Bourbon Brown Sugar Cupcakes
These Bourbon Brown Sugar Cupcakes are inspired by the staple dessert of the Kentucky Derby: Derby Pie. Brown sugar cake batter is infused with bourbon, and filled with a bourbon walnut-praline mixture – flavors and textures that resemble a classic bourbon ball. The bourbon-spiked chocolate buttercream makes these truly decadent, and worthy treat for watching the most exciting two minutes in sports. However, you don’t have to be a Derby fan to make these cupcakes.See recipe notes for no-alcohol suggestions.
Equipment
- Decorator piping tip Ateco #828
- Piping bag
Ingredients
Bourbon walnut praline filling
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts toasted
- 1/4 cup vanilla wafer crumbs
- 3/4 teaspoon unsweet cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon light corn syrup or honey
- 1 tablespoon Kentucky bourbon
Brown sugar cupcakes
- 2 cups cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup Kentucky bourbon
Bourbon chocolate buttercream
- 4 oz. unsweet chocolate chopped
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons Kentucky bourbon
- 1/4 cup whole milk or cream
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts toasted
- 3 tablespoons mini chocolate chips
- 16 black cocktail cherries such as Amarena or Luxardo cherries
Instructions
Bourbon walnut praline filling
- Combine the walnuts, vanilla wafer crumbs, cocoa powder, and confectioners’ sugar in a bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Add the corn syrup and bourbon. Mix well with a rubber spatula until well blended. Refrigerate the mixture while you make the cupcakes.
Brown sugar cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line cupcake pans with 16 paper liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and sea salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar. Add the eggs in one at a time. Mix well after each addition.
- Add 1/3 of the dry mixture to the creamed mixture and beat until just combined. Add half of the sour cream and all of the bourbon to the batter; beat until just combined. Add in another 1/3 of the dry flour mixture; mix again. Add the remaining sour cream; mix until just combined. Finally, add the last 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat until a fluffy consistent batter is achieved, about 2 minutes.
- Portion the batter into the prepared cupcake tins (use a trigger ice cream scoop if you have one, or 1/4 cup measure). Remove the bourbon walnut praline filling from the refrigerator and scoop it by the level 1 teaspoonful. Place one teaspoon of the filling on top of each portioned cup of batter. Press the filling down into the batter using the back of the teaspoon, or with a butter knife. Gently swirl the batter over the filling (see video for this action).
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the cupcakes are well risen, the tops are slightly crackled. Let cool in the pans 5 minutes, and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Bourbon chocolate buttercream
- Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 1 minute increments at 100% power, stirring well in between heatings, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. (About 2 minutes total time.) Set aside to cool slightly.
- Place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on high speed until creamy. Add the confectioners’ sugar and mix on low speed at first, then medium speed, until the mixture is crumbly and partially combined. Add in the cooled melted chocolate and the bourbon. Mix again until a thick consistently chocolate frosting is achieved. Add milk and beat until light and fluffy. If mixture seems thick, add additional milk 1 tablespoon at a time until it comes to piping consistency.
- Immediately transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip (also called French piping tip, or Ateco #828). Pipe one swirl on top of each cupcake. Sprinkle with walnuts and mini chocolate chips. Add one cocktail cherry to each center swirl of frosting.
- Store cupcakes air tight in a cupcake keeper, or well covered with plastic wrap.
Notes
What to expect: These cakes are rich with a sturdy brown sugar cake base filled with bourbon walnut praline. The center tastes like a classic bourbon ball. The frosting is rich and deeply chocolaty. When first assembled, you may have a slight boozy note of alcohol from the frosting, but the next day the bourbon will have mellowed and all that’s left is the nuanced flavors of the bourbon.
No Alcohol Version: It’s difficult to find a good replacement for bourbon in baking recipes. My choice is apple juice (no sugar added) mixed with a little bourbon vanilla extract. For this recipe, replace the bourbon in the filling with 1 tablespoon apple juice, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract. For the cake portion, replace the 1/4 cup bourbon with 1/4 cup apple juice with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. For the buttercream, simply omit the bourbon and replace it with 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Pipe Swiftly: This chocolate frosting has setting properties akin to ganache. However, not quite as firmly set. But still firm enough to clog your piping tip if you leave it at room temp for more than 30 minutes. So don't tarry with the frosting - get to piping!
What Kind of Bourbon: Use a Kentucky bourbon that you like to drink. Or, something with a fragrance that you find pleasing. Super fancy and expensive varieties need not apply. Just use something mid-range such as Wild Turkey 101, or a small bottle of Maker's Mark will do the trick. 80 proof is fine. Because most of the alcohol cooks out during baking.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!