guinness chocolate cupcakes with bailey’s buttercream
St. Patrick would gladly stuff a few of these in his maw.
Dudes. I bought a new computer the other day. It’s a lovely thing, a sparkling dark blue hue, and I’m quite pleased with my selection. I am not, however, used to having a proper number pad and a 15.6 inch screen. It’s throwing off my muscle memory and I keep making the most agitating typos, as if I’m just learning typography. I feel like a noob writing closed captions and failing miserably.
This dynamic certainly beats my old computer shutting down every time I nudged the screen by accident, but still. Learning curve.
St. Patrick’s Day is Monday, and we’ve already observed the boozy side with an Irish Espresso Martini earlier this week (FUN FACT: National Espresso Martini Day is Saturday!) Though, I must say, these beauties are also on the boozy side. Pair a Guinness Chocolate Cupcake with said cocktail and you’ve got quite a Patty party, huh?
Rich, deeply chocolatey cupcakes frosted with a spiked buttercream and sprinkled with a touch more instant espresso for a nice caffeinated kick. Perfect for a 21+ celebration, this weekend or any weekend in spring. Or winter. Honestly, these would be fabulous around Christmastime, too.
Coocoo for Cocoa Cupcakes
The big diversion between this and my usual dark cocoa cupcakes is the substitute of buttermilk for a can of Guinness. Those big dudes you get in stores measure at 14.9 oz, which is perfect for our project here.
First, cream butter, brown sugar, and regular sugar until fluffy. Whip in two eggs, then vanilla and Greek yogurt. All room temp, mind you.
Mix in flour, cocoa powder, black cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. If you don’t have any black cocoa, an equal amount of regular is fine, just keep in mind the color won’t be as dark. Stream in your Guinness, enjoy the frothiness, imagine you’re a tiny surfer riding the waves of the foam.
Ahem.
Line two cupcake tins with parchment liners. Fill each 2/3 of the way with the batter – using an ice cream scoop is the easiest pouring method.
Bake 22-24 minutes, until the center is set and a toothpick doesn’t come out all gloppy and raw. Cool the cupcakes a few minutes in the pans, then pop out and onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Luck of the Irish Cream
This Irish buttercream is just insane. I was happy to have some leftover cos I just went to town on that fucker. Totally worth licking the bowl and the beater clean. Just not while it’s running.
In your mixer, combine softened butter, vanilla, and Bailey’s until reasonably combined. Add your powdered sugar, continuing on low speed until incorporated, then turn that whirlybird up and LET IT BLOW. Hopefully not all over your counter. Add more Bailey’s if you need to soften the frosting or more powdered sugar if it’s too thin.
You can either use your favorite piping tip to decorate the cupcakes, or slather a mound on each with a knife. I still have much to be desired with my aesthetic skills but we’re trying over here. However good you are with swizzles and swirls, I do recommend sprinkling some instant espresso over each for a nice nip of coffee flavor in each.
Baked, unfrosted cupcakes keep well for about 3 days before the fridge’s humidity will probably start to compromise the texture. Fully finished ‘cakes will last about 2 days. If appearances aren’t that important to you, you can likely wiggle a few extra days out of them. Or pop a few in the freezer for emergencies.
Enjoy the weekend, stay safe, and be responsible!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Patty cake make me a cupcake:
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Grown-Up Funfetti Cupcakes with Bourbon Strawberry Buttercream
Chai Cupcakes with Bourbon Espresso Frosting
guinness chocolate cupcakes with bailey’s buttercream
Ingredients
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt, at room temperature
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup black cocoa powder (or more regular cocoa)
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp instant espresso
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 15-oz can Guinness
baileys buttercream
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 1/4-1/3 cup Bailey's Irish Cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 1/2-5 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 12-cup muffin tins with parchment liners.
- In a large bowl, beat the oil, brown sugar, and regular sugar for 2-3 minutes until combined. Whip in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla and yogurt. Add the flour, cocoa powder, dark cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, espresso (if using), and salt. With the mixer running, stream in the Guinness until the batter is just combined. Do not overmix.
- Fill each cupcake tin 2/3 of the way with batter. Depending on what your heart says 2/3 of the way full is, you will get 22-24 cupcakes. Bake for 25-30 minutes until an inserted toothpick emerges with just a few moist crumbs. Cool 10 minutes in the pans, then transfer the cupcakes to wire racks. Cool completely.
- Make the frosting. Whip the butter, Bailey's, and vanilla until combined, then add the powdered sugar. Crank the mixer to high, and beat until very light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. You may need an extra tablespoon of two of cream to achieve the desired texture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, as needed, to properly incorporate all the ingredients.
- Pipe or frost each cupcake with the buttercream. Finish with a sprinkle of instant espresso, as desired.
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