Guest Post: William's Amaretto & Baileys Cupcake

My nephew William, whom I introduced in my post, Aunt Ruth's Sweet Noodle Pudding (Apple Kugel), is getting his Architecture degree this year at Texas A&M University. He built this edible edifice (sans college credit) and would like to share his inspiration and methodology.

My Beer, Taquito and Cupcake Night

By William Weiner

During my internship over the summer I lived with two girls who really enjoyed watching the Food Network. Having to watch this all the time (not a negative thing; the Food Network has some pretty awesome programming), I started cooking in the duplex. It was so nice after being in a dorm for the past three years without a kitchen. Anyways, one show the girls liked to watch was Cupcake Wars. This got me experimenting and when I went home one weekend I decided to make Irish Cream cupcakes, using Baileys in the frosting. As I was driving to Dallas from College Station, I realized making cupcakes is not the most masculine thing to do. So how do you make it more masculine? Add beer and freezer taquitos. Hence Beer, Taquito and Cupcake night was born.

When I came home from school between semesters, I invited friends over to do this again. All of us being seniors in college we decided the more alcohol, the more fun, so we used more Baileys Irish Cream in the frosting and Disarrono Amaretto in the cupcake batter. I took a recipe from a little pink book my mom had (see why I needed beer and taquitos? My Man Card was in jeopardy) called 500 Cupcakes: The Only Cupcake Compendium You'll Ever Need. It had liquor and nuts and I adapted it for what we had in the house which was walnuts and pecans rather than almonds like the recipe asked for. So while my friends drank beer (don't worry, they didn't drink my beer. I specified beforehand it was BYOB), I made cupcakes.

Now maybe my friends had had too much to drink, but they were big fans of my cupcakes. I never would have thought of mixing walnuts and pecans with the roasted almond taste of Amaretto, but the flavors actually complemented each other. Adding crushed nuts (both walnuts and pecans) to the Baileys cream cheese frosting created a nice texture so the frosting was a pleasant surprise on the cupcake.

Finally, I would like to apologize to my father for using his Amaretto. But at least now he knows I used it in cooking, like him, rather than drinking.

Recipe

Cupcakes

2 sticks butter, softened

1 cup superfine sugar

2 cups flour

4 eggs

2 tablespoons Amaretto

3 tablespoons crushed nuts (walnuts and pecans)

Frosting

1 cup cream cheese

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon Baileys Irish Cream

2 tablespoons crushed nuts (walnuts and pecans)

1/2 tablespoon Amaretto for pouring over cooling cupcake

Preheat oven to 350. Place 18 paper baking cups in muffin pans.

Combine cupcake ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer until smooth and pale. Spoon the batter into cups.

Bake for 20 minutes, remove from oven to cool for five minutes. Poke holes in tops of cupcakes and pour 1/2 tablespoon of Amaretto over each. Remove and let cool.

Beat cream cheese with electric mixer. Beat in powdered sugar and Baileys. Then beat in the crushed nuts. Spread the frosting over the cupcakes.

Related Links:

Aunt Ruth's Sweet Noodle Pudding (Apple Kugel)

Build-Your-Own Chocolate and Banana Crêpes

Travel Bite: Crêpes (Palačinkas), Prague