• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Chisel & Fork logo

  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • DIY
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • DIY
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    You Are Here: Home → Desserts

    Baileys Red Velvet Cupcakes

    March 15, 2022 | Updated April 30, 2022 by Ryan 2 Comments

    39 shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Baileys red velvet cupcake on white board with more in the background
    red velvet cupcakes made with Baileys on white board
    Baileys red velvet cupcake with cupcake liner peeled off

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure.

    These Baileys red velvet cupcakes are classic cupcake kicked up a notch by adding some Baileys Red Velvet Cupcake liqueur in the batter and frosting.

    Baileys red velvet cupcake on white board with more in the background

    I'm a fan of all things Baileys - from Baileys French toast to Baileys ice cream to a Baileys chocolate martini.

    But did you know they make more than just their famous Irish Cream Liqueur? Until recently I didn't.

    And then when at a liquor store recently I saw a Baileys Red Velvet Cupcake flavor. As I love Baileys and my wife loves a good red velvet cupcake, I figured it was worth a shot. We weren't disappointed as it tastes like a cupcake in a glass.

    So with that in mind, I figured why not use it to make actual Baileys red velvet cupcakes. You basically take a standard recipe and swap out some of the milk for the Baileys. It is just enough where you get a hint of the flavor in every bite. And that bright red color doesn't hurt to look at!

    Jump to:
    • Ingredient Notes
    • Ingredient Swaps
    • Step-by-Step Photos
    • FAQs
    • Equipment
    • Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
    • Other Cupcake Recipes
    • Baileys Red Velvet Cupcakes
    red velvet cupcakes made with Baileys on white board

    Ingredient Notes

    • Cake flour – cake flour is lighter than all-purpose flour which creates that light, soft crumb. If you don't have cake flour, you can make your own version.
    • Cocoa powder - it is important to use natural, not Dutch cocoa powder as the cake is already rich enough. Dutch doesn't have acidity so needs to have baking powder to react.
    • Sugar - granulated sugar is used for the batter and powdered sugar for the frosting.
    • Distilled white vinegar - extra acid to ensure the rise of the cupcake but also helps brighten the red color.
    • Buttermilk - important as the acidity reacts with the baking soda to create rise but also adds moistness to the cupcake.
    • Baileys Red Velvet Cupcake Liqueur - adds moistness and flavor to both the batter and frosting.
    • Red food coloring - creates that red color you expect with the cupcake.
    • Cream cheese - creates a tangy but sweet frosting that works with the cupcakes.

    Ingredient Swaps

    Like any recipe, you can switch up the ingredients if you want. Some variations include:

    • I mentioned above that I use natural cocoa powder, but Dutch cocoa powder works as well.
    • Granulated sugar is my go-to for these Baileys red velvet cupcakes, but light brown sugar is a good substitute.
    • Canola oil is important for the added fat, but vegetable oil or melted butter work as well.
    • You can replace the Baileys Red Velvet Cupcake Liqueur with the standard Baileys Irish Cream or even make your own!
    • I like the standard cream cheese, but you can also use mascarpone cheese.

    Step-by-Step Photos

    Please note full ingredient list and instructions can be found in recipe card below.

    process shots of mixing dry ingredients in bowl and then wet ingredients in bowl

    Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Cream together the sugar, butter and oil until fluffy before adding the egg yolks, vanilla extra and vinegar, beating until combined.

    process shots of mixing food coloring with buttermilk and Baileys and whipping egg whites in bowl

    Whisk together the buttermilk, food coloring and Baileys. Then beat together the egg whites on high speed until fluffy peaks form.

    process shots of adding wet ingredients with food coloring and mixing with dry ingredients and baking the muffins in a pan

    Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the wet ingredients, ending with the flour. Then fold in the egg whites until just combined. Add to a cupcake tin with paper liners, just ⅔ of the way full. Bake at 350°F for 15-18 minutes or until done. Remove from the tins and place on a cooling rack.

    process shots of making cream cheese frosting and piping on cupcakes

    Beat the cream cheese and butter for 3 minutes before adding the sugar, Baileys, vanilla extract and salt, beating another 3 minutes. Pipe on the cooled cupcakes.

    FAQs

    What is the Best Food Coloring?

    You can use red food coloring, gel food coloring or even beet powder to get the red color you want. Or you could just omit entirely. It doesn't affect the flavor, just the look!

    I personally like gel food coloring, as you don't need to add a ton.

    Can I Replace the Buttermilk?

    You need the acid in it to react with the baking soda and create the rise.

    If you don’t have buttermilk you can easily make it at home. Simply add 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes and it’s ready.

    Why Put Vinegar in the Cupcakes?

    Although the buttermilk and cocoa powder has acid, the extra vinegar just allows the baking soda to do its work in creating a fluffy cake.

    If you don't have vinegar, lemon juice will work as well.

    How Do I Make a Light and Fluffy Cupcake?

    Yes it is an extra step, but beat the egg whites separately. By beating the egg whites, you incorporate air which creates a light cupcake. After trying this, you will never go back.

    Can I Make These Into a Cake?

    Yes. I have a southern red velvet cake recipe. Just use that and substitute half of the liquid with the Baileys.

    How Long Do Cupcakes Last?

    To maximize the shelf life of cupcakes, place them in a covered airtight container or cover with plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out.

    • Cupcakes at room temperature will last 1-2 days
    • Cupcakes in the fridge will last 1 week
    • Cupcakes in the freezer will last 4 months

    Equipment

    The equipment you use is important to how the cupcakes turn out. What is needed is the following:

    • Stand Mixer - you can also use a hand mixer with mixing bowls.
    • Large bowl - need a bowl to be able to mix together the dry ingredients.
    • Whisk - used to mix together the dry ingredients.
    • Cupcake liners - keeps the cupcakes from sticking to the pan.
    • Cookie scoop - helps get an even amount of batter in each cupcake pan.
    • Cupcake pan - bakes the cupcakes.
    • Piping bag and tips - makes piping the frosting on the Baileys red velvet cupcakes much easier.

    Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

    • Do not skip the buttermilk as it helps create the moistness you expect from red velvet cake. If you don't have it, make your own. See instructions above.
    • All refrigerated items should be at room temperature, which helps the batter mix easily and evenly.
    • When adding the batter to the muffin tin, don't fill more than ⅔ of the way as they do rise.
    • You know the cupcakes are done when you insert a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean.
    • Allow the cupcakes to completely cool before adding the frosting, otherwise it will melt.
    • If you want mini cupcakes, fill mini liners only halfway and bake for 10-12 minutes at 350°F. It yields about 3 dozen.
    Baileys red velvet cupcake with cupcake liner peeled off

    Other Cupcake Recipes

    • close-up of chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting
      Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting
    • multiple carrot cupcakes on white board
      Carrot Cake Cupcakes
    • Irish Car Bomb cupcakes on white dish towel with Guinness beef in background
      Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes
    • close-up of homemade funfetti cupcakes
      Funfetti Cupcakes

    If you’ve tried these Baileys red velvet cupcakes or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.

    Baileys red velvet cupcake with cupcake liner peeled off
    Print Recipe
    5 from 3 votes

    Baileys Red Velvet Cupcakes

    These Baileys red velvet cupcakes are classic cupcake kicked up a notch by adding some Baileys Red Velvet Cupcake liqueur in the batter and frosting.
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time15 mins
    Total Time35 mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Irish
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 546kcal
    Author: Ryan Beck

    Ingredients

    Cupcakes

    • 1 ⅓ cups cake flour (165 grams)
    • 1 ½ tablespoon cocoa powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 4 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • ½ cup canola oil
    • 2 eggs, at room temperature with yolks and whites separates
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ½ teaspoon distilled white vinegar
    • ¼ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
    • ¼ cup Baileys Red Velvet Cupcake Liqueur
    • 1 tablespoon red gel food coloring

    Baileys Cream Cheese Frosting

    • 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
    • ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
    • 3 cups powdered sugar
    • 2 tablespoon Baileys Red Velvet Cupcake Liqueur
    • ¼ teaspoon salt

    Instructions

    Cupcakes

    • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 12 cupcake tins with paper liners. Set aside.
    • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
    • In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the sugar, butter and oil until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time and beat until mixed. Add the vanilla and white vinegar and beat until combined. You can also use a hand mixer to do this.
    • In a measuring cup, carefully whisk the buttermilk with the red food coloring and the Baileys. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk and ending with the flour until just combined. Do not over-mix.
    • In a medium bowl, beat the 2 egg whites on high speed until fluffy peaks form, about 3 minutes. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter.
    • Pour the batter ⅔ full among the cupcake tins and bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. When cupcakes are done remove immediately from tins and leave on a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

    Baileys Cream Cheese Frosting

    • Beat the cream cheese and butter together in an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the powdered sugar, Irish cream, vanilla extract and salt and beat until fluffy, about another 3 minutes.

    Notes

    • Do not skip the buttermilk as it helps create the moistness you expect from red velvet cake. If you don't have it, make your own. See instructions above.
    • All refrigerated items should be at room temperature, which helps the batter mix easily and evenly.
    • When adding the batter to the muffin tin, don't fill more than ⅔ of the way as they do rise.
    • You know the cupcakes are done when you insert a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean.
    • Allow the cupcakes to completely cool before adding the frosting, otherwise it will melt.
    • If you want mini cupcakes, fill mini liners only halfway and bake for 10-12 minutes at 350°F. It yields about 3 dozen.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 546kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 228mg | Potassium: 63mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 52g
    Did You Try This Recipe?I love seeing what you make so mention @ChiselandFork or tag #chiselandfork on Instagram and please give a star rating below!
    « Irish Mule
    Corned Beef Hash »
    39 shares

    Receive Top 25 Recipes

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rhadie Murphy says

      December 02, 2022 at 10:05 am

      I made these Bailey cup cakes today . They turned out beautiful, nice & moist .I will definitely be making them again soon . Excellent for parties . Thanks for the receipe.

      Reply
      • Ryan says

        December 02, 2022 at 11:10 am

        Glad you enjoyed them!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    About Chisel & Fork

    ryan standing in kitchen

    Hey there! Welcome to Chisel & Fork, a blog with tasty recipes and DIY projects. I'm Ryan and here you'll find hundreds of recipes ranging from true comfort food to vegan. Oh and if you like woodworking, you might just find your next inspiration. Read More About Chisel & Fork…

    Get Your Free Copy of My Top 25 Most Popular Recipes

    title page of ecookbook

    Easter Day Recipes

    • orange roll on spatula above rolls in baking dish
      Orange Rolls
    • overhead shot of smoked spatchcock chicken on wood board
      Smoked Spatchcock Chicken
    • mini ham and cheese quiche stacked on cutting board
      Mini Ham and Cheese Quiche
    • chocolate hazelnut biscotti stacked on white plate
      Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti

    Popular Recipes

    • chocolate chip scones stacked on white plate
      Chocolate Chip Scones
    • spoon lifting out chicken paprikash
      Chicken Paprikash
    • close-up of german chicken schnitzel on white plate
      Chicken Schnitzel
    • close-up of pork tossed in sweet soy ginger garlic sauce on bed of white rice
      Mongolian Pork

    Featured In

    logos of places where Chisel & Fork has been featured

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    Information

    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates
    • Recipes
    • DIY

    Contact

    • Contact
    • FAQ
    • Work With Us

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Chisel & Fork

    39 shares