Triple Chocolate Jack Daniel’s Cupcakes are totally to die for! Dark chocolate cupcakes with whiskey ganache and rich buttercream are a boozy dessert done right!
Sneaking a little booze into my baked goods is one of my all time favorite things to do. While a lot of people think it’s for novelty or to get “messed up” there are a lot of great flavors that come from adding beer, wine, or spirits to your dishes. When it comes to baked goods, whiskey is my favorite. The vanilla, caramel, and sometimes smoky flavors that are usually found in whiskey are a natural complement to sweets. Rum is good too. I mean hello…Salted Butter Rum Caramels! But today we’re using one of my go to American whiskeys, Mr. Jack Daniel’s.
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I’ve been making these cupcakes for years. I’ve even sent them off to my friend Dale in New York a time or two when I used to mail him goody boxes. They’re so good he sent me back handmade thank you cards. So basically that means these cupcakes = chocolate + whiskey nirvana. Make ’em. Get your chocolate fixation on and feel a little extra naughty because they’re boozy. Jam.
Triple Chocolate Jack Daniel's Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons dark cocoa powder regular is fine too
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey
- ½ cup buttermilk or 1/2 cup milk + 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
Ganache:
- 12 ounces dark chocolate chips
- 1 ¼ cups heavy cream
- 2 tablespoon Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey
Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup ganache from this recipe
- ¼ cup dark cocoa powder regular cocoa powder is fine too
- 1 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12 cup (standard size) muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- Place your butter for the frosting out on the counter now so it'll be soft when you're ready.
Cupcakes:
- In a medium mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until evenly mixed.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the egg, whiskey, buttermilk, and oil until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, in 2 additions, mixing until just combined after each addition.
- Using a medium cookie scoop, portion the cake batter into each of the 12 muffin tin cups, filling each about 2/3 full.
- Bake for 17-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and cool completely in the pan.
Ganache:
- While the cupcakes cool, place the chocolate chips in a heat-safe glass bowl.
- Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and cover the bowl with some foil or the bottom of a dinner plate. Let stand for 2-3 minutes.
- Whisk the cream and chocolate together until smooth and creamy. Whisk in the whiskey until smooth and completely incorporated.
- Refrigerate the ganache for 30 minutes to firm it up.
Frosting:
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, cooled ganache, cocoa powder, heavy cream, whiskey, and vanilla until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar 1/2 to 1 cup at a time. Mix until completely combined (no sugar is showing).
- Transfer the frosting, in the same mixing bowl, to the fridge and chill for 30 minutes.
- Remove the frosting from the refrigerator, and beat it for 1 minute to fluff up the frosting.
Assembly:
- Using a cupcake corer or a paring knife, cut a well in the center of the cupcake, making sure not to go all the way to the edges.
- Using a small cookie scoop, portion 1 tablespoon of the chilled ganache into the hole you just made in the cupcake. Use the back of a spoon to press the ganache into the cupcake and smooth the top.
- Fill a piping bag fitted with a large tip with frosting. Frost the top of the cupcake generously. If desired, sprinkle the cupcake cake with chocolate jimmies.
- Serve immediately, or refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
Shelby says
omg, so decadant and evil – I LOVE them!
telisha says
I’m in the process of helping these and I need some help!! I’m on the final stage of baking the buttercream before combining everything together, however it says to add 1/4 cup of cocoa to the frosting but doesn’t say when to add it in?! Can someone please let me know whether it’s best to add it in at the same time as the icing sugar?! Thanks, heaps, Telisha.
Julie says
So sorry about that Telisha! The cocoa goes in with the wet ingredients, before the powdered sugar. We’ve updated the recipe too. Thank you for letting us know!
Kiya says
Hi.
Can I desperate the egg and fold in whipped egg white in the cupcake batter. To make them lighter?
Julie says
You could try it. I’ve done that with this recipe before so I can’t speak to the cupcake texture, but if you change things up I’d love to hear how it worked out. 🙂
Bethany Folmar says
Can I use back Daniels cider in this?
Julie says
I’m not sure what that is.
Tracy says
The cupcake recipe says “•6 tablespoons cup” cocoa. How much is that supposed to be?
Julie says
Oh shoot! Sorry about that Tracy. It should be 6 tablespoons. I’ve updated the recipe to reflect the correct measurement. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. 🙂
Heather says
Is there any adjustment for high altitude? I made these and they all fell in the middle so I am wondering if I should have add more flour to the mix. I also used JD Tennessee Whiskey cider. So maybe that is why? Please help!!!
Julie says
Hi Heather! I’ve never baked at high altitudes, but I went through a few articles online and this one from Betty Crocker seemed like the best resource to fix specific things that are happening with a recipe. I hope it helps!
http://www.bettycrocker.com/how-to/tipslibrary/baking-tips/baking-cooking-high-altitudes
Also, the type of whiskey you use shouldn’t affect the recipe at all, but now I’m thinking I need to make a spice cake cupcake with that cider whiskey. 🙂
Tee says
These were so delicious! I’ll definitely make them again. Do you think adding a bit more liquor would make it stronger or would it compromise the texture or anything else? The liquor taste was subtle and I just want to be able to make it pop more.
Julie says
Hi Tee! So glad you liked them. 🙂 You could totally up the booze. The cupcakes will always have a subtle flavor. You’ll get more bang for your buck flavoring the ganache since the alcohol doesn’t get baked out and it flavors the frosting as well.
Joanne says
Hi there! I LOVE these cupcakes! I have made them several times and they are a huge hit with everyone. Even people who don’t normally like Jack Daniels. I have one question…difference between using vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract? I can’t see anywhere you talk about that above so just curious! Thank you!
Julie says
Hi Joann! Vanilla bean paste is a richer vanilla flavor as the vanilla essence hasn’t been diluted into a neutral alcohol base. So if you’re using the paste, the vanilla flavor will come through more and make the chocolate flavor more complex. Hope this helps!
Sharon says
Adding ganache to your frosting is such a clever (yet simple) idea to get a nice fudge-like frosting!
Most ‘fudge’ frostings are just ganache and although I adore ganache it’s not exactly a different component (especially when you’re already using it in your recipe-chocolate lovers unite)!
Anyway, I’m new to baking and I have been consumed with finding a cooked fudge recipe that I could use as a frosting but I think this will do nicely so happy I came across your blog!
Shubbu says
Hello! This is such a fantastic recipe, I’ve made it several times and it’s always on point, so thank you. Quick question about subbing the whiskey with some other booze (vodka?) or skipping it all together…is that ok to do or will it affect the texture significantly? Thanks a lot.
Julie says
Hi Shubbu! You could leave out the whiskey if you like. If you want to use vodka, a whipped cream or vanilla flavor would work best. Or if you want to go a different route, try Kahlua, amaretto, or a hazelnut liqueur like Frangelico – they’d all pair well with the chocolate.
Jasmine says
How long do these last once made? Thanks.
Julie Espy says
Hi Jasmine! At my house, two days tops! But in all seriousness, if you store them in the fridge in an airtight container they should easily last 5 days. 🙂
Autumnbrooke Diaz says
Can I use heavy whipping cream instead of heavy cream when making the ganache?
Julie Espy says
Hi Auntumnbrooke! Heavy whipping cream and heavy cream are interchangeable for this recipe. 🙂
Sharon says
Hello,
Have you this recipe in 9″ cake pans? I know the recipe will need to be increased.
Julie Espy says
Hi Sharon! You’ll want to double the cake batter recipe, divide into two floured and greased 9-inch cake pans, and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. I’d recommend filling the center of the cake with the ganache and using the frosting on the top and outside (you’ll need to double both of these recipes too). Hope this helps!!
missy says
Seriously, not sure how this doesn’t have 5 stars!
I have made it several times & it is a standing request for event get togethers! A huge hit at a 50th birthday party, at a retirement party & ready to make them again – yes, even for Easter…. they are just GOOD!!!!
Carol says
If I made these as mini cupcakes how long would I bake?
Also, will they hold up at room temperature for an event?
Julie Espy says
If making mini cupcakes, you’ll want to bake for 22 to 13 minutes, but use the toothpick test to determine doneness. It will really depend on how warm the room is since the frosting is butter based. If it’s pretty cool, you should be fine for a few hours.
Aryssa says
So, the ganache came out cooled, but it was still liquid. Did I do something wrong? I’m not sure how it’s supposed to be in the middle of the cupcake, and the ganache in your pictures is firm and almost a solid chocolate. I’m not really sure where I went wrong 🙁
Maybe it’s because I brought the heavy cream to a boil rather than a simmer?
Let me know what you think, and what tips you have to make it firmer like yours!
Julie Kotzbach says
Hi Aryssa! The ganache should thicken up for you. It doesn’t have to be SUPER firm/solid, but it should be nice and thick. If your heavy cream got all the way to a boil it could be that the ganache was too warm after mixing – which is why it was still liquidy. That’s okay. Just pop it in the fridge for a bit to let it cool down and thicken up. You can stir the ganache periodically too. Let the ganache chill until it’s thick enough to spoon into the cupcake divots and you’ll be good to go. 🙂
Penny says
These are the best cupcakes I’ve ever made! I made them in large cupcake liners and a large muffin pan to be served at a supper club. Everyone who has had them commented they were the best they’d ever had! So much chocolatey deliciousness here! I added just a bit extra Jack Daniels into the ganache and frosting. I don’t think it was necessary though.