These Vanilla Maple Whiskey Cupcakes are a boozy delight, with a buttery maple center and a vanilla whiskey buttercream.
I often get questions about my boozy desserts. Can the alcohol be removed? Is this ok for a child’s birthday party? (That’s my favorite).
Since alcohol plays such a prominent role in these vanilla maple whiskey cupcakes, I figured it might be a good topic for discussion.
Regarding alcohol in recipes:
- If there’s alcohol in something being cooked (example: cupcakes going into the oven or a sauce), most of that alcohol is actually being cooked out. It’s there for flavor.
- Keep in mind that extracts are typically straight alcohol. Your vanilla extract? Booze. However, you’re using such a small quantity of it. A tablespoon of whiskey isn’t much different than a tablespoon of vanilla extract, with the exception that the vanilla might actually be prepared using a higher proof alcohol. See below.
- In the US, in order for a vanilla extract to be called pure, the FDA requires that the solution contains a minimum of 35% alcohol. I suppose this is something you want to keep in mind if you avoid alcohol for religious reasons? Aside from that, if you’re not worried about vanilla extract in your child’s birthday cake, you probably don’t need to worry about other alcohols. If I’m not legally supposed to say that… please keep in mind that I’m not qualified to say anything, and I’m not a pediatrician or a lawyer and maybe you should just give them fruit, k?
- Moving on, if there is alcohol in a recipe that is not cooked, like the filling and frosting in these cupcakes, that alcohol will obviously still be there at the end (sorry to be so basic, but I get a lot of basic questions). However, the recipe below includes 5 tablespoons of whiskey spread across 24 cupcakes. That’s not a lot of alcohol per cupcake. I have an extremely low tolerance and I’m not worried about getting a buzz from these.
- Lastly, if you do not consume alcohol for personal or religious reasons, it can always be omitted from a recipe. In baked goods, the key is to keep the liquid to dry ratio the same. Vanilla extract has alcohol, so that’s not a good swap. Milk or cream are usually a safe, neutral-flavored swap in baked goods.
Let me know if you have any questions!
If you’re new to working with meringue buttercreams, be sure to check out my post: What is Buttercream + Troubleshooting Tips.
Vanilla Maple Whiskey Cupcakes
These Vanilla Maple Whiskey Cupcakes are a boozy delight, with a buttery maple center and a vanilla whiskey buttercream. A perfect grown-up birthday treat!
Servings 24 cupcakes
Calories 466
Ingredients
Vanilla Cupcakes:
- 16 ounces all-purpose flour (approximately 3 1/2 cups)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 12 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 6 large eggs
Maple Whiskey Filling:
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons maple syrup, room temperature
- 8 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons whiskey, room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Vanilla Whiskey Buttercream (See Notes):
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 6 large egg whites
- 16 ounces unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons whiskey
Instructions
Prepare the cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two 12-cup regular muffin tins with cupcake liners and lightly coat with baking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on high speed for several minutes until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla.
- Scrape down the sides, turn the speed to low and add the eggs, one at a time, allowing each to incorporate completely before adding the next. Scrape down the bowl periodically. Don’t worry if the batter breaks up a bit (this is a very high egg:butter ratio). It will come together in the next step.
- Scrape down the sides and then add the flour on low speed, mixing until combined. Turn the mixer up to medium speed for a few seconds to help bring the batter together.
- Divide evenly between the liners, then bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool while preparing the filling and buttercream.
Prepare the Filling:
- In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer (or using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment), combine the maple syrup, butter, confectioners’ sugar, whiskey, and salt. You can adjust some of the ingredients to taste slightly by adding a bit more whiskey, maple or a splash of vanilla. Just avoid thinning it out too much.
Prepare the Buttercream:
- Add the sugar and water to a medium sauce pot. Cover and turn the heat to medium-high. Once the liquid begins to simmer and steam has developed, remove the cover (this helps prevent crystallization). Using a digital thermometer, cook the sugar to the soft boil stage, 235-240 degrees F, approximately 5 minutes.
- While the sugar is cooking, whisk the egg whites on high speed in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment until a soft peak has formed.
- Turn the mixer speed down to medium-low and very slowly pour the syrup down the side of the bowl into the egg whites.
- Once the syrup is completely incorporated, turn the speed to high and allow the meringue to continue forming a stiff peak while cooling down. Mix on high until the meringue has reached room temperature, approximately 20 minutes.
- Once the meringue is room temperature, slowly begin incorporating the soft butter on medium speed. Once all of the butter has been incorporated, turn the mixer speed up to high and slowly add the vanilla and whiskey.
Prepare the cupcakes:
- Using a small knife or cupcake corer, remove the center from each cupcake. Pipe or spoon the maple filling into each cupcake. Pipe the buttercream on top.
Notes
This recipe uses an Italian meringue buttercream, which is slightly advanced. It’s SO much lighter and less cloying than American buttercreams, and I highly recommend it. However, you can easily substitute in a simple vanilla buttercream recipe. Just add whiskey! If you'd like to learn more about meringue buttercream and how to troubleshoot it if it breaks, check out my article here.
Also, Please weight out your flour!
Please note: The filling will break if the ingredients aren't completely at room temperature. That's ok! As with buttercream, it can easily be fixed. Simply add a few spoonfuls to a ramekin or small bowl and microwave for 10 seconds, or until melted. Add back to the broken filling with the mixer running on high speed. Repeat this process until the filling comes back together.
Also, Please weight out your flour!
Please note: The filling will break if the ingredients aren't completely at room temperature. That's ok! As with buttercream, it can easily be fixed. Simply add a few spoonfuls to a ramekin or small bowl and microwave for 10 seconds, or until melted. Add back to the broken filling with the mixer running on high speed. Repeat this process until the filling comes back together.
Please read my full post for additional recipe notes, tips, and serving suggestions!
Nutrition
Calories: 466kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Cholesterol: 137mg | Sodium: 61mg | Potassium: 125mg | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 1130IU | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 1.1mg
Recipe Troubleshooting
For immediate help troubleshooting a recipe, please email me using the form on my contact page. I’ll try to respond to urgent questions as quickly as possible! For all general questions, please leave a comment here :)
What kind of Whiskey? I was looking through my husbands collection and apparently there are a whole bunch of different types of whiskey.
Hi Jessica! Sorry for the delayed response; I was out of town. I wouldn’t use anything too fancy or expensive, and I wouldn’t use scotch since it has a strong flavor. Other than that, most options should work. Bourbons are fine. Since I’m not familiar with the brands he owns, you might want to double check with him to see what he thinks. I’ve had success with Jameson, Jim Beam, and Knob Creek.
I DID THE TOP FROSTING TWICE, HOWEVER AT FIRST YOU DONT SUCCEED,
TRY AGAIN!
THIS RECIPE IS AMAZING
You had me at cupcakes and whiskey. LOVE.
This is my kind of cupcake. So dreamy!
Well Happy Friday to me! I’ll take a dozen of these boozy cupcakes! hehe
This sounds like a flavor combo my hubby would love, though maybe in a chocolate version instead. Love it!
These are the most perfect vanilla cupcakes I’ve ever seen. Not just because they have whiskey in them…
This is simply brilliant!
I have tried this filling twice. I am an accomplished baker; double checked everything the second time through, still end up with something too thin to fill a cupcake with!
Hi Violet, I’m sorry to hear that! Please feel free to email me anytime at recipehelp@savorysimple.net if you’re having issues with a recipe, especially before giving it a second go. I know how frustrating it is to waste ingredients! Periodically I remake my recipes to check for errors and to see if I think anything could be improved, and coincidentally, I just retested this a few months ago so you shouldn’t have run into this issue. Question for you- was the filling smooth or did it have any lumps in it (or perhaps a curdled appearance)?
The filling was very smooth; just very runny. The 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar would seem to be a very soft filling, but I have a hard time understanding how adding better than 1/2 cup of syrup, plus 2 tablespoons of whiskey could result in a mixture with a consistency thick enough to use as a filling.
Hmmm, let me give it some thought. I believe you! But since others are having success, there must be something we’re both missing. I’m assuming that your kitchen isn’t overly warm, and that the room temperature butter isn’t too melted? On all of the occasions I’ve prepared it, I get the consistency in this video, which I don’t have issues piping.
It’s a really warm day here; my kitchen is probably seventy-eight degrees. On the off chance the mixture is too warm, I have place it in the fridge, just as if it was either Italian or Swiss meringue buttercream. Will try whipping it again after it chills.
Please let me know how it goes!
Chilling worked! Problem was probably due to mix of heat and humidity.
Oh good! I’m so glad to hear :)
This recipe sounds like what my family and friends would love! For my sister and me, maybe a different batch which is without whiskey, but for every cupcake, a drizzle of maple syrup on top! I love the sweetness and the nutritional benefits I can get from the maple syrup.
Ive never tried cupcakes with booze! The only pastry Ive tried with a little bit of booze is fruit cake (w/ rum). Id like to prepare this with my friends over the weekend, Im sure they’ll love the idea of cupcake with whisky!
Can you make this the day before? And if so how do I store?
Hi Krystina! You can make these the day before and store them at room temperature. The fridge won’t hurt them if you’re more comfortable storing them that way (some people are), but let them come to room temperature before serving.
Thank you for linking the italian buttercream troubleshooting! It took three times nuking some of the buttercream but it came together!
What kind of maple syrup do you use?
Any type will work. I typically use Grade A or B pure maple syrup (I think they were reclassified in the past couple of years but that’s still how I think of them in my head). Just use something you enjoy. I love Ben’s Sugar Shack, but I have to order it online.