Ingredients
Espresso Cupcakes
1/2 salted butter, at room temperature
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 Tbsp. vanilla bean paste
1 1/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 Tbsp. espresso powder
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
Bailey’s Buttercream
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. Bailey’s Irish Cream
1-2 Tbsp. heavy cream, at room temperature
Instructions
Espresso Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350 and line 2 cupcake pans with 18 total cupcake liners.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar for 5 minutes.
- Add the eggs and mix for an additional 2 minutes. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Pour the vanilla bean paste and the espresso powder into the buttermilk and whisk to combine.
- 6. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk starting and ending with the dry ingredients. So, add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then half of the buttermilk, then 1/3 of the flour, etc.
- Mix until the dry ingredients are just incorporated.
- Portion the batter into the cupcake liners filling just over 3/4 of the way full.
- Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, then rotate the cupcakes and bake an additional 8-10 minutes or until the edges are just starting to brown and a toothpick comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs attached.
- Let cool completely before frosting.
Bailey’s Buttercream
- Cream the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment for 10 minutes, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally.
- Add the vanilla and salt and mix to combine.
- Add 1/2 of the powdered sugar, mix on low for 3 minutes, then repeat with the remaining powdered sugar.
- Add the Bailey’s and mix until combined.
- Add the heavy cream until you reach your desired consistency.
- Use a 1M tip to pipe the buttercream onto the cupcakes.