Mint Julep Cupcakes

I love to try new and unusual recipes in the kitchen, but I particularly love a task that allows me to tweak and customize techniques to achieve a specific flavor combination. These cupcakes were made for a coworker of mine, a native Kentuckian and fan of the derby. We started discussing them in March after the success of the Irish Car Bomb cupcakes. I accepted the challenge, and the mint julep cupcake was born. 

I took the relatively same approach with these cupcakes as I did with the Irish Car Bomb cupcakes- cake, alcohol-infused filling, alcohol flavored frosting. They turned out quite tasty with just the right kick to keep them off limits to those under the age of twenty-one.  

I began by researching other versions of this cupcake treat. They all involved using a great deal of alcohol in the batter which caused me some concern. I was primarily thinking about the consistency and texture of the cake. I wanted to perfume the cake with alcoholic flavor rather than making it mushy or more on the beverage side than the dessert side. Ultimately, I decided to use my ultra-tasty, hugely reliable vanilla cupcake recipe and tweak it just a bit. 

I began the actual construction of these cupcakes by culling the necessary ingredients. I knew I absolutely needed bourbon, and I wanted an alcohol to flavor the frosting. I ended up trying creme de menthe. My coworker was kind enough to provide me with the appropriate bourbon necessary to achieve a true Kentucky mint julep flavor. I had an opportunity to sample just a bit, and I must say it was strong stuff. I could actually taste it lingering in the burst of warm air when I opened the oven to check on the first batch. For the filing, we discussed the different bases and decided that a white chocolate would be best to achieve the sweet flavor of a mint julep. 

Mint Julep Cupcakes

Makes about 24 cupcakes 

1 3/4 c. cake flour

1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

2 c. sugar

1 tbs. baking powder

3/4 tbs. salt

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened and cut into tablespoons

4 large eggs at room temperature 

3/4 c. whole milk

1/4 c. 100 proof bourbon

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 325 and line a standard muffin pan with your favorite cupcake liners. I went for a Kentucky blue suitable for the occasion. 

In the bowl of your mixer, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix until they are combined. Add the softened butter a few tablespoons at a time. Mix on medium low until the butter is incorporated and the pieces of butter are no larger than a peanut. I try to get mine looking like the consistency of a crumbly crust ready to be pressed into the pie plate. 

In a large measuring cup, a 2 cup Pyrex works well, whisk together milk, bourbon, eggs, and vanilla. If you want to up the bourbon flavor, substitute more bourbon for milk. I would not go more than half a cup as you need to milk to keep the cupcakes the right consistency. Make sure you are using whole milk for this recipe as the fat content is important to achieving a successful cupcake. 

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients in three parts, mixing on medium after each addition. Mix until all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated, but do not over mix because it can affect the texture of the cupcakes. 

Fill your liners to about 2/3 full. Bake for 17-20 minutes. Test cupcakes with a cake tester after removing them from the oven to ensure they are done. Place the cupcakes on a wire rack to cool completely before filing and frosting. 

Bourbon White Chocolate Ganache

12 oz. white chocolate chips

2/3 c. heavy cream

2 tbs. unsalted butter at room temperature

3 tbs. bourbon (or more if you really want to taste it)

Heat the cream in the microwave until simmering, about a minute and ten seconds. Pour in the white chocolate chips, shaking bowl slightly to ensure that all of the chips are covered in hot cream. Let this sit for about one minute. Stir in the butter and bourbon. Continue stirring the mixture until all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. You don't want the mixture to appear curdled or chunky. 

Do not be afraid if the mixture appears a bit soupy. I kept mine in the refrigerator overnight, and it was still a bit runny. The trick is to achieve a consistency slightly thiner than a pudding. This will ensure that it does not soak into your cupcakes, but still has a pleasantly smooth feel similar to a well prepared adult beverage. Definitely make this ahead of time, so if it does not have the proper consistency, you have time to let it chill for several hours in the fridge. 

Creme de Menthe Frosting

1 c. unsalted butter at room temperature

2 lbs. confectioners sugar

4-5 tbs. creme de menthe

Beat the butter in the bowl of your mixer until smooth and creamy. Begin adding the sugar in small portions, beating between each addition. Add the creme de menthe. Beat until the frosting is smooth and creamy, achieving the proper consistency for piping. 

Be sure to sample your frosting. If you find that the mint flavor is not powerful enough, add more alcohol or a half teaspoon of mint extract. 

Assembling the Cupcakes

To assemble the finished product, begin by cutting the centers out of your cupcakes. I like to use a sharp knife and cut in a cone shape. This makes a lovely, symmetrical circle and fun cake cones that you can munch on while you are decorating your cupcakes. 

Fill a pastry bag with the white chocolate ganache and pipe enough filling into each cupcake to reach the top of the cake. Do not be afraid to overfill your cupcakes. It just means more deliciousness for the person who eats the overfilled one. 

Fill another pastry bag fitted with Wilton tip 1m. Pipe the frosting in a circular swirl pattern, making sure to cover the filling completely. 

Fill free to garnish the finished product with fresh mint leaves or caster sugar. 

I loved the way these cupcakes turned out. They were a great melding of flavors. I liked that I could taste each of the components and that the textures worked well together. These cupcakes were an adventure that I would love to take again. My next foray into the adult beverage themed cupcake will probably be white Russian inspired in honor of my lovely husband. I will, of course, post pictures and how-tos when I tackle this challenge. 

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St. Patrick's Day Cupcakes

I'm finally returning after a brief, busy, hiatus. My day job has been keeping me occupied planning for next year's students. It's an exciting time to be a high school teacher, but it has kept me away from a kitchen longer than I would have liked. 

Now- on to the cupcakes. These cupcakes were a great deal easier to make than the previous ones. While they did involve many steps, the prep time was much less and the ingredients were easier to work with.  I found this recipe on one of my favorite blogs and decided to give it a whirl. I enjoy an adult beverage from time to time, so, given the approaching holiday, these cupcakes were a perfect fit. I must warn you, however, that these cupcakes do have discernible alcohol in them and are not intended for children or gestating women.

I had a great time collecting all of the ingredients necessary for these cupcakes. It was like a scavenger hunt around Knoxville. If you don't have a stocked bar, I would recommend gathering all of your ingredients in advanced. Remember, if you live in certain parts of the South, you cannot purchase all of the ingredients on a Sunday.

My first stop was our friendly neighborhood liquor store. The clerk gave me the eye when I walked in. Perhaps it was because I was wearing one of Tee-fury's fine tees, and I didn't look the part of responsible liquor store patron. I had decided beforehand that I would simply purchase the airplane bottle size Bailey's, but I quickly changed my mind. I ended up getting the bottle you see in the picture above. It was much more expensive than the off brands the clerk steered me towards but, I think, well worth it. If you've ever tried the off brands, you'll notice a distinct grainy quality that the Bailey's, thankfully, does not have.  I was glad I didn't settle on the airplane size bottle because I wanted more frosting than the recipe recommended, so I would have needed more anyway.

My next stop was to visit a baker's fantasy store, Cook's Corner for a cookie cutter, sprinkles, and maybe some cool, St. Patrickey baking cups. Unfortunately, upon pulling into a prime parking space right in the door, I discovered that they were closed due to a random power outage. This was bizarre as I noticed that the surrounding stores all had power and were open for business. Given my proclivity for spending large quantities of cash in baking stores, this ended up being a blessing. Score one for unwilling self control.

I picked up the rest of the ingredients at Super Target and World Markets. I would have been able to finish my shopping at Super Target, but they do not sell Guinness by the bottle.

Guinness Cupcakes
Makes about 24 cupcakes 
1 c. Guinness Beer
1 c unsalted butter cut into cubes (2 sticks)
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 c. flour
2 c sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2/3 c. sour cream 

Preheat your oven to 350 and line a standard size muffin pan with cupcake liners. 

In a medium sauce pan, simmer the Guinness and butter over medium heat until combined. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. 

Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of your mixer. In another bowl mix together your eggs and sour cream. I combined mine with a fork, beating vigorously, until they looked smooth and creamy. 

Add the egg mixture to the Guinness mixture, whisking to combine. It should have a milk chocolate color and look smooth, almost like a heavy mousse. Do not give in to the temptation to taste. Remember that you still haven't added the sugar and will be in for a tart, Guinness laden surprise.

Add the chocolate mixture to the flour mixture in your mixer bowl. Mix on a medium-low speed until combined. You may notice small bubbles in the batter. This is fine. It's simply the stout reacting with your other ingredients. Your batter will be a thin and liquidy. If you let it set for about five minutes it will firm up a bit. 


Dole out the batter into your lined cupcake pan, filling cups about 2/3 full. I used a measuring cup to dip out the batter without making a mess. Bake for about 17-19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a cake comes out clean. I had some trouble with my cupcakes falling in the middle. I think this might be due, in part, to the fact that it was raining and humid when I baked them. If they do fall in the middle, it's not anything to worry about as you will be scooping our the middles for the filling. Place cupcakes on a rack to cool before filling with ganache.  

Chocolate Ganache
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate chips
2/3 c. heavy cream
2 tbs. butter, cubed and at room temperature
1-2 tbs Irish Whiskey

Heat the cream until simmering. Since I am a short-cut girl and like to dirty as few hand wash only dishes as possible, I heated the cream in the microwave. I know some bakers would frown at this, but it worked fine for me. In the microwave it took about a minute and ten seconds. Pour the cream over the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Let sit for one minute. Add the butter and whiskey. Stir until combined. Allow mixture to cool at to about room temperature. You want it to be pliable, but not runny or stiff so that you can pipe it into the cupcakes using a pastry bag. 

Bailey's Irish Cream Frosting
3/4 c. unsalted butter at room temperature (about 1 and a half sticks)  
1 lb. confectioner's sugar (about 4 cups)
4-5 tbs. of Bailey's Irish Cream 
Green sugar for garnish

Beat the butter in the bowl of your mixer until smooth. Add the confectioner's sugar a bit at a time. Add the Bailey's and beat to combine. This frosting recipe is approximate. If it appears too runny to pipe onto your cupcakes, add more sugar to achieve the right consistency. If it appears too stiff, add more Bailey's. Keep in mind that your flavoring and liquid component is the Bailey's. You can make this frosting as strong or as light as you like. 

Assembling the cupcakes


Using a sharp knife or small, round cookie cutter, scoop out the middle of your cupcakes to form what looks like a chocolate cake mini-well. Be careful to avoid scooping out too much as you want your cupcakes to have a bottom. Feel free to munch on the extra cake, as you won't be using it for these cupcakes. 


Load a pastry bag with the chocolate ganache and fill the wells until the ganache reaches the top of the cupcake. If you go overboard, use a small spatula to smooth out the filling. The recipe made the perfect amount of ganache for my 24 cupcakes. 


Load another pastry bag with the Bailey's frosting. I used Wilton tip #20 to achieve the ridges in the frosting. Swirl the frosting on the cupcake, forming a dome in the middle if desired. 


Sprinkle each cupcake with green sugar and enjoy. 


I took these cupcakes to a friend's birthday dinner, and they were a huge hit. While I noticed the flavor of the alcohol in them, many people commented that they did not detect a distinct alcohol flavor, but only the sweet notes of the Baileys. I will definately use this recipe again, especially the ganache and filling technique. The Guinness make the cupcakes dense and moist, and the filling is a nice surprise. If you're making these for St. Patrick's day, I would recommend trying to find a bright green cupcake liner. My local Target was sold out, so I had to go with blue.

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