Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

Ok guys, so here's the deal.  This is another cake (cupcake) recipe with booze in it, and I know what you're all thinking. What is Katie's deal with alcohol in baked goods? Is she sitting around in her house having cocktails and accidentally spilling them in her mixer as it whirs, out of control on high speed and then trying to convince us that these are real recipes? 

Before I continue, let me put these thoughts of yours to rest. The answer to these questions is (usually) of course not. I'm not just dumping booze in everything I bake just for the heck of it. The booze has flavor, and as you can see, I'm never adding enough that people will walk funny after enjoying some. Liquor tastes good. Look at it this way...vanilla extract is made with..guess what..alcohol. Yep, all those extracts you love (and I generally hate, by the way)... they all have alcohol, so a little bourbon or beer here and there isn't as crazy as you think.

Back to the cupcakes.

They are fabulous. They take the drink that we are all too familiar with and transform it into a luscious, indulgent treat! The Guinness in the cake enhances the chocolate flavor and makes for a great texture. The Jameson adds just a little interest and extra punch to the chocolate filling. The Baileys, well, it does what Baileys always does. It provides a perfect extra creaminess to the sweet buttercream. And, the three combined, they make one superstar of a cupcake.

Disclaimer: There is not enough alcohol in these to justify you going crazy and making bad decisions, so if you do that after eating some, we know...it was all you!

Now, onto the cupcakes.

First, you will need all three of these. Yes, all three. 

The drink has all of them, so the cupcake must have them all as well (duh).

Pour some Guinness into a saucepan and simmer it with some butter.

I know I just went on and on about how alcohol is just flavoring, and it is. But, let me tell you, it never feels normal cracking open a beer and a bottle of Jameson at 9 am even if you know that it's only for baking... and it is only for baking.

Once the butter melts and your mixture simmers, whisk in the cocoa powder, and you will have perfect chocolately goodness for your cupcakes. (Remember: it's for the cupcakes...not for your breakfast)

Now, mix the cake batter and incorporate the Guinness, chocolate mixture. Look at that perfect, chocolate batter!

When you're done admiring your velvety batter, fill your lined muffin tins. It will make 24. Bake them and cool them...you know the drill.

Once your cupcakes are cooled, get out your weird, cupcake-coring, magic tool (or a knife works just fine, too), and take out the center of all your cupcakes.  

What you do with the cores is up to you. Toss them. Eat them. Stand them up and convince people that you've come up with a new fad called micro-cupcakes. It's entirely up to you.

Now that you have hole in all your cupcakes, you must fill them!

Finely chop up some chocolate. 

I know, my chocolate isn't that finely chopped, but as you've probably noticed, I have a limited amount of patience for these things. And, this is fine enough. It works...I have the cupcakes to prove it!

Back to the filling. You've chopped (semi-finely) your chocolate. Next, simmer some cream and pour it right on the chocolate. Once it sits for a minute, stir it and you'll have a smooth, perfect ganache filling. It's magic! Add a little butter and the Jameson, and you're done.

Fill the sad, empty holes in your cupcakes with your filling. The filling will firm up as it sits in the cupcake, so don't worry about it being too runny.

Almost done! The last step is the frosting. Whip up a basic buttercream and flavor it with the creamy, smooth Baileys, and...

Frost those cupcakes!

I also grated some chocolate on top, but how you decorate is, of course, up to you.

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

(adapted from brown eyed baker)

Ingredients:

For the Cupcakes:


1 cup Guinness


1 cup unsalted butter, softened


¾ cup cocoa powder


2 cups all-purpose flour


2 cups granulated sugar


1½ teaspoons baking soda


1 teaspoons salt


2 eggs


2/3 cup sour cream, full fat

For the Filling:



8 ounces bittersweet chocolate


2/3 cup heavy cream


2 tablespoons butter, softened


2 teaspoons Irish whiskey

For the Frosting:



1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened


3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup Bailey's Irish Cream


Directions:

1. To Make the Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place liners in 24 muffin tins. Over medium heat, bring butter and Guinness to a simmer. Add the cocoa and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Allow to cool.

2. In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.

3. In an electric mixer, beat sour cream and eggs until smooth. Add the Guinness mixture and stir to combine. Slowly, add the flour mixture mix until just combined. Divide the batter between the cupcake liners. Bake until toothpick comes out clean, about 15-20 minutes.

Cool completely

4. To Make the Filling: Finely chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then stir it until smooth. Add the butter and whiskey and stir until combined. Let the filling cool until slightly thickened.

5. To Fill the Cupcakes: Using a small spoon, dollop about a tablespoon into each cupcake, filling the entire cavity.


6. To make the frosting: In an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed and gradually add the powdered sugar. Add the Baileys, and beat on high speed until light and fluffy.


7. Frost the cupcakes! Using either a piping bag, spatula, or butter knife, frost cupcakes and garnish as desired.


Store in an airtight container and ENJOY!

Just like the drink, but better!