I came across this recipe some time last year and was waiting for an opportunity to try it out. When someone asked me if I would bring cupcakes to Friendmas 2011, I knew I had the perfect group to experiment on!
Irish Cupcake Bombs (from the Brown Eyed Baker, renamed due to controversy)
Yield: 24 cupcakes
Prep Time: 40 minutes | Bake Time: 17 minutes
For the Cupcakes:
1 cup Guinness stout
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1½ teaspoons baking soda
¾ teaspoons salt
2 eggs
2/3 cup sour cream
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners.
2. Bring the Guinness and butter to a simmer in a heavy, medium saucepan over medium heat. Take off heat and whisk in cocoa powder until smooth. Cool slightly.
3. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl to combine.
4. Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sour cream on medium speed until combined. Add the Guinness-chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and beat just to combine.
5. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour mixture and beat briefly. Using a rubber spatula, fold the batter until completely combined. Divide the batter among the cupcake liners. Bake until a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 17 minutes. Cool the cupcakes on a rack.
For the Whiskey Ganache Filling:
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons Irish whiskey
1. Finely chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl.
2. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate.
3. Let it sit for one minute and then, using a rubber spatula, stir it from the center outward until smooth.
4. Add the butter and whiskey and stir until combined. Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped.
For the Baileys Frosting:
2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons Baileys Irish Cream
1. Using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally.
2. Reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually add the powdered sugar until all of it is incorporated.
3. Add the Baileys, increase the speed to medium-high and whip for another 2 to 3 minutes, until it is light and fluffy.
To Decorate the Cupcakes:
1. Using a 1-inch round cookie cutter (or the bottom of a large decorating tip), cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes, going about two-thirds of the way down. Transfer the ganache to a piping bag with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.
2. Using your favorite decorating tip, or an offset spatula, frost the cupcakes and decorate with sprinkles, if desired. Store the cupcakes in an airtight container.
Notes:
- Used Youngs double chocolate stout because I like it better.
- Used semi-sweet chocolate for the ganache because that’s what I had, but altered the cream slightly based on Carolyn’s research.
- Cut the frosting with a little whiskey because the cream made the frosting extra buttery.
- Made ganache while cupcakes were cooling; made frosting while ganache was cooling.
- Recommend not making a triple batch of these. It’s just too much. Note to self: Never make triple batches of stuff. Just don’t do it.
