GUINNESS CUPCAKES WITH IRISH CREAM FROSTING

Guinness Cupcakes with Irish Cream Frosting image

I wanted to really make something stereotypically Irish from an American perspective this St. Patrick's day, just to be as campy as possible really. So I made chocolate cake out of Guinness, (which is of no big event, I bake with beer constantly.) but the Guinness has a very distinct flavor. I also whipped butter cream from Kerry...

Provided by Maggie May Schill

Time 35m

Number Of Ingredients 25

Ingredients

FOR CAKE:
4 c sugar
4 c cake flour
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/4 Tbsp baking powder
2 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp kosher salt
1 1/3 c sour cream
3 oz instant chocolate pudding powder mix
1/2 c black coffee
1 1/2 c guinness stout beer
2 c kerry gold unsalted butter
1 1/2 c unsweetened coco powder (not dutch process!!!)
FOR GANACHE FILLING
2 c heavy cream
3 c bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 c single malt whiskey
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
FOR IRISH CREAM FROSTING
1 c kerry gold unsalted irish butter, room temperature
3 1/4 c confectioners' sugar
1/2 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
3 Tbsp irish cream liqueur
green food coloring

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350'F Line two cupcake pans with cupcake liners. Total 24 cupcakes.
2. Place a medium sized sauce pan over medium heat on the stove. Add black coffee, butter, and 1 cup of Guinness to the sauce pan and bring it all to a low simmer. Add cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Take off the heat and set aside to cool.
3. Sift flour, baking powder, pudding powder, and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl with an electric mixer cream sugar and eggs together.
5. Add vanilla extract and sour cream to the egg mixture and mix on medium speed until a bit fluffy. About 3 minutes.
6. Add cooled stout/cocoa mixture to the egg mixture slowly. Be sure the stout has cooled enough to where it will not cook the eggs. Completely incorporate into batter.
7. Add flour mixture to egg mixture in 3rds. Completely incorporate each 3rd of flour before adding the next 3rd of flour.
8. With the mixer still on, add the remaining 1/2 cup of Guinness and turn mixer on high to whip the stout into the batter.
9. Pour batter out into the two pans. Bake on a center rack for 21 minutes, or until tooth pick comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire wrack.
10. For Ganache filling: 1- Bring heavy cream to a low boil along with vanilla. Be sure to stir continuously to avoid scorching the cream. 2- in a large mixing bowl add chopped chocolate and butter. 3- Once cream is at a low boil remove from heat and pour over chocolate. Stir vigorously until chocolate is completely melted into cream. 4- Cover and put in refrigerator for 2 hours.
11. For Irish Cream Frosting: 1- Beat Kerry Gold butter on medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. 2- Add Irish cream and vanilla to the butter and continue to beat until completely incorporated. 3- On medium speed, gradually beat confectioner's sugar into the butter mixture 1/2 cup at a time. 4- Once all sugar is completely incorporated into the butter, beat in green food coloring if desired.
12. Assembly: 1- Once cakes are cooled, core each cake with a sharp paring knife, or with a cupcake corer. Be sure not to cut too deep, or you will lose too much cake. 2- Pipe/or spoon in chilled ganache into each cup cake hole. 3- Pipe Irish Cream frosting onto each cake as desired.