Palmabella's Passions

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

These cupcakes have an extra treat inside, with a bite of Irish Cream filling, and are topped with Bailey's Cream Cheese Frosting. Here is what I did:

1. Bake 18 cupcakes using your favorite cake recipe, or a chocolate, white, or yellow cake mix. Try my Vanilla cupcake recipe if you like:

Vanilla Cupcakes 
 350 degree oven

3/4 cup (1-1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1-2/3 cups vanilla sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2-2/3 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out

1. Beat butter until softened. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
2. Add eggs, one at a time.
3. Measure the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
4. Measure out the milk and vanilla and stir to combine.
5. Add about a third of the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar and beat to combine. Add about a half of the milk/vanilla and beat to combine. Continue adding, alternating between dry and wet and finishing with the dry.
6. Scoop batter into cupcake cups about 2/3’s full. Turn oven down to 350 degrees and bake cupcakes for about 22-25 min. Makes 18-20 cupcakes.

While cupcakes are cooling, make Baileys Cream filling: (these are approximates, as I just threw stuff in a bowl until it tasted right!

4 oz. softened, unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
A nice splash of Baileys (maybe 4 T.)
enough powdered sugar to get a good consistency (about 1 1/2-2 cups)
Beat three ingredients together with a fork until smooth.

When cupcakes are cooled, use an apple corer, and press down into the center of the cupcake to remove a round section of cake. Do NOT pop it into your mouth, as we will replace these!

Fill centers using a pastry bag with large tip, or, a ziplock with one corner cut off.

Now replace those "lids".

Baileys Cream Cheese Frosting:

4 oz (1/2 stick) softened unsalted butter
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
a nice splash of Baileys (3-4 T.)
enough powdered sugar for frosting consistency (about 3 cups)
Beat all butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add Baileys and powdered sugar, and beat. Chill for a few minutes before frosting cupcakes. Decorate with green sugar, or sprinkles. (Keep refrigerated until shortly before serving.)

Frosted Baileys Cupcake:

I tried to get a photo of the center:

Two glass cake plates, stacked, made a great centerpiece!