Jameson Irish Whiskey salted caramel cupcakes topped with decadent Guinness chocolate espresso buttercream and drizzled with whiskey salted caramel. Leprechaun-approved, these boozy cupcakes will be a hit at your St. Patty's day festivities.
Prep Time30 minutesmins
Cook Time25 minutesmins
Total Time55 minutesmins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Irish
Servings: 18cupcakes
Ingredients
Whiskey Salted Caramel Cupcakes
210gramsdark brown sugarabout 1 cup
95gramsgranulated sugarabout 1/2 cup
113gramsunsalted butterabout 1/2 cup
2largeeggs
3/4cupbuttermilk
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
1tablespoonJameson Irish Whiskey
250gramscake flourabout 2 cups
1teaspoonbaking powder
1teaspoonbaking soda
1/2teaspoonsalt
1/2cupcaramel baking chips
Chocolate Guinness Espresso Buttercream
10tablespoonsunsalted butterroom temperature
1 1/4cupscocoa powder
4cupspowdered sugar
1/4cupGuinness Extra Stout
1ouncebrewed espressoor strong coffee
1teaspoonvanilla extract
1/4cupmilk
Whiskey Salted Caramel
3/4cupgranulated sugar
1/2cupwater
2 1/2tablespoonsunsalted butter
1/3cupheavy whipping cream
1-2tablespoonsJameson Irish Whiskey
1/4teaspoonvanilla extract
1/8teaspoonsalt
Instructions
Whiskey Salted Caramel Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.Meanwhile, in a stand mixer, cream together sugars and butter, on medium, for 2-3 minutes. Once butter and sugars are fluffy, add eggs, one at a time, and blend until smooth on your mixer's lowest setting.Next, add vanilla extract, whiskey, and buttermilk. Start by mixing on your mixer's lowest speed and then, as the batter starts to come together, turn up to medium and blend until smooth.In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Then, gradually add to the wet ingredients on your mixer's lowest setting. Mix until all the dry ingredients have been incorporated and the batter is smooth. Take care to not overmix. The batter will look light, fluffy and mousse-like.Next, fill each cup of a lined (or greased) muffin tin 1/2 full with batter. These cupcakes will rise quite a bit so you don't want to overfill the muffin cups. Before baking, sprinkle each muffin cup with a few caramel chips. I like to add them to the batter this way rather than folding them into the batter. It helps ensure the chips don't all just sink to the bottom of the cupcakes. Instead, the batter rises over them so they get encapsulated in the center of each cupcake.Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes and then turn the oven down to 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. I find that baking the cupcakes first for a few minutes at a higher temperature helps them achieve a better, more consistent rise.Cupcakes are done baking when they're golden and a toothpick comes out clean when poked in the center. Remove promptly and let cool on a wire rack.
Chocolate Guinness Espresso Buttercream
In a stand mixer, add softened, room-temperature butter. Using the whisk attachment, beat on medium until butter is fluffy—about 5 minutes.Next, slowly add the cocoa powder and powder sugar. Mix on low until well-incorporated. Then, add Guinness, espresso and vanilla. Mix on low until smooth. Finally, add the milk a few tablespoons at a time (up to 1/4 cup) until buttercream reaches desired consistency. I used the full 1/4 cup of milk, but if you want a heavier, thicker frosting add less.Once the buttercream is completely mixed, transfer to a pastry bag and refrigerate until you're ready to decorate the cupcakes. I find this buttercream pipes better when it's a little cooler than room temperature. Therefore, letting it chill in the fridge for a few minutes while your cupcakes and caramel sauce cool is beneficial.
Whiskey Salted Caramel
In a saucepan over high heat, combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil and continue to stir frequently until the mixture darkens to a warm, amber color and registers at 345 degrees on a thermometer. Usually, this takes about 10-15 minutes. Once the right color and temperature have been reached, remove from heat and stir in butter, heavy cream, whiskey, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine and let cool completely. The caramel will thicken slightly as it cools.
Decorating & Assembly
Once cupcakes and caramel have completely cooled, hollow out the center of each cupcake. I typically just poke each with the end of a wooden spoon. Then, carefully spoon a little caramel sauce into the middle of each cupcake.Then, with your preferred pastry tip, add a generous amount of buttercream to each cupcake and drizzle each with more whiskey salted caramel sauce.