Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

Last Thursday was St. Patrick’s Day, and I wanted to get in the spirit of the holiday (in a way other than just consuming lots of green beer). I was inspired by a friend of mine who made these cupcakes that not only encapsulated the spirit of the holiday, but did so using some of my absolute favorite ingredients and flavors. I’m not sure I’ll ever drink an Irish Car Bomb ever again, now that I know eating them is so yummy!

I’ve made a lot of cupcakes in my life, but I typically like to spend most of my time decorating them in a fun and creative way, so I’ve always used boxed cake mixes to save me the time it takes to actually create and bake them. So making this cupcake from scratch was very rewarding, both as my first experience and also because it allowed me to experiment more with flavors and really make the cake taste the way I wanted it to.

I had a great time making these cupcakes, and while it took me quite some time (don’t attempt to make these unless you have at least 2 hours… it took me close to 3 but I was also taking pictures along the way and making sure I did everything right since it was my first foray into cupcakes from scratch!). I followed this recipe from Annie’s Eats pretty much to the T, but now that I know what I’m doing I might play around with my own cupcake recipes soon… or borrow someone else’s less generously

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes
Yield: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the Guinness chocolate cupcakes:
1 cup Guinness
16 tbsp. unsalted butter ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1½ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

For the Bailey’s ganache filling:
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. butter, at room temperature
2 tsp. Bailey’s Irish cream

For the Bailey’s buttercream frosting:
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
4-8 tbsp. Bailey’s Irish cream

Directions:

To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.  Combine the Guinness and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs and sour cream to blend.  Add the stout-butter mixture and beat just to combine.  Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed just until incorporated.  Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, filling them about 2/3 to ¾ full.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 17 minutes.  Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the ganache filling, place the finely chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. (Note: Chopping the chocolate was a lengthy process, so make sure this is done before you move forward!) Heat the cream in a small saucepan until simmering, then pour it over the chocolate.  Let sit for one minute and then whisk until smooth.  If the chocolate is not completely melted, place the bowl over a double boiler or give it a very short burst in the microwave (15-20 seconds).  Add the butter and Bailey’s and stir until combined.

Set aside to let the ganache cool until it is thick enough to be piped. Be sure to stir every 10 minutes or so to ensure even cooling.  Meanwhile, cut out a portion from the center of the cupcake using the cone method (a small paring knife works best for this).  Once the ganache has reached the correct consistency, transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a wide tip and pipe it into the cupcakes.

To make the frosting, place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.  Gradually add the powdered sugar until it is all incorporated.  Mix in the Bailey’s until smooth.  Add more if necessary until the frosting has reached a good consistency for piping or spreading, and has your desired flavor. I started light on the Bailey’s and then added a little bit more and taste-tested until it was just right. Place frosting in a piping bag using your preferred tip or use a knife to spread frosting over cupcakes. Chill cupcakes in the fridge for about an hour to ensure that the frosting doesn’t melt.

Recipe courtesy of Annie’s Eats

Tagged with: bailey's • chocolate • cupcakes • ganache • guinness • st. patrick's day

Filed under: Baking

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