Happy St. Patty’s Day Guinness Stout Cupcakes

May the wind be alsways at your back, your belly always full, and  the luck of the Irish be with you today in the kitchen!

Chocolate Guinness Stout Cupcakes

Cupcakes

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup Guinness stout
• 2/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted
• 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

Frosting

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 pinch table salt
• 3 tablespoons irish cream ( Bailey’s or Carolan’s)
• 1 tablespoon milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F Grease 24-30 cupcake cups, or fill with paper liners.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Pour Guinness simple syrup over cupcakes. (See below for recipe)
7. Frost cupcakes with Bailey’s frosting

Guinness Simple syrup

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Guinness Stout
• 1 Cup Sugar

Directions:

1. Combine sugar and Guinness in a stainless steel pot and bring to a boil completely dissolving sugar.
2. Reduce heat to simmer and cook reducing liquid by half or until syrupy in consistency.
3. Set aside and let cool.
4. Pour over cupcakes prior to frosting and let soak in.
5. Frost cupcakes
6. Serve.

Chef’s Note: This is great over ice cream!