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
PotatoesTwo Years Ago: S'Mores
CupcakesChocolate Whiskey and Beer Cupcakes - from Smitten
Kitchen - makes ~20Printable
RecipeGuinness Chocolate Cupcakes1 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 Filling8 oz bittersweet chocolate
2/3 c heavy
cream
2 Tbsp butter, room temperature
1 to 2 tsp Irish whiskey
(optional)
Baileys Frosting3 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)
Make the cupcakesPreheat 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 fillingChop 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 cupcakesLet 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 frostingWhip 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.
Thanks to Beantown Baker