My coworker M wanted Guinness cupcakes for her birthday.  After doing some searching through the interwebs & Pinterest, I gathered a few ideas and added my own to come up with a delectable cupcake.  These cupcakes have booze in every layer, but it is not overpowering.  Since we really don’t drink around here, I had to spend some $$ on making it happen.  First stop: Liquor Store! Here I bought I six pack of Guinness Extra Stout 12oz bottles, Bailey’s Irish Cream, and Jameson Irish Whiskey.

Guinness for the cupcakes. Bailey’s for the frosting, and Jameson for the caramel drizzle.

Irish Booze Cakes Recipes – Makes 24

Guinness Cupcakes

Ingredients 2 cups (500 mL) all purpose flour (I use unbleached)

1/2 cup (125 mL) of dark cocoa powder

1 cup (250 mL) sugar 1/2 cup (125 mL) brown sugar (I used light, but you can use dark)

1 1/2 tsp (7.5 mL) baking soda

2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla extract

1/4 tsp (1.25 mL) salt

1/2 cup (125 mL) softened (room temperature, leave out for a couple hours, try not to put it in the microwave – which can melt it), unsalted butter

2 large eggs

1/2 cup (125 mL) sour cream

1 (12 fl. oz) (335 mL) bottle of Guinness Extra Stout Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F/180C/Gas4.
2. Prep your muffin tins with liners (or you can butter and flour them. Take a paper towel and softened butter – not the butter for your recipe – “dip” your paper towel in the butter, rub it on the inside of each muffin cup. After you have done this with each of the cups, take flour – not the flour for your recipe – sprinkle enough to coat the inside of each cup. Remove excess flour by turning the pan upside – over the sink or trash – and giving it a gentle tap with your hand).
3. In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. I’m not a sifter, so I whisk the ingredients, gently.
4. In your stand mixer, using your paddle attachment on Speed 4 or 5 (medium speed), add butter and both sugars. Mix until light and fluffy.
5. Add eggs, one at a time, making sure the mix stays fluffy in between eggs, and scrape the sides of your bowl down.
6. Add vanilla.
7. Add sour cream until well incorporated
8. Slowly add Guinness. It may look a bit separated and changes the beautiful fluff that you worked so hard to achieve, but it will come out great.
9. Add the dry ingredients slowly, about a ½ cup at a time in order not to have a flour cloud going through your kitchen. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides a few times to make sure all of the ingredients are fully incorporated.
10. Divide the mix between the 18 muffin cups. I have a scoop that helps me get an even distribution, it’s about a ¼ cup.

11. Bake at 350F/180C/Gas4 for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick/cake tester comes out clean.
12. Set on rack to completely cool before frosting.

Bailey’s Irish Cream Cheese Frosting (You can double the recipe if you want more frosting for your cupcakes. Reference the picture; I had barely enough frosting to cover each one.)

Ingredients

1 (8 oz) (226g) block of cream cheese, softened (keep on counter for a couple of hours to get to room temperature). I use Philadelphia. (note: I had trouble with most cream cheese bought in Germany, I couldn’t keep my frosting solid, if yours doesn’t turn out stiff enough, use a buttercream recipe instead)

1/4 cup Room temperature butter

3 – 4 cups confectioner’s (powder or icing) sugar

5 TBS (75 mL) Bailey’s Irish Cream Instructions

1. In your stand mixer, using your paddle attachment, speed 4 or 5 (medium), add the cream cheese and butter until well mixed
2. Slowly add confectioner’s sugar until incorporated, mixing until light and fluffy
3. Slowly add Bailey’s, I found 5 TBS (75 mL) was the perfect amount, but you can add more or less as you see fit
4. Mix until completely incorporated.
5. Fit piping bag with a tip and frost completely cooled cupcakes.

Jameson Irish Whiskey Caramel Drizzle

Ingredients 2/3 cup (150 mL) granulated sugar

1/2 cup (125 mL) heavy (whipping) cream

1 TBS (15 mL) unsalted butter

2 TBS (30 mL) Jameson Irish Whiskey

Instructions

1. In a heavy saucepan, over low heat, you are going to melt the sugar. Swirl it, don’t stir it. If you stir it, it will seize up on you and become a gross granulated mess. Continue to swirl until the melted sugar becomes a beautiful dark golden color. I found it took me about 5 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and carefully pour the heavy cream into the sugar. You should stir constantly while pouring the cream. It will bubble and steam, and stirring it will help keep the cream from burning and will get it mixed in properly.
3. Return to low heat, continue to stir, if caramel has hardened, continue until it is dissolved, then add the butter. Continue until butter is incorporated.
4. Remove from heat, slowly add Whiskey, and continue to stir while you are adding it.
5. Let cool before drizzling it on top of your cupcakes.

I ended up with a large amount of drizzle, compared to the amount I put on my cupcakes. Store in the refrigerator and bring to room temp to serve. I ended up serving it over vanilla ice cream – YUM! You can also add it to the top of brownies.