Chocolate Whiskey and Beer Cupcakes
I’ve been eyeing these cupcakes for quite some time. They’re from Smitten Kitchen and they’ve been on my to-bake list since they popped up over a year ago. Since then, many other bloggers have made them and raved. I finally took the leap and made these for our Superbowl XLIV party.
Everyone enjoyed the cupcakes and I think my favorite part was the ganache filling. It was just perfect. Of course, all of the components of this cupcake were really good. The Guinness in the cupcakes keep them very moist. Even a couple days later, this cupcake was very tasty and moist. Each component has alcohol in it, so these were the perfect cupcakes for a Superbowl party. They’d also be perfect to celebrate St Patty’s Day!
I got 21 cupcakes out of the batter, but since they didn’t have nice pretty domes, if I make these again, I’ll portion the batter into 22-24 cupcakes. I don’t like when cupcakes don’t rise up and dome and just spread out and get a flat top that hangs over the edges. They still taste amazing but just don’t look as pretty, and they’re hard to get out of the cupcake pan.
One Year Ago: Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Two Years Ago: S’Mores Cupcakes
Chocolate Whiskey and Beer Cupcakes
Yield: ~20
Ingredients:
Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes
1 c Guinness
1 c unsalted butter
3/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
2 c flour
2 c sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
2/3 c sour cream
Ganache Filling
8 oz bittersweet chocolate
2/3 c heavy cream
2 Tbsp butter, room temperature
1 to 2 tsp Irish whiskey (optional)
Baileys Frosting
3 to 4 c confections sugar
1/2 c unsalted butter, at room temperatue
3 to 4 Tbsp Baileys (or milk, or heavy cream, or a combination thereof)
Directions:
Make the cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. Bring 1 cup stout and 1 cup butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.
Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling them 2/3 to 3/4 of the way. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, rotating them once front to back if your oven bakes unevenly, about 17 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a rack completely.
Make the filling
Chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth. Add the butter and whiskey and stir until combined.
Fill the cupcakes
Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped. Meanwhile, using your 1-inch round cookie cutter or an apple corer, cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes. You want to go most of the way down the cupcake but not cut through the bottom — aim for 2/3 of the way. A slim spoon or grapefruit knife will help you get the center out. Those are your “tasters”. Put the ganache into a piping bag with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.
Make the frosting
Whip the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, for several minutes. You want to get it very light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time.
When the frosting looks thick enough to spread, drizzle in the Baileys (or milk) and whip it until combined. If this has made the frosting too thin (it shouldn’t, but just in case) beat in another spoonful or two of powdered sugar.
Ice and decorate the cupcakes.
You can bake the cupcakes a week or two in advance and store them, well wrapped, in the freezer. You can also fill them before you freeze them. They also keep filled — or filled and frosted — in the fridge for a day.
Recipe from Smitten Kitchen
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
Great cupcake hero entry!!! yum!
You’re right – it’s a freaking cute cupcake! I especially love that frosting and how you got it to look like a scoop of ice cream. Nicely done!
This is my first CH and I can’t wait till the voting begins! : )
Wow, what a yummy looking cupcake! Great idea!
This is ADORABLE!! I love it!
Gorgeous cupcake, Jen! I love how the cherry stands out. How do you get that black background if you don’t mind me asking? I’m pretty new to this food photography thing 8)
Yummmm!!!!!
Xiaolu – It’s actually just my black table. I’ve also had luck using a plain black piece of construction paper (most of my backgrounds are the 12×12 scrap-booking papers) or a black towel to get the background all black.
Here is an example using paper, and one using a towel.
Thanks! That’s really helpful.
Yum! Great idea 🙂
Awesome idea!
Very creative and it looks great!
What a cute idea! I love it!! And I know my nieces would be in love!
Great idea…they look delicious!
holy deliciousness! I NEED one of those! 🙂
How creative, I love them! So cute and tasty with that cherry on top!
Very cute looking! I like your idea.
~ingrid
These cupcakes are pure genius… you’ve definitely got my vote!
Cute idea! What a great entry!
Wow – super cute! A lot of work, I’m sure, but such a big payoff! Great job!
So stinkin’ cute!
Very cute, indeed and loving the pineapple in the frosting. I can just imagine how delicious this would taste. What a great idea.
MMM, it looks fantastic! I’ll have to try this one 🙂 xox
These cupcakes are precious besides, I am sure, being delicious. What a great idea.