Oops! I did it again! I got boozy with my dessert, but I think I’ve created a winner. So, with it being February and all, I’m of course thinking about Valentine’s Day and Cupid and pink and red and chocolate and roses…. Well, I haven’t really been thinking about that, but when I walk into the grocery store and see the giant display of heart-shaped boxes of chocolates, I can’t really help it!
Not to be Debby Downer, because really it’s just an observation, I have never, ever had a Valentine. For some reason, my dating pattern seems to be between spring and summer… I have only dated one person through a major holiday which was Christmas. Usually things start to dwindle around Thanksgiving… Wonder if that’s a coincidence?
But THESE would be perfect for Valentine’s Day. What a delectable way to end the evening with the sexy marriage of coffee and chocolate and the romantic escapades of Bailey’s and Kahlua! If I could somehow get caught up in their love affair, I totally would. Oh wait! Now I can!….
Chocolate Coffee Cupcakes with Bailey’s Pudding Filling and Kahlua Frosting
Chocolate Coffee Cupcake (makes 12):
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 Cups Flour
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/3 Cup Cocoa Powder
- 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
- 1 Cup Water
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Tbsp White Vinegar
- 1 Pack Starbucks Via Instant Coffee
- 1/2 Cup Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Chocolate Chips
Bailey’s Pudding:
- 1 Cup Origiinal Bailey’s
- 1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 2 Egg Yolks
Kahlua Frosting
- 1/4 Cup Unsalted Butter
- 1/2 Cup Kahlua Coffee Liquor
- 4 Cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 tsp. Sea Salt
For cupcakes: Mix all dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix thoroughly. Stir in chocolate chips. Easy, right? 
Set 12 Cupcake liners in a muffin pan and fill with batter 3/4 full. Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. You can make these a day ahead and store in the fridge. Cupcakes should be fully cooled before adding the pudding filling.
Bailey’s Pudding: In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add Bailey’s and stir, allowing it to come to a simmer. About 5 minutes. In a separate heat-safe bowl, whisk 2 egg yolks. Slowly ladle some of the heated Bailey’s into the yolks and whisk continuously. Slowly add yolk mixture back into Bailey’s mixture and bring it to a boil. It will reduce and most likely start to separate. Allow it to boil for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and continue to stir. When cooled to a warm temperature, transfer to the blender and give it a whirrrrr until well mixed. Pour into a bowl.
When pudding reaches a lukewarm temperature, use a syringe to inject pudding into the cupcakes. Here’s where you can be all smart and doctor-like and yell things like “Give me 3 cc’s of Irish Cream, STAT!”… I purchased a 5 mL syringe from the drug store… It’s skinny, so it doesn’t ruin the cupcake. I filled it and injected the cupcakes 3 times each. Make sure your push the syringe into the center of the cupcake… I did it too shallow and the filling ended up mostly toward the top… But it still tasted great! Place the cupcakes back in the fridge to set.
Look at that luscious pudding!
For Kahlua Frosting: Cream butter. Alternate mixing Kahlua and Powdered Sugar until desired consistency is reached. You may not need all of the powdered sugar, and you may need a little more. Add vanilla and salt, mix well. You can spread or pipe the frosting on top of each cupcake. Piping looks prettier I then garnished mine with a sprinkling of Via instant coffee powder. It looks so pretty!
You can serve these straight from the fridge or allow them to come to room temperature. I like cold cupcakes… so….
Enjoy!
Basic chocolate cupcake adapted from Mom’s Chocolate Cupcakes on Food.com
- 1½ Cups Flour
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- ⅓ Cup Cocoa Powder
- ½ Cup Olive Oil
- 1 Cup Water
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Tbsp White Vinegar
- 1 Pack Starbucks Via Instant Coffee
- ½ Cup Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Chocolate Chips
- 1 Cup Origiinal Bailey’s
- 1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 2 Egg Yolks
- ¼ Cup Unsalted Butter
- ½ Cup Kahlua Coffee Liquor
- 4 Cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- ¼ tsp. Sea Salt
- Preheat oven to 350º.
- Mix all dry ingredients together.
- In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix thoroughly.
- Stir in chocolate chips.
- Set 12 Cupcake liners in a muffin pan and fill with batter ¾ full.
- Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. You can make these a day ahead and store in the fridge. Cupcakes should be fully cooled before adding the pudding filling.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add Bailey’s and stir, allowing it to come to a simmer. About 5 minutes.
- In a separate heat-safe bowl, whisk 2 egg yolks.
- Slowly ladle some of the heated Bailey’s into the yolks and whisk continuously. Slowly add yolk mixture back into Bailey’s mixture and bring it to a boil. It will reduce and most likely start to separate.
- Allow it to boil for about 3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and continue to stir.
- When cooled to a warm temperature, transfer to the blender and give it a whirrrrr until well mixed.
- Pour into a bowl.
- When pudding reaches a lukewarm temperature, use a syringe to inject pudding into the cupcakes. I purchased a 5 mL syringe from the drug store… It’s skinny, so it doesn’t ruin the cupcake. I filled it and injected the cupcakes 3 times each. Make sure your push the syringe into the center of the cupcake. Place the cupcakes back in the fridge to set.
- Cream butter.
- Alternate mixing Kahlua and Powdered Sugar until desired consistency is reached. You may not need all of the powdered sugar, and you may need a little more. Add vanilla and salt, mix well.
- You can spread or pipe the frosting on top of each cupcake.
OMG – I am a lover of the cupcake:) Thanks for sharing – look delicious!
Wow! As a cupcake addict I am soooo going to give these a try. I can almost smell them from here, Divine. My present to me for Valentines. I think I love you…
I wonder how to make a blushing face
I love cupcakes with a hidden surprise inside! These may be even better than a Valentine…maybe…:]
http://milk-and-tea.blogspot.com
I agree, my favorite desserts have a surprise inside!
I’m not usually a cupcake person but I am drooling at the thought of these .. coffee, Bailey’s and Kahlua all together is like my dream dessert! Gorgeous photos too!
Thank you
My first photos with my new camera!
Looks good! Gotta love the chocolate-coffee-bailey’s-kahlua combo!
Wow, these sound & look fab! Odd question but would a turkey baster do instead a syringe for injecting the cupcakes?
I’m sure a turkey baster would get the job done. The reason I like the syringe is because it’s easy to measure with and it’s thin, so the hole it leaves in the cupcake is pretty inconspicuous. Plus, it makes me feel medically proficient
OMG!!! It’s official Rachel – you are the Fairy Queen of Fabulous Desserts!!! I’m dieting this month, but once I reach my weight goal, I will reward myself with these cupcakes. I love your website!
Thank you
I hope you enjoy them!
I just made these… They are D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!!!!
I’m so glad you tried them out! Thank you so much for the feedback