I’m not a very confident baker so I surprised myself the other day when I made a batch of fantastically moist, not too sweet cupcakes. I think baking with booze might be my new forte!

I made these cupcakes for Boiler Magazine’s launch party on Friday because I wanted to incorporate beer into the event without worrying about a liquor license (because dudes like meat and beer right?).

These Irish-inspired treats are a home run crowd-pleaser. The Guinness and Baileys liqueur impart unexpected flavour and subtly enhance an everyday chocolate cupcake. The original recipe come from here, and creates a dozen cupcakes, I made mini cupcakes and the recipe yielded about 80 of them.

Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes with Baileys Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

Cupcake Batter

1 cup Guinness
2 sticks unsalted butter
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

Frosting

1 8 oz package of cream cheese (softened)
4 tablespoons of butter (softened)
4 cups powdered sugar
4-8 tablespoons of Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur

Directions 

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line muffin tins with paper cupcake liners. Combine the stout and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until butter is melted. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

2. In a medium sized bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt, and whisk together. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sour cream until creamy. Add the stout-butter mixture to the eggs and sour cream, mix to combine. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients, whisking until incorporated.

3. Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, filling them about ¾ full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the centre 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.

4. For the frosting: Combine cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl and beat until creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar until well mixed. Add in the Bailey’s a tablespoon at a time until the texture is smooth, creamy, and spreadable. Frost the cool cupcakes as desired.