Chocolate Guinness Stout Cupcakes with Irish Buttercream...

In the spirit of St-Patrick's Day,  I thought I would post a recipe which requires alcohol.  These cute little cupcakes are made with Guinness Stout and the icing is made with Bailey's Irish Cream.  If you're hosting a party this weekend and want to wow your guests, you've got to make a batch!

Trophy Cupcakes & Party  recipe via Java Cupcake



Chocolate Guinness Stout Cupcakes
1 ½ cups (12 ounces) Guinness Stout
1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Valrhona)
2 ¾ cups all purpose flour
3 cups sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoons salt
3 eggs
2/3 cups sour cream

Irish Cream Buttercream
2 cups (four sticks) unstalted butter, room temperature
4 cups (1 pound) of powdered sugar
¼ cup of Irish Cream (such as Bailey’s)


Preparation

For Cupcakes:

1) Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 cupcake pans with 24 paper liners. Bring stout and butter to simmer in heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

2) Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in large bowl to blend. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment (or with an electric mixer), beat eggs and sour cream to blend.

3) Add cooled stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat until combined. Add flour mixture and mix on slow speed until just combined. Let batter rest for 15 minutes.

4) Fill cupcake liners generously (a little more than ¾ full).

5) Bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 17-20 minutes. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack and cool completely.

6) Frost with Irish Cream buttercream when completely cooled.


For Buttercream:

1) Cream butter in the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl with an electric mixer) until light and fluffy.

2) While butter is creaming sift powdered sugar in a large bowl.

3) Add sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time to creamed butter (use the lowest setting on your mixer until all of the sugar in incorporated and then increase speed to medium-high and beat until buttercream is smooth and fluffy).

4) Add the Irish Cream and beat until incorporated.


To Assemble the Cupcakes

Hand frost each cupcake and decorate as desired or to make them look “Trophy”, place the buttercream in a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Make a swirl of buttercream on each cupcake and sprinkle with clear sanding sugar and top with a lucky sugar shamrock.


ENJOY!