The Best Jack and Coke Cupcakes (Chocolate Whiskey Cupcakes)

Name: The Best Jack and Coke Cupcakes
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups Coca-Cola (don't use Diet or Coke Zero! You need the sugar that's in the original); 1/2 cup unsalted butter; 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder; 1 cup granulated sugar; 1/2 cup dark brown sugar; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 2 large eggs (room temperature); 1/2 cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate); 1/3 cup heavy cream; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (room temperature); 1 teaspoon Jack Daniels whiskey; 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (room temperature); 3 cups confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar); 3 tablespoons Jack Daniels whiskey; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional); 24 gummy cola bottles or 24 lime fruit slices (garnish, for adorableness)

By Leslie Kiszka · Jan 23, 2015 · Updated May 5, 2023

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These chocolate whiskey cupcakes are rich chocolate Coca-Cola cupcakes filled with a chocolate Jack Daniel's whiskey ganache and topped with a creamy whiskey frosting. This boozy cupcake recipe is sure to be a hit at any party and is a fun way to add a little bit of adult flair to your typical tray of cupcakes.

A gummy cola bottle candy being placed on top of the frosting on a chocolate cupcake

On Pinterest, Susan said: “They were amazing! Everything was just the right amount of flavor. I even got a request to make them for an adult birthday party😎 Best Cupcakes Ever! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“

This Jack and Coke Cupcake recipe was the first ever viral Stress Baking recipe. It exploded and went absolutely bananas overnight years ago, and it's been a fan favorite ever since! It's the perfect dessert for anyone looking to add a little bit of boozy indulgence to their baked goods. Don't make me pick a favorite part because I simply can't.

The rich chocolate cupcakes? Perfection. The decadent chocolate ganache with a whiskey zing? Beautiful. The creamy spiked buttercream frosting piled high on top? Get in my belly.

Key Ingredients

Ingredients for chocolate whiskey cupcakes in bowls on a light colored surface

Chocolate Cola Cupcakes

Coca-Cola – You have to use regular Coca-Cola. You can't use any of the reduced or sugar-free versions – it won't work for the purpose of this recipe. So, I repeat: use the original Coke.
Unsalted butter – I always call for unsalted butter in my recipes because I like to control the amount of salt (you'll notice salt called for down below).
Unsweetened cocoa powder – We're going to use cocoa powder instead of melted chocolate for the cupcake batter.
Granulated sugar and dark brown sugar -We're using a combination of sugars for a richer, deeper flavor.
All-purpose flour – I've never tried the recipe with any other kind of flour, so stick with all-purpose flour.
Baking soda – This gives the cupcakes some rise and lightness.
Salt – That salt that I mentioned earlier ;)
Eggs – Large, room-temperature eggs will be the easiest to whisk and combine.

Chocolate Whiskey Ganache Filling

Chocolate – Chocolate chips or chopped chocolate will both work here. I recommend dark chocolate or semisweet chocolate.
Heavy cream – This is going to be heated and poured over the chocolate to melt it all together to form the thick ganache.
Unsalted butter – The butter is added at the end to add a gloss to the ganache.
Jack Daniels whiskey – I call for Jack Daniels whiskey since these are Jack and Coke cupcakes, but admittedly you can use whatever whiskey you enjoy the flavor of.

Whiskey Frosting

Unsalted butter – Unsalted butter is best because no one wants a salty frosting. I mean… I don't, anyway.
Powdered sugar – To add sweetness and thickness to the frosting.
Jack Daniels whiskey – As I mentioned above, feel free to use whatever whiskey you enjoy.
Vanilla – Optional, but creates a nice flavor balance.

Chocolate cupcakes on a wire rack, with some cored and filled with chocolate ganache

How to Make Chocolate Whiskey Cupcakes

First things first, you're going to need:

1 medium saucepan
2 mixing bowls (aff link) (one large, one medium)
Whisk

Coca-Cola being poured into a mixing bowl

Step 1: In a medium saucepan, add Coke…

Cola and butter tabs being combined in a bowl

Step 2: … and butter and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

Brown sugar being poured into mixing bowl of bubbly cocoa sugar mixure

Step 3: Add cocoa powder, sugar, and brown sugar and whisk until the sugars are dissolved and the mixture is smooth.

Chocolate mixture being whisked in a mixing bowl

Step 4: Set aside to cool for 15 minutes or so.

Step 5: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Step 6: In a separate large bowl, lightly beat eggs.

Smooth chocolate mixture being poured into a bowl

Step 7: Add the cooled cocoa mixture from the saucepan to the large bowl of beaten eggs and stir to combine.

Flour mixture being poured into a bowl of chocolate mixture

Step 8: Add flour mixture from the medium bowl to the large bowl and stir until just combined.

Chocolate batter being divided between cupcake liners with a large cookie scoop

Step 9: Pour batter into cupcake liners, filling them 3/4 of the way.

Chocolate cupcakes with crackly tops in a muffin pan

Step 10: Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350°F or until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

How to Make Chocolate Whiskey Ganache

Before you start, grab a:

Small saucepan
Heatproof bowl
Mixing spoon or spatula
Paring knife or cupcake corer (aff link)

Cream being poured over a bowl of chocolate chips

Step 1: Place the chocolate chips in a small heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the cream until it’s simmering, and then pour it over the chocolate in the heatproof bowl.

Butter being stirred into melted chocolate

Step 2: Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth. Add the butter and whiskey and stir until combined. Let the ganache cool enough that it won’t give you trouble when you place it in a piping bag.

Pulling the core out of a chocolate cupcake

Step 3: Cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes – I used a small paring knife, but you could also use a cupcake corer (aff link).

Chocolate ganache being piped into a chocolate cupcake

Step 4: Put the cooled ganache into a piping bag with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top. If you don’t have a piping bag, just put it in a plastic freezer bag and cut off a small corner.

How to Make Whiskey Frosting

Lastly, for the frosting you'll need:

Large mixing bowl
Hand mixer

Powdered sugar being combined with butter in a clear mixing bowl

Step 1: Beat the butter in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer for a couple of minutes. You want it to be light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time.

Whiskey being poured into bowl of frosting mixture

Step 2: Once you've used about half your powdered sugar, add in a bit of whiskey and then mix again. This will thin it out a bit, allowing you to continue mixing in the remaining sugar.

Frosting being whipped in a clear mixing bowl

Step 3: Continue to add a bit of whiskey and mix until you've used all the sugar, and your frosting is combined and smooth.

White icing being piped high on top of a chocolate cupcake

Step 4: Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes however you’d like!

Chocolate cupcake topped with white frosting and a gummy cola bottle candy and chocolate ganache in the middle

Tips for Making the Best Boozy Cupcakes

I recommend using aluminum liners or silicon cupcake holders. Paper liners coated with non-stick spray will still work, but aluminum liners are very easy to peel away from the cupcake without losing precious morsels of chocolate cake.
You have to use regular Coca-Cola. You can't use any of the reduced or sugar-free versions – it won't work for the purpose of this recipe. So, I repeat: use the original Coke.
Only stir the cooled cocoa mixture and flour mixture until just combined. This is very important, or you're going to end up with a tougher cake texture in the end.

Tips for the Chocolate Ganache

Wait to add the whiskey. When you're making the ganache, don't jump ahead and add the whiskey too soon. Make sure you add it right at the end, otherwise, you're going to cook off some of that flavor!
Find the middle ground on the temperature. You have to find the balance between having the ganache too cool or too warm. Too cool, it won't be fluid enough to work with. Too warm, and it'll melt through your piping bag and just plain cause a mess! Wait to pipe it in until it's cool enough not to give you trouble when you're placing it in a piping bag.
Cutting the cores: I like to use a cupcake corer (aff link) to remove the center of the cupcake, but you can also just use a small paring knife to carve it out. Save the cores and make some cake pops with them later! Or just eat them… 'cause that's what I actually do.

Tips for the Whiskey Frosting

Light and fluffy is key. Make sure you whip the butter until it's light and fluffy – it's key to getting the texture we want.
Add the powdered sugar slowly, a little bit at a time. If you try to add it all at once, you're going to end up with a big mess and you'll have a sugar explosion all over your kitchen and make it appear as though a blizzard blasted through your window.
Alternating adding powdered sugar and whiskey helps keep the mixture moist enough to work with until you have all ingredients combined.
You can add a teaspoon of pure vanilla extract if you want it to be less whiskey-y, but isn't that whiskey flavor why we're making it? Maybe just add 1/4 teaspoon for a little balance.
Garnish away! I love adding little gummy cola candies on top because it's the perfect garnish. You could also add candied lime slices, crumbles of some of your cupcake cores, or nothing at all! Let the frosting stand alone in all its glory.

Storage

Because there are dairy products in the ganache and frosting, they can't be stored at room temperature.

Store the finished cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Let them sit on the counter to come to room temperature before serving.

Chocolate whiskey cupcakes scattered around a light colored surface

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