Boozy Bourbon Cupcakes are the perfect cupcake for the bourbon (or whiskey!) lovers in your life. Bourbon is added to every part of the the cupcake; the batter, the glaze and of course, the buttercream frosting!
Update: This recipe was originally posted in May 2019. The recipe and photos have been updated and republished in October 2021.
I love bourbon! It is my favorite type of liquor and I always have at least one bottle on hand. One day I was searching for some type of recipe and came across a Jack Daniels cupcake. My first thought was "there are not enough alcoholic cupcakes in the world" so I decided to change that by creating this bourbon cupcake.
What are boozy bourbon cupcakes?
These cupcakes are easy to make as they start out with a white or yellow boxed cake mix. Bourbon is added into the batter before they are baked, then bourbon is brushed over the still warm cupcakes. And finally, bourbon is added to the buttercream frosting to make sure there's no way to miss that bourbon flavor!
These liquor-flavored cupcakes are hands down one of my most popular recipes! When I first made them, I took them into work and they disappeared in minutes. From then on, my coworkers would always ask me to make them again. I even turned them into a cake recipe when my boss at the time was celebrating his 40th birthday.
Ingredients for this recipe
- box of white or yellow cake mix (and ingredients to make it)
- bourbon (or whiskey)
- vanilla extract
- butter
- powdered sugar
- milk
- salt
Equipment for this recipe
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- two cupcake pans
- paper cupcake liners
- piping bag
- large star piping tip
- Shot Tops
Instructions for this recipe
- First, preheat the oven and prepare the batter. Preheat your oven to 350 and line two cupcake pans with paper liners. Set aside. Then combine the ingredients for the boxed cake into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium speed.
- Next, add in the remaining cupcake ingredients. Add the bourbon and vanilla to the batter and mix until combined. Divide the batter into the prepared cupcake pans and bake for 18-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
- Then glaze the cupcakes with the bourbon. Pour bourbon into a shallow dish and use a toothpick to poke a couple holes in the top of each cupcake. Use a pastry brush to brush the bourbon over top of the cupcakes while they are still warm.
- After that, make the frosting. Beat softened butter until light and fluffy, then add in powdered sugar ½ cup at a time. Add in a pinch of salt, a splash of milk and the bourbon until frosting reaches your desired consistency.
- Finally, decorate the cupcakes. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag with a large star tip and pipe tall swirls of frosting on top of the cupcakes. Optionally, decorate with sprinkles or drink shots.
Other Great Bourbon Recipes
If you love bourbon as much as I do, you'll love these other bourbon recipes:
FAQ's for boozy cupcakes
Yes, that's how I made this recipe using white cake mix. I have also used yellow cake mix. Chocolate would be a great substitution as well. And of course, you could always make your cupcakes from scratch
That's up to you but I'd choose a bourbon or whiskey that you like to drink. Bulleit Bourbon is my favorite and what I always have on hand, so I used that in this recipe.
It can, which is why I beat the butter until fluffy first, then slowly add in the powdered sugar and remaining ingredients before adding in the bourbon. You can also add in more powdered sugar after you add the bourbon if your frosting becomes too thin.
A frosted cupcake, stored in an air-tight container should last for 3-4 days, but these cupcakes are so delicious you'll find they go very quickly!
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Recipe
Boozy Bourbon Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 15.25 oz box cake mix
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ½ tablespoon bourbon
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Glaze
- 1 ½ tablespoon bourbon
Buttercream Frosting
- 2 cups unsalted butter softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoon bourbon
- 1 teaspoon milk
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Cupcakes:
- Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees and line two cupcake pans with paper liners. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, add the boxed cake mix, vegetable oil, eggs (or ingredients as instructed on the back of the box) along with the bourbon and vanilla. Mix until smooth. (The batter may look runny because of the bourbon, this is okay.)
- Divide the batter into the prepared cupcake pans, filling each cavity no more than ⅔ of the way full.
- Bake according to box directions, approximately 19-21 minutes.
- Remove the cupcakes from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to let cool.
Glaze:
- Once cooled slightly, poke the tops of the cupcakes with a toothpick and use a pastry brush to brush bourbon over them.
Buttercream Frosting
- Add the butter to a stand mixer bowl and beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes, until the butter is light and fluffy.
- Add in the powdered sugar ½ to 1 cup at a time until fully combined.
- Then add in the bourbon, salt and milk and mix until combined. If your frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar ¼ cup at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Transfer frosting to a large piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.
- Optionally, fill Shot Tops with bourbon and place into the frosting. Or decorate with sprinkles.
Colleen - Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck
Boozy cupcakes??? Count me in!!! For five or six please!!!
Carisa
Where did you find those martini glass shot tubes?? Those are amazing!!!!
NicholeL
I found them at Wegman's, but I've seen them at other grocery stores and on Amazon. They're called cupcake pipettes.