Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

There are a few things in life that you just need. I believe these cupcakes should be on your list. Unless you don't like booze, then I just can't help you. These definitely aren't for kids, but adults need some cupcakes of their own every once and a while.

At Christmas, Caitlin gave me an awesome set of cupcake paraphernalia from Bake it Pretty and I've been trying to find a good cupcake recipe to use the awesome cupcake liners. I saw these green liners in the box and knew to save them for St. Patrick's Day. My intention was to bring these to the office, but I went for it and put all 4 Tbsp of Bailey's into the frosting, so they're a little too booze-y for the office. Thankfully, I only had about enough of the buttercream for half of the cupcakes, so I'm going to try and half the Bailey's with milk for the office's cupcakes.

If you shy away from this recipe because it has Guinness in it, trust me, you shouldn't. I don't like Guinness at all, but the beer cooks off and it gives the chocolate a very complex flavor.

Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes with Bailey's Buttercream
Source: Le Petit Pierogi as adapted from Smitten Kitchen

For the Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes:
1 cup Guinness
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
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 (I used light)

Bailey's Irish Buttercream:
3 to 4 cups confections sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 to 4 tablespoons Bailey's Irish Cream

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and add Guinness. Bring to a simmer. Whisk in cocoa powder until mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a large bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat eggs and sour cream until thoroughly combined. On low speed, drizzle in Guinness-chocolate mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture, a little at a time, and mix briefly on slow speed just until the mixture comes together. 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 toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, rotating them once front to back if your oven bakes unevenly, about 17-19 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a rack completely.

To make the buttercream, whip the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for several minutes until the butter is 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 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.

Printable version