3B – Triple Bourbon Cupcakes

Oh yea… I’m doing it. I’m dangerously dabbling with… CUPCAKES!  These manly midgets are so damn good. Bourbon Cupcake. Cinnamon Bourbon ButterCream. Salted Bourbon Caramel. Not for children. You can use whiskey or cognac instead of bourbon if you’d like. Make the caramel sauce first so it has enough time to cool.

Cupcakes – yields 12 cupcakes

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

3 eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature

1/2 cup bourbon, whiskey, or cognac

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

1.5 cups flour, sifted

1 tsp baking powder

Sift together the flour and baking powder, add the salt and set aside. Preheat your oven to 350F and line a cupcake tray with liners.

Add the butter and sugar to a large bowl and beat on low-medium speed until creamy. Blend in the sour cream, and then add the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Add in the alcohol and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add the dry ingredients in 3 stages, fully incorporating them into the batter.

Scoop the batter into your cupcake tray, dividing it equally between the 12 cupcakes and filling the liners about 2/3 of the way up.

Bake for 18-20 min or until a tooth pick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Cool completely.

Cinnamon Bourbon ButterCream

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 tsp cinnamon (or more to taste)

1 tbsp bourbon

3 cups powdered sugar, sifted (plus an extra 1/2 cup just in case)

Combine the 1st 3 ingredients in a large bowl and beat until smooth and fully incorporated. Add the powdered sugar in 1/2 cup increments and beat on low (or else a large cloud of powdered sugar will follow you for 3.24 days) until fully incorporated and smooth.

Spoon into a pastry bag fitted with your favorite tip and swirl over the top of your cooled cupcakes.

Salted Bourbon Caramel

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

2 tbsp bourbon

2 tbsp water

3/4 cup heavy cream (or almond milk), room temperature

3/4 tsp sea salt

Combine the 1st 4 ingredients in a heavy saucepan and cook until the sugar develops a dark amber color, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the cream; the mixture will bubble, don’t worry. Stir until the bubbles subside. Add in the sea salt and stir. Refrigerate to cool.

Drizzle over the tops of the cupcakes. Top off with a few pieces of toasted slivered almonds.

Enjoy!