St Patrick's Day 2011 Recipes - Irish Cupcakes

After leaving my old job I got into baking for a bit based on a business idea. I wrote about it in a posting that I haven't published yet so I will after I finish this one. So of course I needed to make some cupcakes for St. Pat's day! I have two recipes for you - Green Velvet Cupcakes with Irish Cream frosting and Bailey's Chocolate Cupcakes with Goat Cheese frosting.

Green Velvet Cupcakes with Irish Cream Frosting
This lovely recipe for the cupcakes is based off of Paula Deen's Red Velvet cupcakes. Paula Deen is just like my Grandma Jean - she loves (and is great!) at country cooking. But one of the absolute funniest things I've seen is a website called Paula Deen Riding Things. Just go to it - I can't really explain it well enough :) http://pauladeenridingthings.com/

Makes 24 cupcakes

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature (buttermilk = the key to any Southern-style cupcake)
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 Tablespoons green food coloring (or red, if you'd like to make red velvet)
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line your muffin pans with liners.
In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl, gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, egg, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients in batches to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined. 
Evenly distribute the batter into 24 cups and bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes clean. 


Irish Cream Frosting

2 sticks butter
5-6 Tablespoons Bailey's or other Irish cream
2 cups powdered sugar


Cream the butter until pale, add the cream in a slow stream while mixing slowly to prevent splatter. Slowly add the sugar until incorporated and smooth. 

I GOT THE POWER YA'LL!

Bailey's Chocolate Cupcakes with Goat Cheese Frosting

The goat cheese frosting adds an extra kick to any cream cheese frosting and the chocolate cake is a nice counter-part to the cheese. 

Makes 12 cupcakes

1 1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup buttermilk

3 Tablespoons Bailey's

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the pan with cupcake papers.

In a medium bowl, sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, mix or whisk the sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Alternatively add the flour mix and buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour mix, into the wet mixture. Stir in the Bailey's. 

Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Goat Cheese Frosting

1/2 lb cream cheese, room temperature
4 oz goat cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Cream the cheeses together and gradually add the sugar until smooth.