Keeping with that resolution to track my recipes, here’s the St. Patty’s Day ones! They have been all over the web the past few years, usually called Guiness cupcakes with Bailey’s frosting. My husband calls them Irish Car Bombs, even though it’s different booze! 😀
I saw a few recipes but chose this version from Food.com, with minor revisions. I actually made them twice, last weekend for an Irish murder mystery party, and last night for coworkers today and friends this evening!
Makes 24 cupcakes
Cupcakes
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup Guinness stout
- 2/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted
(I totally didn’t sift this, and I don’t know if my cocoa was Dutch-processed. :P) - 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup sour cream
(My edit: When I made the second batch, I forgot we used up the sour cream on baked potatoes this week. The choice was run out to the store while guests were over, or use a fat free blueberry greek-style yogurt. I went with the yogurt and I think the cupcakes came out tasting the same in both batches!)
Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
(I used one box. See note under milk as well.) - 1 pinch table salt
- 3 tablespoons irish cream (Bailey’s or Carolan’s)
- 1 tablespoon milk
(My edit: Milk is for wimps. Throw in 1 more tablespoon of Bailey’s instead. The first time I think I used more like 4.5 tablespoons of Bailey’s total, to get the right consistency, and I liked that icing better than the second batch! I since saw that some reviewers on food.com did the same, some even cut down the sugar amount as well. Next time, I’d hold off on adding it all, and keep trying it as you adjust the consistency using Bailey’s and sugar.) - My addition: green food coloring to the icing, adjust to your preference.
- green sprinkles (I added chocolate ones too.)
Directions:
Prep Time: 40 mins
Total Time: 1 1/4 hr
- Preheat oven to 350°F Grease 24-30 cupcake cups, or fill with paper liners.
- In a saucepan, heat the butter, Guinness, cocoa and brown sugar, whisking often, until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Into the work bowl of a stand mixer (or into a large mixing bowl), sift together salt, flour, white sugar and baking soda. Add the cooled Guinness mixture and beat on medium for 1 minute. Add eggs and sour cream and beat on medium for 2 minutes or until smooth.
- Divide the batter evenly amongst the cupcake cups. Bake in preheated oven 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean. Cool in pan 20 minutes, then remove and transfer to a cooling rack until completely cooled.
- Meanwhile, in (cleaned) work bowl of stand mixer, cream butter until very light and fluffy. Add salt, and slowly add confectioners sugar. Do not run the mixer above low, or the sugar will spray all over your kitchen. Add a couple of spoonsful at a time until it has all been absorbed into the butter. Add Bailey’s and milk until spreadable consistency is achieved.Add green food coloring (optional).
- Frost cupcakes with Bailey’s frosting. Sprinkle with green sugar and chocolate jimmies.
Booze content for those who need to know: for 24 cupcakes, each one contains 1/24 cup (2/3 tablespoon) of Guinness and 1/6 tablespoon (1/2 teaspoon) Bailey’s (if 4 tablespoons were used total).
k8et's ramblings 