Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes with Whisky Cream Frosting
Not as sweet as most cupcakes, Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes are rich and moist with the stout bringing out the depth of the chocolate. The Whisky Cream has a nice kick, but feel free to make a virgin version if serving to kids.
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 1 cup Guinness stout
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- ¾ cup Dutched cocoa powder
- 2 cups flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoons salt
- 2 eggs
- ⅔ cup clotted cream use crème fraîche if clotted cream is unavailable
For the Whisky Cream
- 10 ounces heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon Irish whisky
- 1 tablespoon confectioner's sugar
Instructions
For the Cupcakes
- Heat oven to 350°F and position the oven rack to the middle position. Line two standard 12-cupcake tins with cupcake liners.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the Guinness and butter and cook until the butter has completely melted and begun to bubble. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs and clotted cream. Make sure the Guinness cocoa mixture is 80°F or cooler, and combine with the egg mixture, whisking together until no steaks show.
- Add half the flour mixture to the batter and mix together. Add the other half of the flour mixture and mix well. Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners; they should be slightly more than half full each. Place the cupcake tins in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes. Rotate the trays and bake another 7 to 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake come out with only a few crumbs on it and no batter. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow to cook in the tins on a wire rack.
For the Whisky Cream
- While the cupcakes are cooling, use the whisk attachment of a stand or hand mixer to beat the heavy cream, Irish whisky, and confectioners sugar together. Taste and add more sugar or whisky as desired. Whisk until the cream is thick and fluffy.
- Remove the cupcakes from the tins and serve topped with a dollop of Whisky Cream.
Notes
Adapted from Browneyed Baker
Amy Scheuerman
Amy Scheuerman—culture's former web director—spent eight years in North Carolina where she developed a love of barbecue and biscuits before moving up north to get a degree in nutrition. She now works at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.
