Chocolate Irish Cream Cupcakes

I spent today making some amazing cupcakes!  I have seen several cupcake recipes over that last few weeks and I have been really wanting to make some for St. Patrick's Day, so today was the day!  Alot of the recipes I found called for mint, now I am a big fan of mint flavoring, would even consider mint chocolate chip ice cream to be at the top of my favorites.  However I made mint brownies several years ago and my husband said they tasted like toothpaste...decided I would try something else this time!  I ended up taking a recipe on Better Homes and Gardens and adapting to add the cocoa and the Baileys...YUM!  I made a vanilla buttercream frosting and royal icing shamrocks inspired by the fabulous Sweetopia.  I couldn't find disco dust at any of the stores around here so my shamrocks are a little lacking in the glam department...need to plan ahead and order online in the future!  Here is the cupcake recipe with the changes I made in green:

Ingredients

• 4    egg whites
• 2  cups  all-purpose flour (changed to 1 3/4 cups)
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1  teaspoon  baking powder
• 1/2  teaspoon  baking soda
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1  cup  buttermilk or sour milk*
• 1/4  cup  green creme de menthe** (used 1/4 cup of Bailey's Irish Cream)
• 1/2  cup  shortening
• 1-3/4  cups  sugar
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla

Directions

1. Allow egg whites to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line twenty to twenty-two 2-1/2-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups ( I got 22 from the recipe so this is pretty accurate). In a medium bowl stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a 2-cup glass measuring cup combine the buttermilk and the Irish Cream. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl beat shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Add egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to shortening mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until mixture is combined.
3. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Use the back of a spoon to smooth out batter in cups.
4. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool cupcakes in muffin cups on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin cups. Cool completely on wire racks.

Quick Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 to 2 tablespoons whipping cream
• Green food coloring (or color of choice if desired)

Directions

In a standing mixer fitted with a whisk, mix together sugar and butter. Mix on low speed until well blended and then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes.

Add vanilla and cream and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more, adding more cream if needed for spreading consistency.

Here is the link  for the instructions on making royal icing shapes, I did it freehand instead of using a stencil, but it definitely took many tries before I was getting a size and shape that I was happy with...they still aren't perfect, but look pretty cute on the cupcake.  By the way, cupcakes are much easier to photograph than one year olds!