Cake Mix Kahlua and Amaretto Infused Cupcakes

Cooking and baking are two separate beasts. Cooking is more relaxed in the sense that you can add a little bit of this and a little bit of that to your dish and it’s no big deal. A little extra or a little less of an ingredient based on your own preference won’t ruin anything in your recipe. On the other hand, baking is considered to be a science. If the recipe calls for a cup of flour and you add two, you will either need to adjust the ratio of all the other ingredients or simply start over. Because of this, many people shy away from baking. But what if I told you that you could make delicious cupcakes from a store-bought cake mix that actually taste homemade! Oh and I forgot, they also have Kahlua and Amaretto infused in them.

I must start with a confession! Sweets are my nemesis. It’s very rare that I find a cookie or a cupcake or a donut or an ice cream flavor or a cake that I don’t like. I ask “the boys” at least once a week if we can have ice cream for dinner. They think I have a problem. I think they might be right 🙂 Why I am I confessing this to you? Well, I want you to know my credibility here. This girl knows her sweets. When I tell you something is good you know it’s coming from a reputable source.

Now that I got that out of the way, let’s get back to these Kahlua and Amaretto infused cupcakes that are AMAZING. No science is necessary for the making of these delicious beauties. Why is that? The cupcakes are made from a store-bought cake mix so the measuring is basically done for you. With the addition of a few other ingredients, you’ll be on your way to some scrumptious cupcakes that taste like you spent all day making them.

These Kahlua and Amaretto cupcakes were what I served at Patrick’s Birthday Party back in August. I wanted to make him something special for his special day. How cute, right?! He loves Kahlua and Amaretto and I remembered seeing the recipe for these cupcakes in a cookbook I have called, The Cake Doctor. It’s an entire book of baking recipes using cake mixes. It’s awesome and I highly recommend it.

I was able to make these cupcakes the day before the party and store them in an airtight container. Just before the party, I frosted them using store-bought icing and then scattered decorative sprinkles on top. I added them to a tiered cupcake display and called it a day. Not only did they taste delicious but they were pretty too. Win, win!

So what do you need to make these Kahlua and Amaretto Infused Cupcakes?

For the Kahlua cupcakes: 18.25 oz. devil’s food cake mix, 5.9 oz. instant chocolate pudding mix, ¾ cup Kahlua, ½ cup water, ½ vegetable oil, 4 large eggs, 16 oz. chocolate frosting

For Amaretto cupcakes: 18.25 oz. yellow cake mix, 5.1 oz. instant vanilla pudding, ¾ cup Amaretto, ½ cup water, ½ cup vegetable oil, 4 large eggs, ¼ tsp. Almond extract, 16 oz. vanilla frosting

*You will also need a cupcake tray and cupcake liners. Sprinkles are optional.

The process for both types of cupcakes is the same.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Add all the ingredients, except the frosting, into a bowl or stand-up mixer and mix ingredients together.

Line a cupcake tray with cupcake liners.

Pour the batter into the cupcake liners ¾ of the way full using a spoon or an ice cream scooper for better consistency in size.

Place in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes depending on your oven.

I recommend testing your cupcakes at 15 minutes. Place a toothpick in the center of one of the cupcakes and if it comes out clean your cupcakes are down.

Remove from oven and let them cool completely.

You can either store them in an airtight container to be frosted later or frost them immediately once they’ve cooled.

Add sprinkles if desired.

A few notes:
The majority of the liquor in these cupcakes evaporates during the baking process. Although I am sure a little bit might remain, we did give these cupcakes to the kids at the party. No one had a reaction to them but this is completely up to your discretion and comfort level if you want to serve them to children.

For frosting the cupcakes: I put the frosting in a Ziploc bag and cut a small hole in one of the corners. I started around the edge of the cupcake and swirled the frosting around the cupcake in a circle making my way to the center. This gives them a prettier look!

These Kahlua and Amaretto cupcakes were a huge success at the party. I looked like a Rock Star making homemade cupcakes when in reality it was so easy. It’s nice to go the extra mile to make something homemade for someone you love. Try making these liquor infused cupcakes yourself. They don’t disappoint!