Chocolate Stout Cupcakes
Look no further for the perfect St. Patrick's Day dessert! These Chocolate Stout Cupcakes are moist, tender, and perfectly rich with chocolate and stout flavors. Fill with Irish whiskey-spiked ganache and top with Irish Cream-spiked buttercream for the best St. Paddy's recipe ever. Simple cupcake recipe, no mixer needed!
Servings: 24 cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 1 cup (250 grams) stout Guinness preferred but any stout will work
- 1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter cubed
- ¾ cup (75 grams) cocoa powder any kind
- 2 large eggs + 1 additional egg yolk at room temperature
- 2/3 cup (150 grams) sour cream at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour measured accurately
- 2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- ¾ teaspoons salt
For the Whiskey-Spiked Ganache (optional):
- 8 ounces (227 grams) bittersweet chocolate chopped
- ½ cup (120 grams) heavy cream
- 1 Tablespoon (14 grams) butter
- 1 Tablespoon Irish whiskey or more to taste
Instructions
Make the Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners.
- In a medium saucepan, place the stout and butter. Over medium heat, bring to a simmer. Remove from heat. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Set aside to cool to lukewarm.
- In a large bowl, place the eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Whisk until combined and completely smooth.
- Add the cooled stout mixture to the egg mixture and whisk well to combine.
- Add the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until almost combined. Switch to a rubber spatula and finish combining, ensuring you scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Do not overmix.
- Using a large cookie scoop, divide the batter among the cupcake liners, being careful not to overfill (this can cause sunken cupcakes). I like to fill my cupcakes about 2/3 full.
- Bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs - about 13-16 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Ganache (if using):
- Place the chopped chocolate and butter in a medium bowl. In a separate medium microwave-safe bowl, place the heavy cream. Heat until the cream just begins to simmer. Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and butter. Allow to sit for a few minutes to soften the chocolate, then carefully whisk until combined, smooth, and glossy.
- Add the whiskey 1/2 a teaspoon at a time, stirring well to combine after each addition. I like about 2 Tablespoons total, for a boozy ganache - but add less if you prefer it a little more subtle. Note that as the ganache sits, the alcohol flavor will increase.
Assemble:
- Using a cupcake corer, apple corer, or even a large round piping tip, carefully remove a piece of the middle of each cupcake. Pipe the ganache to fill each cavity, so the the ganache is flush with the top of each cupcake.
- Pipe your desired buttercream on top of each cupcake (more on this in the Notes section below). Decorate with festive sprinkles and/or a drizzle of ganache.
- Serve, or store refrigerated, inside an upside-down airtight container (to prevent ruining the frosting) for up to 2 days. Set at room temperature an hour before serving.
Notes
The Buttercream Frosting: I love to finish these cupcakes with my Swiss Meringue Buttercream spiked with Irish Cream. Follow the recipe all the way through to step 8, when the frosting is completely mixed and fluffy. A little at a time, add Irish Cream to taste - I like about 2/3 cup of Irish Cream, for a well-balanced but perfectly boozy cupcake.
The Stout: I typically use Guinness but I've used tons of other stouts too - just be sure not to use a flavored stout, as that will impact the flavor of the cupcakes. I haven't tried any other types of beer.
The Cocoa Powder: I typically use Dutch-processed cocoa here, but I've also used natural aka unsweetened cocoa. Either will work just fine.
Substitutions: I highly recommend making the recipe exactly as written, for perfectly moist, tender, flavorful cupcakes. Reducing the sugar, substituting the sour cream, and removing or replacing the stout will ruin the cupcakes' flavor and texture. I promise, they're amazing exactly as written.