Since tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day, some festive cupcakes are definitely in order. So in a nod to famous Irish spirits, I baked Guinness cupcakes with Baileys frosting. They are chocolaty and rich… and may just be the best cupcakes I’ve ever made.
Not sure how you feel about Guinness, especially in your cupcake? Trust me, these taste nothing like beer. The Guinness flavor is faint and leaves behind just a hint of depth and creaminess. And the deep chocolate ganache center is the perfect counterpoint to the sweet Baileys frosting.
I first came across this idea at the Smitten Kitchen, where Deb shared a recipe for cupcakes inspired by the Irish Car Bomb. Genius, I tell you. Here is my take, with just a few tweaks.
makes approximately 24 cupcakes
for the cupcakes
1 cup Guinness
1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process 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 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
for the frosting
2-1/2 to 3-1/2 cups confections sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon heavy cream
3 tablespoons Baileys Irish Cream liqueur
to make the cupcakes
1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line 24 cupcake cups with liners.
2. In a sauce pan, combine butter and Guinness over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
3. Whisk in cocoa powder until smooth, remove from heat, and allow to cool slightly.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.
5. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and sour cream together.
6. Add the Guinness mixture to the eggs/sour cream and beat to combine.
7. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and beat just to combine.
8. Fold the batter, using a rubber spatula, until completely combined.
9. Fill the cupcake liners. Fill about 2/3 of the way if you want flat cupcakes and 3/4 of the way if you want rounded tops.
10. Bake for about 18 minutes, until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
to make the filling
1. Chop the chocolate finely and transfer into a heatproof bowl.
2. In separate bowl, heat the cream in microwave until just simmering.
3. Pour heated cream over chocolate and let sit for about one minute.
4. Stir until smooth. If chocolate does not fully melt, place in microwave at short increments until melted.
5. Add the butter and stir until combined.
to fill the cupcakes
1. Allow the ganache to cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped.
2. Using an apple corer or 1-inch cookie cutter, cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes. Cut approximately 2/3 of the way down. Twisting the apple corer before removing it from the cupcake helped to extract the centers. You could also try a small knife or spoon.
3. Place ganache in piping bag or plastic bag and cut a wide tip.
4. Pipe the ganache into the holes, filling each cupcake to the top.
to make the frosting
1. In a large bowl, using a stand or electric mixer, whip the butter for several minutes until very light and fluffy.
2. Slowly add the confectioners sugar, mixing as you add the sugar.
3. Continue adding sugar until the mixture becomes stiff.
5. Frost cupcakes as desired.
They would be lovely topped with shaved chocolate, but for the holiday I went with classic green sugar sprinkles. I am guilty of having one for breakfast with a hot cup of coffee, but I'm sure they'd be equally delicious with a tall glass of milk or an Irish cocktail.
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
