Many St. Patrick’s Day traditions involve drinking beer, eating hearty foods and indulging in tasty treats. With this recipe, you can combine all of these traditions in a cupcake fit for an adult. Irish stout and cocoa create a rich, complex cupcake. Whiskey-spiked ganache provides an unexpected creamy filling. And a fluffy buttercream frosting flavored with Baileys Irish Cream tops it off perfectly.
Reminiscent of the popular drink, an Irish Car Bomb, this cupcake allows even those who don’t enjoy beer to take part in the festive tradition. While most of the beer and whiskey flavors are cooked out and simply add subtle spikes of flavor, the Irish cream flavor is just intense enough to take these cupcakes beyond your ordinary cutesy treats. (Substitute milk if serving a mixed crowd.) So for a St. Patrick’s Day treat that doesn’t require chugging or the chance of a rough morning after, try these chocolate stout and Irish cream cupcakes.
Chocolate cupcake ingredients:
- 1 cup Guinness® stout
- 16 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 1½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 2/3 cup light sour cream
Ganache filling ingredients:
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 2 Tablespoons butter, slightly softened
- 2 teaspoons Jameson® whiskey
Buttercream frosting ingredients:
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, slightly softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 4 Tablespoons Baileys® Original Irish Cream
- 1 Tablespoon milk
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line cupcake pans with paper liners. In a small saucepan, heat stout and butter over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly while preparing dry ingredients.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs and sour cream with an electric mixer. Add the stout-butter mixture and beat just to combine. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing on low speed just until incorporated.
- Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, filling them about 2/3 to 3/4 full. Bake about 17 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the ganache filling, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until simmering, then pour it over the chocolate. Let sit for one minute and then whisk until smooth. If the chocolate still isn’t melted, heat over a double boiler or in the microwave in 10 second increments. Add the butter and whiskey and stir until combined.
- Allow the ganache to cool and thicken. Meanwhile, cut out a portion from the center of the cupcake using a small knife or apple corer. Transfer the ganache to a piping bag or Dessert Decorator Plus (see tips below) and pipe into the cupcakes.
- To make the frosting, cream the butter using an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add the powdered sugar mixing well. Add the Baileys and milk in a little at a time until it reaches a good consistency for piping or spreading.
- Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, decorate as desired.
- Makes 24 cupcakes.
- (Recipe inspiration found here.)
Shopping and presentation tips: For easy and beautiful piping of ganache and frosting, try the Dessert Decorator Plus made by Wilton. Easy-to-use and inexpensive, it’s worth the price for any regular baker.
Place your cupcakes in St. Patrick’s Day or spring-themed liners for a festive presentation. Because chocolate cupcakes tend to show through most liners, be sure to pick liners that have a foil layer. Or, simply bake in a plain liner and use the decorative liner for presentation (as shown here).
Green sprinkles also add a nice touch. You can find a wide selection of liners, sprinkles and decorating tools at craft stores such as the A.C. Moore on Street Road in Bensalem, PA. Be sure to check for a coupon to get the best deal.
Tempted by these festive treats but simply don’t have the time or desire to make them yourself? If you’re in Bucks County, PA, let the friendly staff of Town Crier Bakery in Peddler’s Village do the baking for you. Irish soda bread, scones, leprechaun gingerbread men and shamrock sugar cookies are just a few of the many goodies you’ll find in this charming old-fashioned bakery. Visit the Town Crier Bakery Facebook page for the latest news and photos of the creations available now.
29 Peddlers Lane, Lahaska, PA 18949
(215) 794-9910
Monday – Thursday: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Friday – Saturday: 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Sunday: 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
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