Chocolate Baileys Cupcakes with a Whiskey Ganache Filling & Baileys Buttercream

Instead of going for the usual Cupcake with green frosting and a shamrock on top, I decided to make something a little different for St. Patrick's Day this year. I'm a huge fan of Baileys Cream Liquor -  I'd drink it with ice, in coffee or even pour it over chocolate fudge cake and ice-cream. 

So, when I saw the Irish Car Bomb Cupcake recipe on 
Brown Eyed Baker, I said I had to give something along those lines a go this year. I'm not mad on Guinness, so I decided to go for Chocolate Baileys Cupcakes with a Whiskey Ganache Filling and Baileys Buttercream - could there be anything more Irish?

This is my take on Brown Eyed Baker's Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes..Image from Brown Eyed Baker

INGREDIENTS

(FOR THE CUPCAKES)

275g Self Raising Flour
275g Caster Sugar
275g Butter (softened)
25g Cocoa Powder (sieved)
6 large Eggs
2 tsp Vanilla Essence
2 tbsp Baileys

 

METHOD

(FOR THE CUPCAKES)

1) Preheat your oven to 190C/ 360F/ Gas Mark 5

2) Cream the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl

3) Add in the eggs and mix in the food mixer 

4) Add in the dry ingredients, spoonful by spoonful
5) Drizzle the Baileys into the mixture as its mixing (make sure not to over mix it)

6) Spoon the mixture into a muffin tray lined with muffin cases (make sure each is two thirds full)

7) Bake the buns for 12-15 mins

INGREDIENTS

(FOR THE WHISKEY GANACHE)

225g Dark Chocolate (finely chopped)
155g Whipping Cream
2 tbsp Butter (softened)
2 tsp Whiskey

METHOD

(FOR THE WHISKEY GANACHE)

1) Heat the cream in a bowl over a  saucepan of simmering water.

2) Place the chocolate in another bowl and when the cream begins to simmer, pour it over the chocolate

3) Let it sit for a minute, and then stir it from the middle out using a spatula

4) Stir in the butter and whiskey until combined

5) Leave it to cool so it thickens, but make sure that its still soft enough to be piped

INGREDIENTS

(FOR THE BAILEYS BUTTER CREAM)

775g Icing Sugar

250g Butter (softened)

6 tbsp Baileys

METHOD

(FOR THE BAILEYS BUTTER CREAM) 

1) Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl

2) When nice and creamy, add in the baileys, spoon by spoon, while its mixing

3) Leave to sit while you prepare the cupcakes

TO ASSEMBLE....

1) Cut a hole in the top of each cupcake using either a knife or a piping nozzle 

2) Pour some of the whiskey ganache into each hole and pop the lid back on to each

3) Using a piping bag or a spoon, decorate each of the cupcakes with the Baileys Buttercream, and, if you like, drizzle some of the leftover ganache over the top of each like so...