Fireball Cupcakes

5 from 12 votes

Fireball Cupcakes are a fun way to add a boozy beverage to both the cake mix batter and the frosting. Filled with smooth cinnamon flavor, this sweet treat is so easy to make in minutes and bakes into the best bite of an alcohol-infused dessert appropriate for adults only!

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: cupcakes

Calories: 208kcal

Author: Jennifer Fishkind

Ingredients

Cupcakes

½ cup Fireball Whiskey
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup whole milk
3 large eggs room temperature
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
15.25 ounce box vanilla cake mix I used Betty Crocker Super Moist brand

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounce block cream cheese room temperature
½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
3½ cups powdered sugar sifted
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon Fireball Whiskey

Optional Garnish

Orange and maroon sanding sugar sprinkles
Cinnamon Imperial (Red Hots) candies Red Hots candies

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two standard muffin tins with 24 cupcake liners. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer on medium speed, beat together the Fireball Whiskey, vegetable oil, whole milk, large eggs, and ground cinnamon for 30 seconds or just until fully combined.
Add the vanilla boxed cake mix to the bowl of wet ingredients and beat for an additional 1-2 minutes or until no lumps remain and the batter is light and fluffy.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups. I find that ½ - ⅔ full is perfect.
Bake for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, and the cupcakes have a light golden edge.
Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
While your Fireball cupcakes are baking and cooling, you can make your cream cheese frosting. Beat together in a large bowl on medium speed, the room temperature cream cheese and unsalted butter. You will need to beat them for 1-2 minutes or until smooth and fluffy.
To the beaten cream cheese, you will add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until all the powdered sugar has been added and the frosting is fluffy and smooth.
Add the heavy cream and Fireball whiskey and beat for an additional 1-2 minutes. If your frosting is too thin, you may need to add a little more powdered sugar (¼ cup at a time).
Transfer the frosting to a large piping bag or heavy-duty zip-top bag fitted with a large piping tip. Refrigerate your cream cheese frosting for a minimum of 30-45 minutes to allow the frosting to firm up before piping it onto your cupcakes.
Once your cupcakes are completely cooled, you can frost your cupcakes and add the additional optional garnishes if desired.

Notes

Storage:

To Store: You can store your Fireball cupcakes in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
To Freeze: You can freeze the unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Allow the cupcakes to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before frosting and serving them.

Tips:

These are a very moist and tender cupcake with a smooth cinnamon flavor profile. You can certainly increase the cinnamon flavor if you wish by increasing the amount of Fireball Whiskey to ¾ cup and decreasing the amount of whole milk to ¼ cup. You want a total of one cup of liquid.
These Fireball cupcakes can be made kid-friendly by substituting cinnamon extract in the recipe for the Fireball Whiskey. You would need to increase the amount of whole milk in the recipe to 1 cup and add 1 tablespoon of cinnamon extract. You would follow the recipe for the other ingredients as stated. The cinnamon extract can easily be found online if you can not find it at your local grocery or baking supply store. I like to use well-known brands such as Watkins, LorAnn, or OliveNation. I have used these brands, and they have been very consistent in flavor and quality in my experience.
I like to keep a vanilla-flavored box cake mix on hand in my pantry; however, a butter-flavored cake mix would work just as well. You will follow your brand's boxed instructions for ingredients and bake time. You will need to note that the combined amount of whole milk, and Fireball whisky, should equal the total amount of water called for in the directions on the brand of box mix you are using. You are using the milk and whiskey as a substitute for the water in the recipe to elevate and customize the flavor of your boxed cake mix.
If you find that your cream cheese frosting is a little too loose to hold its shape when piped onto the cupcakes, then you can add more powdered sugar to thicken it up. I would start with ¼ cup at a time to reach your desired thickness. You will also need to note that the frosting will firm up as it is refrigerated. If you make your frosting too far in advance, then you will need to allow it to set out at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to allow it to soften up enough to be pipeable. I used a Wilton 2A extra large round tip.
Be sure to use whole milk and full-fat cream cheese for this recipe. I find that when baking, using full-fat ingredients yields a more tender baked good and a thicker, richer flavored frosting. The low-fat, or fat-free, dairy items have too much added water to them, and I find that they do not bake up as well. I have not tried this recipe using dairy-free alternatives.

Nutrition