Irish Whiskey, Ginger & Lime Cupcakes

Woo-hoo! Today is St. Patrick’s Day!!! It is here, it is here! And to finish off my annual St. Patrick’s Day recipe run I give you: Irish Whiskey, Ginger & Lime Cupcakes! These cupcakes are aaaaamazing! I mean you’ve got the smooth taste of Irish Whiskey, the sweet bite of candied ginger and a zing-y lime finish. What is not to love?!!

So I’m sure some of ya’ll are like…”hey, those ingredients sound a lot like what you get in a Jameson & Ginger ale cocktail” and the rest of you are saying “Nah, that’s an Irish Mule Cocktail”. I guess if you’re going to get technical, I actually use Ginger Beer in these delectable little nibbles, so I guess it leans more towards the Mule. But if you are a big fan of Jameson & Ginger, I”d wager you’d be quite pleased with these as well.

The cake portion of this treat is really moist and tender and I absolutely love that it is shot through with little bits of candied ginger. And the frosting…oh the frosting! I really love Swiss Meringue Buttercream frosting. That is pretty much my go to. However, I came across a recipe for this frosting that uses meringue powder and I really love it. It is a bit easier than separating all those egg whites. If you like Swiss Meringue, you are going to love this frosting as well. It is super fluffy, creamy and with the addition of the Jameson Whiskey, quite boozy. Perfect for your St. Patrick’s Day festivities, even if they are still rather low key this year.

Last St. Patrick’s Day, all this pandemic stuff was pretty new. I would not have ever imagined one year later, we would still be sitting at home. No parades, no pubs. But it does look like there is light at the end of the tunnel. Can’t tell you how happy I will be when we are able to head safely back to the pubs and I take that first sip of my first post-pandemic pint! But for now, I will be content just chilling on my sofa with these tasty, boozy Irish Whiskey, Ginger & Lime Cupcakes.

I wish everyone a safe, healthy and happy holiday! Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Daiobh (Happy St. Patrick’s Day)!

• Servings: 15 cupcakes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe for Buttercream Frosting from King Arthur Flour, cupcakes inspired by: Life Love & Sugar

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:

• 6 Tablespoons (84 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cups (155 grams) sugar
• 6 Tablespoons (86 grams) sour cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste (can substitute in vanilla extract)
• 3 egg whites, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups (163 grams) all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 6 Tablespoons (90ml) Fever-Tree Premium Ginger Beer (can use different brand – but Fever-Tree is amazing!)
• 2 Tablespoon (30ml) Irish Whiskey (I used Jameson)
• 2 ounces (58 grams) candied ginger, chopped finely

For the Whiskey Buttercream frosting:

• 6 Tablespoons (75 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt (if you use unsalted butter)
• 1/4 cup (57 grams) boiling water
• 2 Tablespoons (14 grams) meringue powder
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
• 2 cups (227 grams) sifted confectioners’ sugar or glazing sugar
• 16 tablespoons (227 grams) unsalted butter
• 1 -3 Tablespoons Irish Whiskey (taste as you go)
• lime zest for garnish

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light a fluffy. Beat for about 5 -6 minutes. Do not skimp on the time.

Add the sour cream and vanilla bean paste and mix until combined.

Add the egg whites in two batches, mixing well after each addition.

Combine the flour, baking powder, ginger and salt in a separate bowl Set aside.

Combine the Ginger Beer & Irish Whiskey in a measuring cup.

Add half of the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture and mix until well combined. Add the entire Ginger Beer/Whiskey combination to the batter and mix until incorporated. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

Fold in the chopped ginger.

Fill the cupcake liners 1/2 way. I used a 1/4 cup muffin scoop for this.

Bake for 18 -20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Remove cupcakes from oven and cool on rack.

For the Frosting:

Dissolve the sugar (and salt, if you’re using it) in the boiling water, and cool to room temperature.

Use a mixer on low speed to beat in the meringue powder, until the powder is dissolved and the mixture is foamy.

Increase the speed and beat until soft peaks form.

Beat in the vanilla. Then add the confectioners’ sugar slowly. No more than 1/4 cup at a time, otherwise your frosting will taste gritty.

Add the soft butter a few tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. Finally, add the Irish Whiskey, one tablespoon at a time. Tasting after each addition until you reach the level of booziness that you prefer.

Frost the cupcakes immediately; using a pastry bag fitted with either a star or found tip. Garnish cupcakes with time zest.

Enjoy!

Links for Helpful Kitchen Tools & Ingredients for Irish Whiskey, Ginger & Lime Cupcakes:

OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Food Scale

Kitchen Aid Artisan Stand Mixer

Oxo Good Grips Ice Cream Scoop

Prepworks Pocket Zester

Meringue Powder or it is a bit cheaper here: King Arthur Flour

Fever-Tree Premium Ginger Beer

Nielsen-Massey Pure Vanilla Bean Paste