Hmmm... that should have a stop between SMBC and drool.... I don't make SMBC drool to go on my cakes, promise!!

OMG that's quite a list Susan! My head is tilting with all the possibilities here!

I do agree that alcohol adds a wonderful flavor to baked goods. But if you cater to upscale customers, the marketing angle truly helps sales.

When I had a shop in upstate New York we made several fruitcakes, the best selling ones were Grand Marnier and Brandy Alexander (a chocolate fruitcake). We also made a chocolate Kahlua Cake. Our Raspberry Almond and our Blueberry muffins (same batter used) were made with Amaretto. In our southern shop we made Tennessee Whiskey Fruitcake with Jack Daniels. I would have called it Jack Daniels Fruitcake but one of our lawyer customers advised against it.

This weekend, I made Grown Up Chocolate Chip Cookies. I used:

Godiva
Bailey's
Frangelico
Makers Mark
Banana Liqueur
Toasted Almond, Kahlua and Amaretto
Nuts and Berries, Chambord and Frangelico
Kahlua

Every one was incredible.

I haven't had a chance to read the whole thread so I don't know if any of this has been mentioned, but here's my 2 cents:

I generally don't add alcohol to my batter as I find much of the flavor tends to bake out. Instead, I brush the alcohol (usually straight but as a simple syrup works too) on the cake/cupcakes (torte or poke holes so it seeps in), then add the alcohol to my buttercream.

I add Maker's Mark to my chocolate buttercream. To. Die. For! I've also converted this into a Manhattan by using a cherry filling (to which I also add Maker's Mark) or adding a little cherry juice (reduced to concentrate the flavor) to the buttercream.

The Kentucky Derby just wouldn't be complete without my Mint Julep cupcakes. Bourbon (usually Wild Turkey) and Spearmint Schnapps with a white cake. Again, brushed on the cake and used in the buttercream. Garnish with a mint sprig. Oh, and you MUST bake them in silver liners to get the true Derby effect!

Dark n Stormy (traditional drink of Bermuda) - Ginger Beer cake/cupcake (I let the ginger beer go flat, then use it for the liquid in the white or yellow batter). Brush on a mixture of ginger beer and Goslings Black Rum (mostly rum!), then add Goslings Black Rum to my buttercream. Garnish with lime zest.

This one might flip you out, but I once had a request for an anise (licorice) flavored cake, so I added Pernod to my dark chocolate batter, then added Pernod to my buttercream. I don't like licorice, but it was really delicious with dark chocolate! I actually started offering it on my menu after that. Pernod is very strong in flavor, so you only need a tiny bit, and I definitely wouldn't brush it on the cake or the licorice flavor will be too strong...at least for me. In this case, I think a hint of the flavor is best. My customer raved about it!

So many more! If there's a drink, there's a boozy cake!

Mimi, I made quarter pound chocolate chip cookies for my daughter's school carnival. I pulled 9 "pucks" aside and added malted milk powder and malted milk balls to one, and then I pulled out the alcohol. I put about a scant 1/4 tsp in each cookie, the two combos got double from the two flavors. In every case, they were delicious. But I need to go up on the alcohol. The way I did it was so subtle that I will double the alcohol next time. The best were Bailey's, Frangelico, Kahlua, And Toasted Almond. This happened to be a batch that I didn't double the chocolate chips by mistake and instead of remixing, I got the idea to do this. The lesser amount of chips (still plenty) was better for the subtle flavors for the alcohol.

Johnny, I do an anise type cupcake, but I use Absinthe. I reduce it and sweeten it by the Bohemian method of lighting the Absinthe-soaked sugar cube. I do brush the solution straight on the chocolate cupcake and I use it in IMBC. I thought it would end up being a novelty, which I don't sell, but it turned out wonderful.