumbs.  I smooshed them together and made my own cap for cupcakes in need. 

not the prettiest thing, right?

Time to make the glaze.  I was still laughing when I remembered a request from a friend - the next time I had a mistake to take the picture of booze that we all know is coming and wrap it in the quilt she made me (which I love to death). 

Jim needed a time out before he got used

Back to the glaze.  It's fairly easy and was ready in minutes.  Time to dip each cupcake in it.  A flash of panic went through my mind.  What if the tops fell off and then I had filling and cupcake floating in the chocolate?!  Nervously I dipped the first cupcake in and it was fine.  I cautiously dipped the rest of them in, and happily only a few crumbs ended up floating in the chocolate pool. 

all dipped and time to set

Once set, I packed them up and went off to play treat fairy.  These were a huge hit.  Everyone loved them.  So they weren't the prettiest things, but they were amazingly tasty.  And I'm happy that my sacrifice to the Baking Gods was small and made me laugh, but I do fear for a large one for they are never pretty.

Irish Coffee Cupcakes

makes 12 cupcakes

Cupcakes

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup strong brewed coffee

6 tbsp cocoa powder

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 tsp vanilla extract

Filling

4 oz cream cheese, room temperature

4 tbsp butter, room temperature

6 tbsp powdered sugar

1 tbsp plus 1 tsp Irish Cream Liqueur, such as Bailey's Irish Cream

Glaze

4 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 tsps light corn syrup or agave nectar

2 tbsp whiskey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line standard muffin tin with cupcake liners.

To make the cupcakes, into a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a medium saucepan, heat the coffee until almost boiling.  Remove from the heat and whisk in the cocoa until dissolved, then add the butter, stirring until melted.  Whisk in the brown sugar and let cool until tepid.  Whisk in the eggs and vanilla, then stir in the flour mixture, mixing just until incorporated.  Don't overmix. 

Divide the batter among the cupcake liners and bake until the cupcakes feel just set in the center, 20-22 minutes.  Let cool completely.

To make filling, in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a food processor fitted with a metal blade, beat together cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar until smooth.  Beat in the Irish Cream Liqueur. 

To fill the cupcakes, use a sharp knife to cut a 2" cone shaped hole in the center of each cupcake.  Remove the plug-like pieces.  Trim off the tip of each plug to create a disk-shaped piece that is 1/3" thick.  Save these disks for capping the filled cupcakes.

Divide the filling among the cupcakes, then gently press the caps into the filling.  They won't fit perfectly, which is fine, and some filling may bulge out. 

To make the glaze, melt the chocolate with the cream and corn syrup or agave nectar in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth.  Remove from the heat and stir in the whiskey.

Dip the tops of the filled cupcakes in the glaze, completely sealing the tops and generously coating them.  Let cool, right side up, until the glaze is firm.