Kahlua-Vodka Mini Muffins

A few years ago I found a recipe on the internet for Kahlua-Vodka Cake and decided to make it in mini muffin form for a potluck party I was having with friends.  It turned out to be a hit and has been one of my standbys for potluck items.  They’re especially good for end of the semester class parties as the muffins will keep for a without refrigeration and can be served at room temperature.  I’ve modified the recipe a bit from the original cake recipe and opted not to put frosting on these.  They’re good as mini bites.  The trouble is you keep going back for more.

Ingredients:
1 box (18.25 oz) yellow cake mix (make sure it says with pudding inside)
1 box (3.9 oz) chocolate pudding mix
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup Kahlua
1/3 cup Vodka
7/12 cup water (I’ll explain this in the directions, there’s a method to my madness)

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  To measure the 7/12 cup of water… pour the Kahlua and Vodka in a measuring cup.  You should have liquids hitting up to the 2/3 mark.  Now add enough water until it hits 1 1/4 cup.  That’s the total amount of liquids going into this batter.

If mixing by hand with a whisk, do so for about ten minutes.  If by electric mixer, about five minutes.  You’re looking to combine the ingredients and to introduce air into the batter.  I usually beat mines by hand (and gives your arms a workout) so I can’t vouch for the electric mixer.  It should be relatively smooth and you may see a few little lumps, don’t worry about it.

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.  Set the rack to the middle.  If you plan on baking two racks at a time, try increasing the time by a few minutes.

Line the mini cupcake pan with mini cupcake liners.  Because this is more of a cake recipe than a cupcake recipe, the cake itself is fluffier and thusly not as tightly structured as a cupcake and will fall miserably without a liner to grip onto and to hold it up.  Pour batter into each liner about 3/4th of the way up.  Any more and you will have an inflated muffin top.  Though it will look yummy and nice in the oven, that sucker will deflate on you as soon as cold air hits it and instead of a round top, you’ll have a flat squished muffin top.  Not as appealing and not as yummy.

Put the pan into the oven and bake for 15 minutes.  Toothpick test it by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cupcakes.  If it comes out clean, you’re done.  If its a little crumbly, let it sit for a few more minutes in the oven.

Once they’re done, take them out and put the cupcakes on a cooling rack to cooldown.  Sneak one for yourself to do a taste test.  Once they’ve cooled enough, put them in a large plastic container and take it with you to your potluck party.

And now some personal notes:

• Yep, you can definitely increase the alcohol content.  You can put more of one than the other.  Just remember to decrease liquids from others if you increase another.  I have a friend who loves vodka so I increased the vodka content and decreased the kahlua content.  They came out smelling like vodka and were just as yummy.  Though take a note here… I have never completely taken out the water component and used all alcohol.  You can try and let me know.  The original recipe called for 1/4 cup vodka, 1/4 cup kahlua, and 3/4 cup water.
• Originally I started making these in mini cupcake form because I had a Betty Crocker muffin magic pan and that takes 7 minutes to bake up each time.
• I think Betty Crocker cake mixes make cupcakes that are more tender.