There are just too many amazing things about these cupcakes to count – a divine Baileys white chocolate mud cupcake, fluffy vanilla icing and crunchy caramel popcorn. They’re fun and so good you’ll be back for seconds!

Prep:
50 min
Cook:
30 min
Serves:
12

Ingredients

Baileys Cupcake

  1. ½ cup (75g) self raising flour

  2. 1 cup (150g) plain flour

  3. ¼ cup (60ml/g) sour cream

  4. 125g salted butter

  5. 2/3 cup (120g) white chocolate melts

  6. ¾ cup (165g) caster sugar

  7. 75ml Baileys

  8. 75ml water

  9. 1 tsp Queen Vanilla Bean Paste

  10. 1 large egg, lightly beaten

Icing

  1. 250g salted butter

  2. 2 cups (300g) sifted icing sugar


  3. 2 tsp Queen Vanilla Bean paste

Caramel Popcorn

  1. 2 ½ tbs vegetable oil

  2. ¼ cup popping corn

  3. 60g butter

  4. 1/3 cup (75g) caster sugar

  5. 1 tbsp (20ml) honey

  6. ¼ cup (30g) chopped cashews

  7. ½ tsp Queen Vanilla Bean Paste

Method - Baileys Cupcake

  1. Step 1

    Preheat oven 160°C (fan forced). Line 12 hole cupcake tray with patty cases.
    In a medium mixing bowl sift flours and add sour cream, set aside.

  2. Step 2

    Place butter, sugar, white chocolate, baileys, water and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until sugar has dissolved and mixture is combined.

  3. Step 3

    Add chocolate baileys mixture to the flour mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Add egg and whisk well to combine.

  4. Step 4

    Divide among patty cases and bake for 25-30 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.

Method - Icing

  1. Step 1

    Beat the butter until it is white and doubled in size (about 10 minutes), scraping down the edges of the bowl occasionally

  2. Step 2

    Add sifted icing sugar gradually until combined, then add vanilla and whip until fluffy (about 1-2 minutes).

Method - Caramel Popcorn

  1. Step 1

    Line a medium sized baking tray with baking paper. Heat oil in a medium size saucepan. Add a piece of popping corm and when the corn slowly spins the oil is hot enough. Add remaining popcorn.

  2. Step 2

    Cover saucepan with a lid and allow popcorn to pop. Popcorn will be ready when you can no longer hear any pops. Transfer popped corn to a mixing bowl and add nuts.

  3. Step 3

    In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, sugar, honey and vanilla. Heat while stirring until sugar has dissolved, then bring to a boil without stirring until mixture turns golden brown. Working quickly, pour caramel over popcorn and nuts and mix to coat evenly. Spread out on the prepared baking tray and allow to cool.

Method - Decoration

  1. Step 1

    To decorate: pipe buttercream icing on to each cupcake using a large round tip. Hold the piping bag upright and keeping it at the centre of the cupcake at all times, squeeze the piping bag until a small amount of buttercream covers the middle of the cupcakes. Be sure not to over pipe as you will need room to stick the popcorn around the icing.

  2. Step 2

    Stick the caramel popcorn around the buttercream to cover the top of the cupcake. Drizzle with store-bought caramel sauce, if desired.

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