Who would guess Crown Royal Cupcakes would be such a hit? These cupcakes are crazy good!
Before I really dug in to the flavors by participating in a Crown Royal tasting, I never would have thought it would create such a great dessert!
A couple of years ago I went to the Jeff Kyle 400 NASCAR race in Indianapolis with Crown Royal. It was my first NASCAR event and I was excited to discover some new and exciting ways to drink Crown Royal!
I thought it was time for a new cupcake and wondered if incorporating a little Crown Royal a buttery cupcake would work. It turns out that it works very well!
Don't worry about the flavor of the whisky being too strong. The hints of vanilla and fruit are what really come through in these Crown Royal Cupcakes.
I can't wait to hear what you think!
What You'll Need
Don't let the ingredients overwhelm you. These Crown Royal Cupcakes are not that difficult to make!
You'll need unsalted butter, pecans, flour, baking powder and baking soda, brown sugar, powdered sugar salt, eggs, whipping cream, pure vanilla extract, buttermilk, and Crown Royal.
You don't need a lot of Crown Royal, so even a miniature will work for this recipe.
I do think once you taste the cupcakes, you'll want to have a larger bottle of Crown Royal around to make them again!
If you want pretty cupcakes, you'll also need a pastry bag with a large frosting tip.
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350º degrees.
Line cupcake pan with paper liners.
Sift the flour, baking powder, and baking soda into a medium bowl.
In another mixing bowl, combine the sugar, salt and 1 stick of soft butter.
Beat at medium speed for 5 minutes.
Add eggs, one at a time, then add vanilla and Crown Royal with the very last egg. Beat until well combined.
On low speed, add the flour mixture and alternate with milk. Begin and end the addition with the flour.
Add pecans with the last addition of flour.
Stir batter just enough to fully blend all ingredients.
Fill 18 cupcake tins with batter until ¾ full.
Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool in cupcake tin for 10 minutes.
Remove from cupcake tin then completely cool the cupcakes on a wire rack.
How to Make Frosting
Beat the softened butter until smooth.
Add vanilla. Taste. It's so good, isn't it?
Add powdered sugar into the creamed butter until it becomes a smooth and thick texture.
Gradually add heavy whipping cream until completely mixed.
If the frosting is too thick, add several drops of heavy cream. If it's too thin, add more powdered sugar.
Add the Crown Royal and stir it into the frosting.
Take a spoonful of the frosting and hold the spoon upside down. If the frosting drops off the spoon add more powdered sugar. If the frosting doesn't fall off the spoon then it's ready.
Scoop the frosting into a pastry bag with a large frosting tip.
Twist the open end of the pastry bag to push the frosting to the tip
Frost the Butter Pecan cupcakes from the outside edge working inward to the circle.
Have you ever made a dessert with Crown Royal? How about a special cocktail? I'd love to try it! Share in the comments below!
Tips from a Readers
Michelle added Crown Royal soaked pecans on top of these Butter Pecan Cupcakes. We are doing that the next time! Thanks for sharing, Michelle!
TaLia used the apple version for Crown Royal Apple Cupcakes and they were so pretty! (Crown Royal Peach cupcakes would be so good, too!)
Lisa dipped the baked cupcake in Crown Royal for an extra kick. A girl after my own heart!!
Share your creations in the comments or on Pinterest where you can share a photo. Can't wait to see yours!
Crown Royal Butter Pecan Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- ½ C unsalted butter room temp
- ½ C chopped pecans
- 1 ½ C flour
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 C brown sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 eggs room temp
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 TBSP Crown Royal
- ¾ C buttermilk room temp
For the Frosting
- 1 C soft unsalted butter
- 4 C powdered sugar
- 4 TBSP heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 tsp Crown Royal
Instructions
- Cupcake Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Line cupcake tins with paper liners.
- Sift flour, baking powder, and baking soda into a medium bowl.
- In a mixing bowl combine the sugar, salt and 1 stick of soft butter.
- Beat at medium speed for 5 minutes.
- Add eggs, one at a time, then add vanilla and Crown Royal with the very last egg. Beat until well combined.
- On low speed, add the flour mixture.....alternate with milk. Begin and end the addition with the flour.
- Add nuts with the last addition of flour.
- Stir batter only to fully blend all ingredients.
- Fill the cupcake tins with cupcake batter until ¾ full.
- Bake 20-25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool in cupcake tin for 10 minutes.
- Remove from cupcake tin then completely cool them on a wire rack.
Frosting Directions
- Beat the softened butter on its own until smooth.
- Add vanilla extract.
- Add powdered sugar into the creamed butter until it becomes a smooth and thick texture.
- Gradually add heavy whipping cream until completely mixed.
- If the frosting is too thick, add several drops of heavy cream, if the frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar.
- Add the Crown Royal and stir it into the frosting.
- Take a spoonful of the frosting and hold the spoon upside down. If the frosting drops off the spoon add more powdered sugar. If the frosting doesn't fall off the spoon then it's ready.
- Scoop the frosting into a pastry bag with a large frosting tip.
- Twist the open end of the pastry bag to push the frosting to the tip
- Frost the cupcakes from the outside edge working inward to the circle.
Mike Snow
Can this recipe be made as a bundt cake? If so, how long would it need to cook?
Kelly Stilwell
I'm sorry, Mike. I haven't tried that so I'm just not sure. Let me know if you try it!
Mickyg
We have an annual pumpkin chuckin party. Crown royal with cold apple cider is awesome. If you like hot drinks warm it up and it's good.
Casey
I’m making these this weekend and using Crown Apple as this is my preferred Crown Royal. I drink Crown Apple with a half shot of Fireball and Cranberry juice...I mix equal parts Crown and Cranberry but some say that’s too strong...I say it’s just right!!
Rebecca
Has any children try this cupcakes? Sound like not much liquor but I am curious!
Kelly Stilwell
No! Please do not allow children to have them at all, Rebecca. If you want to make them for children, leave out the Crown Royal. They will still be delicious and alcohol-free. Let me know how they turn out for you!