Vanilla Cupcakes Filled with Chocolate Irish Cream and Irish Cream Frosting

Do you believe in the "Luck of the Irish, Green and Gold, or a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? These are old sayings in Irish lore grounded in the Gold Rush, back in the 1800's. You would be lucky if someone made these wonderful cupcakes full of Irish cream flavor and topped with flecks of gold and green.  I made Vanilla Cupcakes, filled them with Chocolate Irish Cream Ganache, frosted with Irish Cream Butter Cream, and sprinkled with Luck.  Then I found these cute cupcake topper printables for FREE on The Tomkat Studio.  Go download these cuties, and have a ball decorating for St Patrick's Day, I did.

To make these "Lucky Cupcakes", I used Bailey's Irish Cream Liqueur, which is my favorite after dinner drink.  You can't go wrong with Bailey's, right?  I first made the Vanilla Cupcakes.  Then a made a luscious Chocolate Irish Cream Ganache, and filled the Vanilla cupcakes with the Chocolate Ganche.  I could just eat the Ganache off of the spoon. Next, I made an Irish Cream Butter Cream Frosting, and piped it on the cupcakes.  To top off the cupcakes, I sprinkled the cupcakes with flecks of green and gold, and a bit of Luck. Happy St. Patrick's Day!  Remember everybody is Irish on St. Patrick's Day!!!

Vanilla  Cupcake Recipe Adapted from Cupcake Project

 Ingredients:  Makes 30 mini or 12 regular sized cupcakes

• 1 1/4 C flour
• 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/4 t baking soda
• 1/4 t salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 C sugar
• 1/2 C unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 t vanilla extract
• 1/2 C sour cream

Directions:

1. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs and sugar for about 2 minutes, or until light and creamy.
3. Add the butter and vanilla and beat on low speed for about 1 minute, or until well blended.
4. Beat in the dry ingredients on low speed until blended.
5. Add the sour cream and beat until smooth and well blended.
6. Fill mini cupcake liners about halfway full.
7. Bake at 350 F for about 14 minutes for mini, 23 min. for regular size, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean and the tops are firm. 

Chocolate Irish Cream Ganache

6 oz. dark or semisweet baking chocolate, chopped or chocolate chips

3/4 c Irish Cream, Bailey’s or Carolan’s Irish Cream Liqueur

Place chocolate in medium bowl, Heat Irish cream until simmering. Do not boil. Pour over chocolate in bowl. Stir chocolate until chocolate is evenly melted. Allow to cool and thicken. 

On cooled cupcakes, cut a hole on the cupcake, about the size of a quarter, and remove cake.  Fill with about 1 tsp of Chocolate Ganache, and replace the cake on top, gently pushing down on top of Ganache.  Pipe Vanilla Irish cream Frosting on top of cupcakes.

           Vanilla Irish Cream Frosting

         1/2 c butter, room temperature

         2c. powdered sugar

         1 tsp vanilla extract

         1/4 Irish Cream, Bailey’s or Carolan’s Irish Cream Liqueur

Cream butter with an electric mixer, until light and fluffy.  Gradually add in powdered sugar and vanilla, and mix well, Add  Irish cream until desired consistency. Pipe or frost cupcakes.  Add sprinkles and gold dust for luck.

l linked up my recipe to Brandie@The Country Cook's Weekend Potluck #109
 Stop by and say Hi to Brandie!