“Irish Car Bomb” Cupcakes

These cupcakes just might change your life…I’m serious.

I made a chocolate stout cake a couple of years ago, and it was out of this world delicious. It was also a VERY large recipe, so I spent a long time in the kitchen — it was well worth it. I never thought to halve this recipe to make cupcakes, an honest “herp-derp” moment. Although this Irish Car Bomb cupcake recipe is all over the internet, I went with Michelle from Brown Eyed Baker’s version because she never fails and she really boozed up the buttercream. This recipe calls for three different types of alcohol, so I wouldn’t serve these to kids 😉

I want to point out a few things about this recipe before you start prepping/baking so you don’t think you’re going crazy or doing something wrong. When you make the beer/butter/cocoa mixture, use a whisk to incorporate the ingredients. It will start to separate almost immediately when you remove it from the heat and can turn into a oily, globby mess. You’ll probably start to panic, but it just needs to be emulsified. Whisk it with a strong hand until it comes back together. This also helps it cool down enough to slowly stream into the egg and sour cream mixture without cooking the eggs — nobody wants scrambled eggs in their cupcakes…

The Guinness beer is pretty hard to taste on it’s own, but what it does to the chocolate is unreal. It’s a harmonious marriage of true chocolate flavor that I honestly cannot describe. This is the perfect cupcake for the chocolate lover. They’re not too sweet and they’re super moist and so buttery. The whiskey ganache in the center really compliments the entire body of the cupcake, making it insanely rich and decadent. I used Ghirardelli 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips for the ganache, because that’s all I had laying around the house, and they’re fabulous. I know they’d be even better with a higher quality chocolate, but Ghirardelli is pretty easy to find at any grocery store, so don’t bust your balls looking for the holy mother of all chocolates. The Bailey’s buttercream is fluffy, rich and not overly sweet either. It’s just effing perfection! Don’t use regular “unsweetened cocoa powder” with this recipe. Make sure you use dutch-processed only. I used Double Dutch-processed cocoa powder from King Arthur. I decorated the cupcakes with black sugar crystals and a tiny dusting of edible gold glitterdust, but you don’t have to, they’re already amazing.

Bailey’s Buttercream is all done!

Melting the butter into the Guinness stout

Whisk the beer and chocolate mixture so that it all blends together, otherwise it will separate almost immediately.

Cupcake batter is all done 🙂

Fill them about 2/3 of the way full.

Let’em cool…

Meanwhile, melt the chocolate with the hot heavy cream to make your whiskey ganache.

Fill the cupcakes with the ganache…

Top them with the frosting..

Beautiful, delicious, rich and decadent. You’ll love yourself even more.

Best chocolate cupcake ever. I am head over heels in love with these, and will make them again very soon seeing as how I have 5 bottles of Guinness just chillin in my fridge — and I don’t drink much 😐 Make these now. Go!

“Irish Car Bomb” Cupcakes

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• Yield: 24 cupcakes

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Description

Adapted from BrownEyedBaker

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Ingredients

Units USM

• 1 cup Guinness stout
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup sour cream

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners.
3. Bring the Guinness and butter to a simmer in a heavy, medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.
4. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl to combine.
5. Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sour cream on medium speed until combined.
6. Add the Guinness-chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and beat just to combine.
7. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour mixture and beat briefly. Using a rubber spatula, fold the batter until completely combined.
8. Divide the batter among the cupcake liners.
9. Bake until a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 17 minutes.
10. Cool the cupcakes on a rack.

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