Chocolate Whiskey and Beer Cupcakes

Serves 20

Chocolate Whiskey and Beer Cupcakes

By Camille Styles

Ingredients

for the chocolate cupcakes:

  • 1 cup stout (Guinness)
  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2/3 cup sour cream

for the ganache filling:

  • 8 oz bittersweet chocolate
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons Irish Whiskey

for the Baileys frosting:

  • 3 to 4 cups confectioner sugar
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons Baileys

Instructions

for the cupcakes:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners.
  2. Bring the stout and butter to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Cool.
  3. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl.
  4. In a separate bowl with an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sour cream together, adding the stout-chocolate mix to eggs to combine.
  5. Add the flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Use a spatula to fold better until completely combined.
  6. Pour batter into lined cupcake tin, filling cups about 2/3 to 3/4 full. Bake cakes until toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.

for the filling:

  1. Chop the chocolate and transfer to heatproof bowl.
  2. Heat cream in a separate bowl until simmering and pour over chocolate. Let sit for one minute and stir until smooth.
  3. Add the butter and whiskey and stir until combined.

for the frosting:

  1. Whip the butter in bowl of electric mixer until light and fluffy. Slowly add powdered sugar. When frosting is thick, drizzle in Baileys and whip until combined.

to serve:

  1. Using a small round cookie cutter, cut out the center of the cupcake so there is a little crevice to fill with ganache.
  2. Place ganache into a piping bag and fill each cupcake hole to the top.
  3. In a separate piping bag, add the frosting and ice and decorate cupcakes as desired.