Yummy White Russian Cupcakes with Vodka

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These White Russian Cupcakes with vodka are the classic cocktail in cupcake form! A sweet, fluffy Baileys Buttercream tops a super soft and moist coffee and alcohol-infused cupcake.

Cocktail-inspired cupcakes are fun to make and serve. They're the perfect dessert to share with your cocktail loving pals.

Whether you make these for a party or just because, you're going to love the flavor!

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White Russian Cupcakes with Vodka

If you've followed along here for any length of time you know that I have tons of vodka recipes on the site. But this time I decided to use it in baking instead of a cocktail.

What is a White Russian

If you have never heard of a White Russian before, it’s a cocktail made with Kahlua or Baileys, heavy cream and vodka. It’s a strong creamy cocktail, with a hint of coffee flavor.

The great thing about a creamy, dessert-like cocktail is that they are really easy to make into a cupcake. When creating this, I tried to stay as true to the original as possible. Which means they are BOOZY! 

Can you Put Vodka in Cake Mix?

Yup! You sure can! You can pretty much put vodka in anything. Pasta sauce, baked goods, you name it. Vodka is a magical ingredient.

Can You Replace Water with Alcohol in Cake Mix?

Yes. You can replace water with alcohol in a cake mix. But because liquor tends to evaporate, you may want to add in a little more moisture with some extra milk or buttermilk. About 1/4 cup will do the trick.

I would play around with the recipe to find the right ratio that you like best. Or you can just use my recipe below as a guide.

Can You Get Drunk off Alcohol Infused Cupcakes?

I mean…I would say, not really. But I guess it is possible.

If you add the liquor to the batter before you bake it, it may cook off. If you soak the baked cake in liquor, you will absolutely get a mouthful of liquor.

My White Russian buttercream has alcohol in it as well. But if you are just eating just one cupcake, I can't imagine the amount of liquor in the buttercream will get you drunk.

If you eat the whole batch of these White Russian Vodka Cupcakes in one sitting, maybe. But I don't suggest it.

Does Alcohol Burn Off in Baking?

It depends on the amount of liquor used and how long the cupcakes bake. I would say for this White Russian Cupcake Recipe, most of the liquor will burn off.

How to Make White Russian Cupcakes with Box Cake Mix

The cupcakes are made with vodka and Baileys and the buttercream is infused with even more Baileys. A few chocolate shavings are the perfect way to finish off these fun cocktail-inspired cupcakes!

Ingredients:

For the Cupcakes

• 1 box Vanilla Cake Mix
• ½ cup melted butter
• ½ cup milk
• 3 eggs
• ¼ cup vodka
• ¼ cup Baileys
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp instant coffee

For the Frosting

• 2 cups the very best vanilla buttercream
• ¼ cup heavy cream, cold
• ¼ cup Baileys

Chocolate shavings for garnish.

To make a cupcake that tastes just like the traditional White Russian cocktail we added vodka and Baileys to a boxed cake mix. 

I also added a teaspoon of instant coffee to amp up the coffee flavor.

I love to use boxed cake mix because it's such a great base to start from. You can modify the flavors in all kinds of ways and it's super convenient to have them around for creating all kinds of fun desserts.

I'm terrible about making sure that I have the ingredients on hand before I start a recipe. I fell in love with Drizly for this reason!

You can buy almost everything you need to make cocktails and have it delivered to your home in about an hour! It's genius.

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Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners and set aside. 
3. In a bowl combine cake mix with melted butter.
4. Add eggs and whip up on medium speed until incorporated.
5. Slowly mix in the milk, vodka and Baileys. Add instant coffee and vanilla extract and whip for 3 more minutes or until the batter is shiny and everything is well incorporated. 
6. Divide the batter between the cupcake liners and put in the oven.
7. Bake for 18 minutes or until done. 
8. Remove from oven and from pan and let them cool completely before frosting. 
   

To Make the Frosting:

1. Make my Very Best Vanilla Buttercream.
2. In a separate bowl, whip up on high speed the heavy cream until light and fluffy.
3. Add Baileys and mix. 
4. Incorporate the Baileys cream to the very best vanilla frosting.
5. Whip up until light and fluffy. 

Frost the cupcakes and decorate with chocolate shavings.

This White Russian Cupcake Recipe is moist and flavorful and they are a fun way to change up an ordinary cupcake to something a little more adult-friendly.

Supplies to Make White Russian Vodka Cupcakes

Printable Vodka White Russian Recipe

Continue to Content

Yield: 12 cupcakes

White Russian Cupcakes

Print

These boozy White Russian Cupcakes with White Russian Buttercream are quick and easy and the perfect thing to serve for your next happy hour.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes

Cooling Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 3 minutes

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

• 1 box Vanilla cake mix
• ½ cup melted butter
• ½ cup milk
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup vodka
• 1/4 cup Baileys
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp instant coffee

For the Buttercream

• 1 batch my Very Best Vanilla Buttercream recipe
• 1/4 cup heavy cream, cold
• 1/4 cup Baileys

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners and set aside. 
3. In a bowl combine cake mix with melted butter.
4. Add eggs and whip up on medium speed until incorporated.
5. Slowly mix in the milk, vodka and Baileys.
6. Add instant coffee and vanilla extract and whip for 3 more minutes or until the batter is shiny and everything is well incorporated. 
7. Divide the batter between the cupcake liners and take to the oven.
8. Bake for 18 minutes or until done. 
9. Remove from oven and from pan and let it cool completely before frosting. 

For the frosting:

1. Prepare a batch of my Very Best Buttercream.
2. In a bowl whip up on high speed the heavy cream until light and fluffy.
3. Add Baileys and mix. 
4. Incorporate the Baileys cream to the very best vanilla frosting.
5. Whip up until light and fluffy. 
6. Frost the cupcakes and decorate with chocolate shavings.

Nutrition Information

Yield

12

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 331Total Fat 13gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 75mgSodium 404mgCarbohydrates 42gFiber 1gSugar 25gProtein 4g

Nutrition information isn't always accurate.

More Boozy Cupcakes to Try:

• Prosecco Cupcakes
• Margarita Cupcakes
• Fireball Cupcakes

More Easy Desserts to Try:

• Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake Cupcakes
• Microwave Bread Pudding for One
• Strawberries Romanoff Dip

Pin These White Russian Cupcakes For Later

If you are a fan of coffee and cocktails, you'll love these White Russian Cupcakes with vodka.