I can now top my cakes with my favourite drink with this delicious, smooth Baileys buttercream!
It’s been at least a week since I last shared a buttercream recipe with you, so I thought it was about time I posted another one. This one is flavoured with one of my favourite things – Baileys Irish Cream 🙂
I’ve piped this buttercream onto some delicious Bailey’s cupcakes (recipe coming very soon) but it would also go brilliantly with other flavours such as vanilla, chocolate or coffee. As you know, I like to post my cupcakes and icing separately so you can mix-and-match the flavours to your heart’s content.
- Make sure your butter is really soft before you start. It’s so easy to forget to take the butter out of the fridge far enough in advance (I take mine out a couple of hours before I want to make this) and it’s tempting to beat it to soften it. However, unless it’s really soft it can be tricky to mix in the liquid and you’ll end up with lumpy buttercream.
- Add your Baileys very gradually (I add 1 tsp at a time) and beat in each addition thoroughly before adding more.
- Beat your buttercream on the lowest possible speed (or by hand) to avoid adding too many air bubbles.
- If all the liquid and soft butter means your buttercream seems a little too soft for piping, pop it into the fridge for a few minutes to firm up (although not too long or it’ll be too stiff to pipe, check it every few minutes).
What You’ll Need
Before you start, make sure you have all of the equipment needed.
NOTE – These are affiliate links which means that if you purchase from Amazon after clicking on one the product links below I may earn a small commission. All of the products linked are ones I use in my kitchen.
Weighing Scales- Measuring Spoons
- Knife – to cut the butter
- Electric Mixer (or a bowl and hand mixer or wooden spoon)
- Sieve
- Piping Bags – if you’re planning on piping the cupcakes
- Piping Nozzle – To pipe the cupcakes as shown in the pictures you’ll need a JEM 1B nozzle.
Baileys Buttercream
INGREDIENTS
- 250 g unsalted butter - soft at room temperature
- 500 g icing sugar
- 2½ tbsp Baileys Irish Cream - you can use any of their other flavours too
INSTRUCTIONS
- Cut the butter (250g) into cubes and then beat on a low speed until soft. Gradually add the icing sugar (500g - you add it gradually to stop it flying everywhere) and beat until fully combined.
- Add the Baileys (2½ tbsp) a teaspoon at a time, beating in each addition before adding more.
- Check the consistency of your buttercream. It should be soft and perfect for piping at this point. If it's a little too soft, pop it into the fridge to harden, checking it every few minutes.
- Decorate your cakes.
NOTES
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Any nutritional information provided is the estimated nutritional information per serving. Please refer to my guide to Charlotte’s Lively Kitchen nutritional information if you would like to learn more about how this is calculated.
Free From/Suitable For…
The ingredients I used to make this recipe are all free from the following allergens. However, please check any labels carefully for allergens you need to avoid as brands can vary and product recipes can change over time.
- Suitable for Vegetarians
- Gluten-Free
- Egg-Free
- Tree Nut-Free
- Peanut-Free
- Sesame-Free
- Soya-Free
- Sulphur Dioxide & Sulphite-Free
- Lupin-Free
Clare Connolly says
Best frosting I’ve ever made! Had already made basic chocolate cupcakes with my little one and just wanted to spice them up a bit for the adults. Definitely going in my recipe book now!!