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Vegan Irish cream cupcakes on blue plate.
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5 from 7 votes

Vegan Irish Cream Cupcakes

Make these scrumptious vegan Irish Cream Cupcakes for St. Paddy's Day or anytime, and watch them go! The chocolatey cupcake has a wee bit of Irish whiskey in it and gobs of fluffy coffee buttercream on top.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time22 minutes
Total Time32 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Irish
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Calories: 465kcal
Author: Vaishali · Holy Cow Vegan

Equipment

Ingredients

Dry ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Wet ingredients

  • 1 cup non-dairy milk (I used oat milk)
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup Irish whiskey (use your favorite brand)
  • 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup neutral oil (like avocado oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil or grape seed oil)

For the frosting

  • 16 tablespoons vegan butter (2 sticks, softened, at room temperature)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2½ cups powdered sugar (add more if you want to make the frosting sweeter)
  • ½ teaspoon instant coffee granules
  • 2 tablespoons vegan cream (or creamy plant milk, like soy milk, cashew milk or oat milk. Make sure it is at room temperature)
  • 1 teaspoon Irish whiskey (optional)

Instructions

Make the cupcakes

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit/180 degrees Celsius.
  • Place all dry ingredients for cupcakes in a bowl: flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, coffee granules and salt. Use a whisk to mix the dry ingredients thoroughly.
  • Whisk all the wet ingredients in a bowl: oil, sugar, whiskey, milk and vanilla.
  • Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Use a spatula to mix until there is no dry flour in the bowl and the batter is fairly smooth. Don't overmix. This is a fairly thin batter but don't worry--it will bake up nicely.
  • Prepare a cupcake pan by lining it with paper liners. Divide the batter equally between the 12 cups. Bake in a preheated 350-degree Fahrenheit/180-degree Celsius oven for 22 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
  • Place the cupcake tin on a cooling rack. After 10 minutes remove the cupcakes to the rack to cool thoroughly.

Make the frosting

  • Place the softened vegan butter, 1 cup powdered sugar and vanilla in a bowl. Beat until the frosting is smooth, then add another cup of sugar and beat in. Taste and add as much sugar as needed: for me 2 ½ cups hits the perfect spot.
  • Stir the coffee granules into the vegan cream or milk until dissolved. Add to the frosting (along with the whiskey, if using) and beat in until smooth and fluffy. Frost the cupcakes once they are thoroughly cooled.

Notes

Storage instructions
  • Refrigerate: Store the cupcakes in the fridge for up to a week.
  • Freeze: Store the baked and frosted cupcakes in a single layer in an airtight container for up to three months.
  • Thaw the cupcakes thoroughly before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 465kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 3g | Sodium: 228mg | Potassium: 115mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 77IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 1mg