Southern Comfort Alcohol Infused Cupcakes

Name: Boozy Southern Comfort Cupcakes Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 88 min
Ingredients: 1 cup sugar; 1 cup flour; ½ cup cocoa powder; 1 tsp baking powder; 2 eggs; ⅓ cup vegetable oil; 1 tsp vanilla extract; ¼ cup water; ¼ cup Southern Comfort Whiskey; The ingredients for the Very Best Vanilla Frosting; ¼ cup cocoa powder; 1 TBSP Southern Comfort; Pinch of cinnamon; Pinch of nutmeg; ½ Cup caramel; Chocolate shavings, optional

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If you’re after the ultimate grown-up boozy dessert idea you can’t go wrong with my Southern Comfort Alcohol Infused Cupcakes! From-scratch Chocolate Cupcakes spiked with just a hint of Southern Comfort are a fun cocktail cupcake idea to make for your next celebration.

Overhead view of frosting cupcakes with a dab of caramel and cocoa powder on the counter. — Chocolate cupcakes infused with a boozy hit of Southern Comfort and a drizzle of caramel are the ultimate grown-up treat!

This post was originally published on February 24, 2020, and has now been updated with updated links, and more information and instructions!

These simple Southern Comfort alcohol-infused cupcakes are as delicious and indulgent as cupcakes can be.

Topped with a rich and fluffy boozy chocolate frosting and a thick drizzle of caramel these might be the best cupcakes you’ll ever make. They’ll certainly make you say, “Cheers!”

Why This Recipe Works

This easy recipe starts with a fudgy chocolate cupcake base. It’s super moist and almost chewy. YUM!

I use Southern Comfort in place of some of the milk. The result? Melt in your mouth cupcakes that scream “Salud!”

I’ve never met a chocolate cupcake I didn’t like, but when you infuse it with a little Southern Comfort liqueur… it really takes the flavor to the next level.

As a cocktail lover who loves cupcakes, it’s natural that I would want to add alcohol to my cupcake batter.

It’s such a great way to add flavor to a basic cupcake recipe.

If you need a fun dessert idea for a 21st birthday party or other adult celebration, make these simple Southern Comfort Alcohol Infused Cupcakes! The whiskey flavor pairs perfectly with the rich chocolate!

If you love whiskey or bourbon, you also MUST try this Bourbon Bundt Cake! It’s incredible.

What is Southern Comfort?

What is Southern Comfort, you say? It has an interesting history.

For most of its life, it didn’t actually have any whiskey in it but was, in fact, a whiskey-flavored liqueur.

Liqueurs are typically flavored spirits that are sweetened and flavored. While I don’t usually love them in cocktails, they work really well in baked goods.

SoCo, as Southern Comfort alcohol is sometimes called, was purchased a few years ago by a larger liquor company and they planned to start adding whiskey to the secret formula.

So the bottle that is dusty and sitting in your cupboard may be liqueur. But the ones on the grocery store shelf could be whiskey.

Either way, it has some fruity and spice notes which make it a great pairing for just about any cupcake flavor.

If you love traditional chocolate cupcakes, you’re going to LOVE these Southern Comfort cupcakes even more!

Ingredients

A bowl with eggs and cake mix and a spatula.

For the cupcakes, you’ll need sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and Southern Comfort.

To make the frosting you’ll need a batch of my Very Best Vanilla Frosting, more cocoa powder and Southern Comfort, a pinch of both cinnamon and nutmeg, some caramel sauce, and some (optional, though they are rather yummy!) chocolate shavings for the garnish.

Directions

Overhead view of chocolate cupcakes batter.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners and set aside.

In a bowl combine sugar, flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. Add eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, Southern Comfort and water.

This is also where you make time to take a shot of SoCo. I mean, it just makes sense.

Mix until everything is well incorporated and there are no lumps left.

Overhead view of a cupcakes tin with chocolate batter.

Divide the batter between the cupcake liners and put in the oven. Bake for 18 minutes or until done.

Remove from the oven and let them cool completely before frosting.

A bowl of chocolate buttercream with Southern Comfort.

Meanwhile, prepare the frosting.

In a bowl whip up a batch of the Very Best Vanilla Frosting with cocoa powder, Southern Comfort, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Transfer to a piping bag.

Close up of an unfrosted chocolate cupcakes on a table.

Once cooled, frost the cupcakes with the Southern Comfort spiked buttercream frosting.

The cinnamon and hint of nutmeg, amps up the chocolate flavor and give it just the right hint of warmness.

Overhead view of frosting chocolate cupcakes.

Finish off these Southern Comfort Cupcakes with a generous caramel drizzle. This part it’s totally optional but I HIGHLY encourage that you add it.

Caramel helps to balance all the flavors and really compliments the fruity tones of Southern Comfort.

I like to frost my cupcakes, leaving a little low spot in the center to make a caramel pool. Yes, it’s just as delicious as it sounds.

How to Infuse Cupcakes with Southen Comfort

There are several ways to infuse a cupcake with Southern Comfort in case you want to make this recipe even more grown-up!

Add the liquor to the cake batter before baking, as I did here.
Let a shot of alcohol soak into the warm cupcake after baking.
Include a little pipette of liquor for the person enjoying the cupcake to add on their own.
You can include Southern Comfort in the frosting, again as I have done here.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I don’t have any Southern Comfort to hand?

Don’t have Southern Comfort? Just use regular whiskey or bourbon instead.

Can I use store-bought caramel sauce, or should I make my own?

It is totally up to you! Store-bought caramel sauce is the easiest to use but if you have time and want to make the most delicious caramel/butterscotch sauce ever you totally should.

I made this caramel recipe for my ice cream sundae party and I dream about it.

Can I use pre-made chocolate shavings? How do I make my own shavings at home?

You can make your own chocolate shavings with this cute little tool or buy them ready-made.

A few more easy recipes you might also enjoy!

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