Thursday, March 15, 2012

Guinness Cupcakes w/ Baileys Frosting



St. Patty's Day is fast approaching, and what better way to celebrate than with a truly Irish treat?! Well, look no further, because these cupcakes are a knock out! The cake is rich and chocolaty with a hint of Guinness, and is topped with the decadent flavor of Irish cream. Absolutely divine. So please, don your green apparel, enjoy these treats with your leftover bottles of Guinness, and I promise, you will have a perfectly perfect St. Patty's Day!

** GUINNESS CUPCAKES WITH BAILEYS BUTTERCREAM FROSTING**
Makes 24 cupcakes.

Ingredients
Guiness Cupcakes
* 1 bottle Guinness (11.2 ounces), room temp
* 4 ounces unsalted butter, room temp
* 3/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted
* 2 cups dark brown sugar
* 2 eggs, room temp
* 3/4 cup sour cream, room temp
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

Baileys Buttercream Frosting
* 1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
* 3 1/2 tablespoons Baileys (or one mini bottle, see picture -- found these at Spec's)
* 4 cups confectioners' sugar
* Optional: green food coloring

** Note on Ingredient Temperature
It really is important to have things room temp when you are making cake. It is one of the little things that makes a big difference. This helps the cake have the perfect moist and spongy texture. So, just make sure to set the things out that are noted room temp at least an hour before baking!


Supplies Needed (Note: I wanted to include this because it can get kind of messy if you aren't organized. Hopefully this helps!)
* 1 medium sauce pan
* 1 small bowl
* 1 medium-sized bowl
* Mixer 
* Whisk
* Cupcake pan; lined with cupcake liners
* Wire cooling rack

Directions
Guiness Cupcakes
* Preheat the oven to 325 F.
* In a medium saucepan, whisk together the Guiness and butter, until the butter is melted. Then, remove the pan from the heat.

* In the medium-sized bowl, combine the the sifted cocoa powder and brown sugar.

* Whisk the cocoa mixture into the Guiness/butter mixture in the saucepan.

* In the small bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla.

* Pour this mixture into the saucepan, and whisk thoroughly.

* In the medium-sized bowl (now empty again), sift the flour and baking soda.

* Add the flour mixture to the saucepan, and whisk until color is smooth. Mixture will still be slightly lumpy.

* Fill the cupcake liners until 3/4 full, at most. I like to use a ice cream scoop to get an even distribution.

* Bake for about 20-22 minutes, until the cake springs back upon touching.
* Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 3 minutes.
* Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Bailey's Buttercream Frosting
* Cream the butter until it is pale and fluffy (using a cake stand mixer w/ the whisk paddle attachment or electric hand mixer).
* Slowly pour in the Baileys, mixing on low.
* Slowly add the sifted confectioners' sugar, a cup at time, until smooth and fluffy.
** For a festive color, I added green food coloring to half my frosting!

 * Frost your cupcakes once they are cool.
* I decorated mine with sprinkles and shaved chocolate.
* ENJOY!! And try to share...




Recipe adapted from here.

2 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for the yummy looking cupcake recipe. I love when they do not include box mixes. I buy the Bailey's Minis, too. I am not organized enough to always have everything room temperature when I make a cake, so I put the eggs in a warm water bath for a few minutes. I have done the same thing with sour cream. For the butter, I microwave each stick individually for 10 seconds each. Foresight in baking is just not my strength.

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  2. Beautiful and decadent! This sounds like a fantastic recipe! Thank you for sharing on Foodie Friends Friday!

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