Gluten Free Irish Cream Cupcakes are filled with Irish cream chocolate ganache, and topped with fluffy Irish cream whipped cream frosting.
This post is sponsored by Ryze. As always, all opinions are entirely my own. Thank you for supporting the companies that I love to work with!
You should make these Irish cream cupcakes. Stat.
The first reason why you should make these gluten free Irish cream cupcakes:
There is lots of Irish cream involved. There is Irish cream in the cupcake batter, in the ganache filling, and in the whipped frosting.
The second reason why you should make these chocolate Irish cream cupcakes:
Though these boozy cupcakes look “fancy” or hard to make, the cupcake, ganache, and whipped Irish Cream frosting are all super easy to make.
I made the cake batter in one bowl, and only used one gluten-free flour and no xanthan gum or other binders (besides eggs, like a normally cupcake.) I used Ryze’s Yellow Bag, which is perfect for cakes, muffins, quick-breads, and of course these rich chocolate Irish cream cupcakes.
Why I like Ryze’s flour
Ever since I tried Ryze last year and used it to make gluten free red velvet brownies and gluten free rainbow cupcakes, I’ve always kept some on hand for easy gluten free baking. I love that it is a single ingredient flour, made entirely of different grinds of rice flour. It doesn’t have extra starches, and I usually don’t need to add any xanthan gum to recipes when I am using it (especially if I am using Ryze’s Blue Bag).
Plus boozy filling & frosting
The Irish cream chocolate ganache is also super easy (2 ingredients and 30 seconds in the microwave), as is the whipped Irish cream frosting. The frosting is thick and fluffy, and holds up fabulously! The secret is adding vanilla instant pudding to fresh whipped cream. I left a cupcake on my counter for 24 hours (I don’t recommend doing this for food safety reasons, I was just testing it out) and the frosting didn’t weep or fall. Even though I added 1/2 a cup of Irish cream to it. My sister gave me this pudding mix tip, and I’m sure I’ll use it all the time now!
The third reason you should make these gluten free Irish cream cupcakes:
I shared some cupcakes with one of my non-gluten-free friends (so I wouldn’t eat them all). He texted me after after trying them:
Brianna! Best cupcake I have ever had! I need the recipe. Holy crap!
That alone should motivate you to give these a try. Maybe I should move this to reason #1? I mean, if my gluten-eating friend says these are the best cupcakes he has ever had…. you’re missing out if you don’t try them.
Be sure to invite people over, so you don’t eat the whole batch.
- 1 cup Ryze Yellow Bag Gluten-Free Flour
- ½ cup dutch-processed cocoa powder
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup hot coffee
- ¼ cup Irish cream liquor (Bailey's)
- ⅓ cup oil
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup milk chocolate chips
- ¼ cup Irish cream liquor (Bailey's)
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1, 3.4 oz package vanilla instant pudding *see note
- ½ cup Irish cream liquor (Bailey's)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line your cupcake tin with paper liners, or lightly grease with cooking spray.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the Ryze Yellow Bag Gluten-Free Flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, salt, and baking powder.
- Make a well in the dry mix, and add the hot coffee, Irish cream, and oil. Stir until smooth, then add the eggs and vanilla and mix until well combined.
- Fill the cupcake tins about ¾ full, then bake in the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes or until they bounce back when lightly touched (or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.)
- Let cool, then cut out a space for the filling using a sharp knife or melon baller.
- In a small microwave safe bowl, combine the milk chocolate chips and Irish cream. Microwave for 30 seconds then stir until smooth. Let cool to room temperature, then scoop the ganache into a small plastic zipper bag. Snip off the corner, and fill the hole you made in the cupcakes.
- In a stand mixer, or in a large bowl with electric hand mixers, whip the cream to soft peaks.
- Add the vanilla. While mixing on low speed, sprinkle in about half of the pudding mix, pour in half of the Irish cream, then sprinkle the other half of the pudding mix, and pour in the last of the Irish cream. Mix until smooth and thick.
- Pipe the whipped cream on the filled cupcakes, or frost using your favorite method.
- Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
*If you want to make a dairy-free Irish cream cupcake, I'd suggest using Bailey's Almande Irish Cream, your favorite dairy-free chocolate, and would try to make the frosting using whipped coconut cream (the pudding mix doesn't actually have dairy in it). I haven't tested this yet, but based on my experiences I think it should turn out and plan to test it soon. If you give it a try, please let me know in the comments!
These look awesome! I know the alcohol should be cooked off in the baking, but to avoid it in the frosting, could you use an Irish Cream coffee creamer instead?
I think that would work quite well! If you are concerned about alcohol, I’d use an Irish Cream coffee creamer in the batter too. Some of the alcohol cooks off, but there is enough in the recipe that I could still taste it.
If you try it, comment back to let me (and others) know how it works.