Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes With Baileys Frosting

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What Do Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes Taste Like?

Guinness has a roasted, chocolatey aroma that pairs well with chocolate cupcakes. This recipe also calls for espresso powder, which enhances the it’s flavor. When these cupcakes are frosted with Baileys frosting, it adds a creamy sweetness to even out the chocolatey stout flavor. Even if you aren’t big into beer, I think you’ll still appreciate these.

Can You Taste the Alcohol?

The recipe calls for 1 cup of Guinness which gives the cupcakes a little kick of stout flavor. It’s not overwhelming and more so adds depth to the cupcakes. You can smell a chocolatey stout aroma once you open your oven door. And the best part is that Guinness adds moisture to the batter and the carbonation creates a lighter cake texture.

We add 3 tablespoons of Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur to the buttercream. Baileys is described as an Irish whiskey with Irish dairy cream with notes of chocolate and vanilla. The creaminess from the liqueur works well with a butter based frosting. If you want less alcohol flavor, I’d recommend adding just 2 tablespoons.

Notes on Ingredients

• All-purpose flour is the base of these cupcakes and adds structure.
• Unsweetened natural cocoa powder adds acidity and flavor.
• Espresso powder enhances the chocolate and stout flavors.
• Baking soda is used with acidic ingredients like cocoa powder to add rise.
• Melted unsalted butter adds a rich flavor and helps ingredients blend together.
• Brown sugar adds a nice molasses flavor and moistness in cake.
• Eggs add structure and helps ingredients combine better.
• Full-fat sour cream adds a tender texture to cakes/cupcakes and additional moisture.
• Vanilla extract & salt add flavor!

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Tips For The Best Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes

1. Use a flavorful stout like Guinness Draught Stout that’s nitrogenated. I bought 14.9 fl oz. cans, but just make sure to buy enough for 1 cup (8 oz).
2. Make sure the beer is at room temperature. Cold beer isn’t going to result in moist and light textured cupcakes.
3. Let the beer go flat or scoop out the foam for more stout flavor.
4. Use unsweetened, natural cocoa powder. Natural cocoa powder gives these chocolate cupcakes a brighter flavor.
5. Don’t over-bake! Once a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, take them out of the oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack.
6. Fill your cupcake liners to 2/3 full. These cupcakes don’t rise too high.

Step #1: Make Cupcakes

This is an easy recipe that can be prepared in a stand mixer or large bowl with a hand mixer. You need two bowls, one for dry ingredients and one for wet ingredients. Whisk the dry ingredients together and the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet in 2 parts, then add the cup of Guinness. Whisk until incorporated and scoop into a cupcake pan that’s been prepared with cupcake liners. Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full and bake!

Step #2: Make Baileys Buttercream

I wanted to frost these chocolate Guinness cupcakes with a vanilla based buttercream for a creamier flavor that had a kick. Baileys Irish Cream is a great choice because of it’s chocolate and vanilla notes.

I find it much easier to make buttercreams in stand mixers, but it’s possible with a hand mixer. Add room temperature butter and whip until creamed. Then, add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time and whip until incorporated. Add vanilla extract, salt, heavy cream to thin down frosting, and Baileys. Mix everything together on low speed for 4-5 minutes.

Other Ideas: Make a chocolate Baileys buttercream using my chocolate frosting recipe. Follow the recipe and add 3 tbsp of Baileys, 1 tbsp heavy whipping cream.

Step #3: Decorating!

To decorate the cupcakes we keep it simple with a swirl design and some chopped up chocolate. I cut half a semi-sweet chocolate bar until I had mostly fine chocolate with some small chocolate pieces.

Add the buttercream to a piping bag with an Ateco #849 piping tip. This wide closed star tip pipes a pretty rose or soft serve ice cream shape. Start from the center of the cupcakes, apply even pressure and swirl outwards. Once you reach the end of the swirl, drag the icing down and away. Dip one side of the frosting into the chopped chocolate, but don’t press down too hard or the swirl will flatten.

Storing

These chocolate Guinness cupcakes keep well for 4 days in an airtight container at room temperature. Frosted and unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen in an airtight container for 1 month.

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