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Mudslide Cupcakes with Baileys Frosting

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Make a batch of these delicious Mudslide Cupcakes with Baileys Frosting for a sweet treat that looks as good as it tastes!

This recipe features both a mudslide cake and delicious frosting inspired by the classic mudslide cocktail.

These mudslide cupcakes with Baileys frosting combine coffee and cream flavors for a decadent dessert that’s a guaranteed hit wherever you serve it!
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Why You’ll Love Baileys Cupcakes

With an irresistible combination of Baileys Irish cream liqueur and coffee flavored Kahlua, these deliciously decadent cupcakes are topped with a Baileys frosting that emphasizes all of those mudslide cocktail flavors.

Some testers even said they would eat a big bowl of the frosting on its own!

Based on the classic mudslide cocktail (which is basically on adult milkshake), these cupcakes combine the flavors of Irish cream with coffee and chocolate.

The result is a rich and luscious treat that’s perfect for birthdays, special occasions, or whenever your sweet tooth is acting up!

Ingredients Needed

Odds are you have most of these ingredients in your pantry and fridge already, which makes shopping for this recipe a breeze!

For the Cupcakes

  • granulated sugar – also known as plain white sugar.
  • cake flour – this is different than all purpose flour, and you don’t want self-rising flour either!
  • baking powder and baking soda – these leavening agents will result in light and fluffy cupcakes.
  • salt – helps balance out all of the sweetness.
  • unsalted butter and eggs – be sure to let these ingredients come up to room temperature for best results.
  • sour cream – adding full-fat sour cream ensures that your cupcakes are perfectly moist.
  • canola oil – you can also use vegetable oil here if you like.
  • vanilla extract – I recommend using pure extract instead of imitation for the most authentic flavor.
  • milk – use whole milk for the perfect amount of fat content.
  • Kahlua – store bought works fine, but you can make your own Kahlua as well!
  • Baileys Irish Cream – same with the Irish cream, you can use Baileys or make a homemade batch.
  • instant coffee – provides a deep and rich coffee flavor.

For the Frosting

  • unsalted butter
  • powdered sugar – keep in mind that this is different from granulated sugar!
  • Kahlua
  • Baileys Irish Cream
  • salt
  • optional toppings – drizzle the cupcakes with chocolate syrup and chocolate shavings for some of that decadent chocolate flavor.

How to Make Cupcakes with Baileys

  1. Combine sugar, cake flour, baking powder, and baking soda, and salt in a stand mixer.
  2. Add in the butter and mix on medium low until a fine crumb forms.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs with sour cream, oil, and vanilla.
  4. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and carefully mix until well combined.
  5. Mix the instant coffee into a measuring cup or small bowl with the hot milk, Kahlua, and Irish cream until the coffee dissolves.

Using instant coffee infuses your cupcake batter with a rich and comforting coffee flavor.
  1. Add coffee mixture to the batter and mix on low. The batter will be liquidy.
It’s alright if the batter is a little liquidy–as long as you fully bake the cupcakes they’ll turn out fine.
  1. Use a 1/4 cup measure or cupcake scoop to fill cupcake liners just over halfway.
You can eyeball the batter scooping if you like, but I prefer to use a scoop to get even and consistent results.
  1. Bake at 350 degrees F for 14 minutes, then use a toothpick to test if they’re done. Set aside to cool

How to Make Baileys Frosting

  1. Beat butter until soft and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  2. Mix in the powdered sugar a little at a time.
  3. Add the Kahlua, Irish cream, and salt, then mix until fully combined.
  4. Transfer to a piping bag and pipe onto cupcakes. Drizzle with chocolate syrup and top with shaved chocolate if desired.
The Baileys frosting is the true star of this show, and it’s so easy to make! You can even make a double batch if you want to really pile the frosting on top of your Baileys cupcakes.

Expert Tips for Mudslide Cupcakes

  • Be sure not to overmix the batter, as this can result in cupcakes that are a bit tough or dense.
  • For the room temperature ingredients, really make sure you let them come up to room temperature! This will allow them to integrate into the batter with less mixing, which helps avoid overmixing the batter.
  • If you’re not sure about your oven’s capability, test-bake a single cupcake before doing a whole batch. You may save yourself a whole lot of trouble!
  • For larger swirls of frosting, just double the frosting recipe.
  • Store these cupcakes in large airtight containers. Experts say that cupcakes with buttercream frostings should be refrigerated, but I often keep mine on the counter for a few days. (Do this at your own risk of course!)
  • You can also freeze your cupcakes if you know you’ll be storing them for longer than 4 days or so.
  • Allow cupcakes to come back up to room temperature, whether they’ve been refrigerated or frozen.
  • For the hot milk, microwave it for 10 to 20 seconds. You want it warm enough to dissolve the instant coffee, but not boiling.

FAQs

What is a mudslide cocktail?

Sometimes referred to as a mudslide milkshake, this cocktail combines vanilla ice cream with Kahlua (or any coffee liqueur), Irish cream, and often another liquor like vodka. Many variations also include chocolate syrup for garnish.

What is the secret to moist cupcakes?

You’ll want to make sure there’s enough fat and liquid in your cupcake batter to prevent them for drying out. Because this batter for Baileys cupcakes is already on the liquidy side, you shouldn’t have any issues with dryness!

Why are my cupcakes domed?

This is likely due to an oven that’s too hot. Some ovens heat to a slightly different temperature than indicated. Use an oven thermometer to check if you have any discrepancies in heat and adjust as necessary.

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5 from 4 votes

Mudslide Cupcakes with Baileys Frosting

While these mudslide cupcakes are tasty, their Baileys Irish Cream frosting is the real star of the show!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Total Time 29 minutes
Servings 16 cupcakes
Calories 287kcal
Author Stefani

Ingredients

For the Mudslide Cupcakes

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 3/4 cups cake flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 1/3 cup full-fat sour cream
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons hot milk
  • 1/4 cup Kahlua
  • 1/4 cup Baileys Irish cream
  • 3 tablespoons instant coffee

For the Baileys Frosting

  • 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons Kahlua
  • 2 tablespoons Baileys Irish cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup chocolate syrup optional
  • 1/4 cup shaved chocolate optional

Instructions

Cupcake Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C).
  • In a medium-sized mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, mix together sugar, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  • Add butter and mix on medium-low speed for three minutes. Because there is so little butter, you'll end up with a very fine crumb texture.
  • In a small mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, sour cream, oil, and vanilla extract until smooth.
  • Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined.
  • In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together warm milk, Kahlua, Baileys Irish Cream, and instant coffee until the coffee is dissolved.
  • Slowly add liquid to mixing bowl and mix on low speed until just combined. The batter will be liquidy. (Don't worry, you didn't do anything wrong. It's supposed to be that way.)
  • Fill cupcake liners just over 1/2 full.
  • Bake for 14 minutes and then test to see if they are done. They are done when a toothpick comes out without wet batter stuck to it. If they are not done, test again in two minutes. If they are still not done, test again in another two minutes.
  • When the cupcakes are done, remove them immediately from the tins and leave them on a cooling rack (or just on your counter if you don’t own a cooling rack) to cool.

Baileys Frosting Instructions

  • Beat butter on high speed with an electric mixer for about three minutes until light and airy.
  • Mix in powdered sugar a little bit at a time.
  • Add Kahlua, Irish Cream, and salt and continue to beat for another minute.
  • Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes. Optionally drizzle with chocolate syrup and top with chocolate shavings.

Notes

  • Use cake flour for a lighter crumb.
  • Be careful not to over-mix the batter.
  • Use room temperature ingredients – everything will mix together more smoothly that way.
  • Because everyone’s oven is just a bit different and your liners may be a slightly different size than mine, I highly recommend that you bake a test cupcake before baking your whole batch of cupcakes. Fill one liner halfway and see how much it rises during the bake.
  • I keep cooled, frosted cupcakes in large Tupperware-style containers. Food safety experts recommend that cupcakes with whipped cream, buttercream, cream cheese, or ganache frostings should be refrigerated. While I always keep cupcakes frosted with whipped cream or ganache in the refrigerator, I often keep my buttercream and cream cheese cupcakes on the counter. Do so at your own risk.
  • If you know you’ll need to store your cupcakes for more than 3-4 days, these cupcakes can be frozen without a problem. Be sure to store the cupcakes in an airtight container to avoid freezer burn.
  • Always return refrigerated or frozen cupcakes to room temperature before serving.
  • Double the amount of frosting listed if you prefer a cupcake with an extra large swirl as shown in the photos.

Nutrition

Calories: 287kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 72mg | Potassium: 118mg | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 425IU | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 1.2mg
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