I made cupcakes! Hot Chocolate & Bailey's

Last night I had a craving. A craving for sweets. And since I've had nothing on the brain other than cupcakes lately, naturally I looked for a cupcake recipe. I was hoping to find something to use up my leftover mascarpone, and possibly some of the little bits of liquor left in the cabinet. I settled on Kahlua cupcakes from How to Eat a Cupcake. I knew I was VERY low on Kahlua, so I decided to use Bailey's instead. The batter was so perfect - thick but light. I think it was the most perfect batter I've ever made. The Bailey's flavor sure was strong though! I went ahead and put it in the cupcake cups. Unfortunately, I filled them way too full, and instead of baking in 25 minutes, it took closer to an hour to bake them all the way through!!! I had intended to frost them with Tiramisu Cream, but by the time the cupcakes were done, it was almost 11:00 pm, and I didn't want to disturb the neighbors with my mixer. I just stirred together some Cool Whip and the leftover mascarpone and smeared it all over my warm cupcake. Mmm...heavenly. Just like hot chocolate with Bailey's with whipped cream on top. :) The Bailey's flavor was still really strong after baking. I like it, but I think I might tone it down if I tried it again. And of course, I wouldn't fill my cupcake liners so full! :)

No pictures, sorry...roomie still has the camera and won't be back til later today. :(

Kahlúa Cupcakes
Makes 24 cupcakes

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup Kahlúa
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Insert 24 liners into a medium cupcake pan.
2. In a large bowl cream together the butter, cocoa, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and creamy, 3-5 minutes. Add egg yolks and beat for 4 minutes.
3. In a small bowl mix water and Kahlúa.
4. In another large bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture alternating with the Kahlua mixture. Mix on medium speed until ingredients are completely combined.
6. With clean beaters and a large bowl, beat the egg whites on high speed until they form soft peaks. With a rubber spatula, fold the meringue into the batter.
7. Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of cupcake comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in the pan.