Irish Carbomb Cupcakes

Nick’s latest batch of beer is a Guinness clone. Though Guinness is not my favorite beer to drink, I have heard a lot about chefs using Guinness in chocolate desserts such a cakes or puddings. I was really excited for this beer to be done, so I could make a Guinness chocolate cake! But then I stumbled upon something even better. Something that made me a little nostalgic for my college days.

If you’ve never heard of an Irish Carbomb… it’s a drink. You take a shotglass with half Bailey’s and half Jameson, drop it into a half-full glass of Guinness, and try to drink the whole thing before it curdles. I’ve heard people say it tastes like a chocolate milkshake, but… I wouldn’t necessarily agree.

Though I’m not a huge fan of the drink, I found a recipe for Irish Carbomb cupcakes, which sounded pretty amazing. They’re Guinness chocolate cake, filled with a whiskey ganache, topped with Bailey’s buttercream frosting. Drool.

Nick’s solo party seemed like a good occasion for the cupcakes! I’ve hung out with these pilots before, and I know they don’t hate alcohol. They don’t seem to hate baked goods, either. So combining the two? I had a good feeling about this one.

I don’t normally bake cake from scratch… and now I know why. It’s a LOT of work! And makes a mess! But in this case… totally worth it. I baked the cupcakes one day and did everything else the next, to make it a tiny bit easier on myself.

Irish Carbomb Cupcakes

(from Brown Eyed Baker)

for cupcakes:

• 1 cup Guinness stout
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ¾ cup cocoa powder
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• ¾ tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup sour cream

for whiskey ganache:

• 8 oz bittersweet chocolate
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp butter, at room temperature
• 2 tsp Jameson Irish whiskey

for the Bailey’s buttercream:

• 2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 5 cups powdered sugar
• 6 tbsp Bailey’s Irish Cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. Bring the Guinness and butter to a simmer in a heavy, medium saucepan over medium heat.

Add the cocoa powder and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl to combine. Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sour cream on medium speed until combined. Add the Guinness-chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and beat just to combine. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour mixture and beat briefly. Using a rubber spatula, fold the batter until completely combined. Divide the batter among the cupcake liners.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 17-19 minutes. Cool the cupcakes on a rack.

To make the filling, finely 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, using a rubber spatula, stir it from the center outward until smooth. Add the butter and whiskey and stir until combined. Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped.

Cut out the centers of the cooled cupcakes. About a month ago, I bought this nifty cupcake corer.

At $5.99, it was the only thing in Williams-Sonoma I could afford, and I knew I’d be making these cupcakes once the beer was done, so I treated myself! If you don’t have one, you could use the bottom of a large decorating tip, or just very carefully use a knife.

Mid-baking snack: cupcake middles!

Transfer the ganache to a piping bag. If you don’t have one, improvise! Ziplock bag with the corner cut off!

Fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.

To make the frosting, use the whisk attachment of a stand mixer to whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually add the powdered sugar until all of it is incorporated. Add the Bailey’s, increase the speed to medium-high and whip for another 2 to 3 minutes, until it is light and fluffy.

Frost the cupcakes with a piping bag or spatula and add some sprinkles for fun!

All packed up and ready to go!

Yes, I own a cupcake caddy. What of it?

I’d have to say everyone enjoyed the cupcakes, as they were demolished within 5 minutes. And I’ve had numerous requests for the recipe in the past week! 🙂

If you’re lucky enough to have a long weekend (thanks, federal gov’t!), enjoy it!