My friends and I had established this month’s dinner theme to be “Your Heritage” so I went searching for English, Scottish or Irish treats.  I did not find this cupcake recipe appealing at all when I first read the recipe (I don’t like Guinness, I don’t like whiskey, I don’t like them mixed together . . . but I do like Bailey’s!) but I figured, hey, it’s better than haggis!  I totally judged a book by it’s cover, and I was SO wrong!

These cupcakes are seriously the most delicious cupcake I have ever eaten!  No lie.  I did a wicked job making them . . . as I actually read, AND followed the recipe . . . hahahaha.  But, really, they are insanely good.  I think that it is the ganache filling . . . and Guinness chocolate cake . . . and the Bailey’s icing . . . and the plethora of booze!  Or maybe it was the wine talking as Christy and I did make 60 bottles of wine that morning.  Consensus around the table (none for the kids!) was that they were very good . . . and when people had seconds and thirds (Adam!) I knew it wasn’t just me. Try them out and see for yourself! Let me know what you think.

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

(adapted from Big City Cooking)

Open Up That Liquor Cabinet!

1 c. Guinness (thanks Dad!)
1 c. unsalted butter
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 c. all purpose flour
2 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
2/3 c. sour cream

Ganache Filling
8 oz bittersweet chocolate
2/3 c. heavy cream (I used whipping cream)
2 tbsp butter, room temperature
2 tsp Jameson Whiskey

Baileys Frosting (I doubled this recipe)
3 to 4 c. confections sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 to 4 tbsp Baileys

Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. Bring 1 cup stout and 1 cup butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling them 2/3 to 3/4 of the way. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, rotating them once, about 17 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a rack completely.

Butter and Guinness Mixture

Cocoa added in

Ganache filling: Chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth. Add the butter and whiskey and stir until combined.

Ganache

Fill the cupcakes: Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped. Meanwhile, cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes. You want to go most of the way down the cupcake but not cut through the bottom. Put the ganache into a piping bag with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.

Hollowed Out Centres, Ready To Be Filled!

Mmmmm, Filled With Ganache

Make the frosting: Whip the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer, for several minutes. You want to get it very light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time.

When the frosting looks thick enough to spread, drizzle in the Baileys and whip it until combined. If this has made the frosting too thin beat in another spoonful or two of powdered sugar.

Ice and decorate the cupcakes.

Bailey's Frosting

And the wine making . . .

Christy Making Cranberry Chianti

Half Done The Green Apple Riesling