Baileys Truffles:

• Break the chocolate into small pieces and place them into a medium-sized mixing bowl.
• Add the heavy whipping cream to a saucepan and bring it to a light boil.
• Once the heavy cream is boiling, pour it over the chocolate pieces. Let it sit for 1-2 minutes until the chocolate melts, then mix with a whisk until fully incorporated.
• Then add the butter and mix it in until melted.
• Next, carefully fold the Baileys into the chocolate ganache - mix well.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Place the wrap directly onto the chocolate ganache to prevent a skin from forming.
• Put the bowl in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 4 hours to give it time to set and harden.

• Once the baileys ganache has set, take it out of the refrigerator, and uncover it.
• Pour some cacao powder into a small bowl or on a plate.
• Use a melon scoop or a small spoon to scoop out a uniform amount of baileys ganache to make the truffles.
• Roll each piece between your palms until you have a round ball.
• Then place the truffle in the bowl/plate with cacao powder and carefully roll it around until it is fully covered with powder.
• Add the truffle to a plate or baking sheet, and repeat until you have used up all the chocolate ganache. Then place the plate/baking sheet back into the refrigerator.
• Once the truffles are hard again, take 2-4 truffles at a time and place them in a sifter. Very carefully shake them around. The excessive cacao powder will come off and leaves the perfect amount on the truffles.
• Set them in the fridge until you need them.

Chocolate batter:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
• Add the butter, dark chocolate, granulated sugar, dark brown sugar, and vanilla extract to a medium-sized pan and melt it on the stove over low heat. Stirring continuously with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
• Once everything is melted, take the mixture off the heat and let it cool for about 15 minutes.
• Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Put the egg whites in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
• Add the egg yolks, Baileys, shredded almonds, and flour to the melted chocolate mix. Mix with a wooden spoon until well incorporated.
• Beat the egg whites with a hand mixer (or stand mixer) until stiff peaks form.
• Carefully fold the stiff egg whites into the chocolate mix using a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon. Be careful not to over-mix; you will lose all the air in the egg whites, and the batter will get runny.
• Use a cookie scoop and add the batter to the lined muffin tin. Fill the liner to about 3/4 full.
• Bake for 18-20 minutes.
• Let the cakes sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before taking them out of the muffin tins and onto a cooling rack. Make sure the cupcakes are completely cooled before starting to add the buttercream. Even if they are just slightly warm, the buttercream will melt right off.

Baileys Swiss Meringue Buttercream:

• Make the Swiss Meringue Buttercream according to my recipe here. Instead of adding the vanilla extract, add the Baileys Irish cream to it. Depending on how strong you like the Baileys flavor, add between 4-5 tablespoons.
• If the buttercream starts to split, don’t worry; keep beating it, and it should start to get smooth again. If not, place the bowl into the refrigerator for about 15-20 minutes and then beat it again, and you will have a perfectly smooth topping.

Decorating the cupcakes:

• Fill the buttercream into a pastry piping bag with a round tip. Pipe 6-7 dots around the edge of the cake to make it look like flower petals. Then pipe one spiral rosette in the middle.
• Drizzle the buttercream with homemade caramel (store-bought works as well) and put one Baileys truffle on top.