Guinness & Bailey's Goodness

In honor of St. Patrick's Day this week I decided to make Guinness and Bailey's Cupcakes, also nicknamed Irish Carbomb Cupcakes. One might ask what in the heck is an "Irish Carbomb?" First let me clarify it's a drink, it's a half pint of Guinness (it must be in a glass pint glass) and then you drop a shot of Bailey's inside the Guinness Pint and then you must chug the drink. It actually tastes quite delicious, like chocolate milk almost! But you have to drink it fast, it's not really a sipping drink.

One side note, if you ever go to Ireland, do not order this drink, it is considered an insult and people will look at you strangely (trust me, I know from experience). The Irish did however get the ingredients right on this one, the chocolate Guinness cake mixed with the delicious Baileys icing is to die for, and the chocolate ganche in the middle of the cupcakes, OMG.

I will forewarn that these were absolutely the most time consuming and intricate cupcakes I've ever made. While it's not difficult, it is time consuming. The three major steps can take a while, and also make quite a mess, but man are they worth it. Also, make sure you use a cup of Guinness, and not the entire bottle like I did, the only positive to that was that I had to go back and make more batter and have more cake leftover, too bad I didn't make enough icing for it.

I recommend making these with a buddy next time to split the responsibilities and the drinks. I think I should've drank the Bailey's I had for the recipe instead of cooking with it.  In any case you will not be sorry, these cupcakes did not disappoint and everyone at work devoured them today and raved about how incredible they were! Cheers to the Irish.... Sláinte!

Guinness and Bailey’s Irish Cream Cupcakes
Source: Annie Eats
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Yield: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:
For the Guinness chocolate cupcakes:
1 cup stout (Guinness)
16 tbsp. unsalted butter
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1½ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

For the Bailey’s ganache filling:
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. butter, at room temperature
2 tsp. Bailey’s Irish cream

For the Bailey’s buttercream frosting:
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3-4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
4-8 tbsp. Bailey’s Irish cream

Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.  Combine the stout and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs and sour cream to blend.  Add the stout-butter mixture and beat just to combine.  Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed just until incorporated.  Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, filling them about 2/3 to ¾ full.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center 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.

To make the ganache filling, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl.  Heat the cream in a small saucepan until simmering, then pour it over the chocolate.  Let sit for one minute and then whisk until smooth.  If the chocolate is not completely melted, place the bowl over a double boiler or give it a very short burst in the microwave (15-20 seconds).  Add the butter and Bailey’s and stir until combined.

Set aside to let the ganache cool until it is thick enough to be piped.  (You can use the refrigerator to speed the cooling process, but be sure to stir every 10 minutes or so to ensure even cooling.)  Meanwhile, cut out a portion from the center of the cupcake using the cone method (a small paring knife works best for this).  Once the ganache has reached the correct consistency, transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a wide tip and pipe it into the cupcakes.

To make the frosting, place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.  Gradually add the powdered sugar until it is all incorporated.  Mix in the Bailey’s until smooth.  Add more if necessary until the frosting has reached a good consistency for piping or spreading.  Frost the cupcakes as desired.

 ps... I am still learning how difficult food photography can be. I tried to take pictures of the cupcakes the morning after I made them before I left for work and it was raining outside so I had to take them in the kitchen. They look so much better outside in the sunlight... Too bad those are the only two cupcakes left in the batch!!!