These ultra-moist cupcakes are made with Urban Lodge Brewing Co Pop's Stout. Ryan’s brew is nothing short of perfect for these car bomb cupcakes!
Cupcakes are best served the same day but can be made ahead of time and stored in fridge for about a day or so (but become stale quickly after that! And nobody wants a stale ULBC Cupcake!), or they can be made up to two weeks ahead of time and stored tightly wrapped in the freezer.
For the cupcakes
1 cup Pop’s Stout Beer
1 cup (2 sticks) Butter at room temperature
¾ cup unsweetened Cocoa powder
2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2/3 sour cream (do not use light!)
Ganache Filling
8 ounces bittersweet Chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
2 teaspoons .. (heavy teaspoons) of Irish Whiskey
Bad *ss Buttercream Baileys Frosting
3 to 4 cups Confections sugar
½ cup butter (1 stick) at room temperature
3 tablespoons (heavy tablespoons) of Baileys Irish Whiskey
(I double the above because I pipe my frosting into heavy florets!)
Before you begin: if you want the best results make sure you have an apple corer and a piping bag.
To make those Cupcakes:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
Line the cupcake tins with liners … (If your tins aren’t well seasoned or nonstick you may want to give the tins a light spray of cooking oil to prevent the cupcakes from sticking!)
Bring ULBC Pops Stout and butter to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat.
When butter is melted add cocoa powder and whisk the mixture until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
Pour the baker a glass of stout to enjoy!
In large bowl blend flour, sugar, baking soda, and ¾ teaspoon salt.
In a separate bowl beat eggs and sour cream until well blended and smooth but not over beaten!
Add stout mixture to egg and sour cream mixture and beat just till blended
Add flour mixture and beat briefly on low speed, just to start the blending.
Using a rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined.
Divide batter among cupcake liners. I like to use a 2" ice cream scoop to dispense the batter, filling up about ¾ of the cupcake liner.
Bake about 17 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
Place on rack cool for 10 minutes.
Remove cupcakes from tin and cool completely.
Now let’s make that Ganache filling…
Chop chocolate and set aside
In double boiler heat heavy cream until you see steam rising (even though you are using a double boiler stir constantly)
Add chocolate to cream and stir until smooth
Add butter and whiskey and stir until well blended and smooth
Let cool until thick but soft enough to be piped!
If you want to move this process along pop it in the fridge but stir it every 10 minutes or so.
Now the fun begins… fill those cupcakes…
Using your apple corer cut into the top of the cupcake, about 2/3 down, and pull out a nice cylinder of cupcake (I like to toss these in a bowl for a treat for the baker to nibble on later!). Don’t go to the bottom of the cupcake!
Fill piping bag with a large star tip with ganache.
Pipe the ganache into the center of each cupcake.
Finishing touch! The frosting…
Whip butter with electric mixer for several minutes until light and fluffy.
Scrape down sides with rubber spatula and re-beat until light and fluffy again.
Slowly add confections sugar (I use a large spoon. Keep your patience by adding slowly like this. You’ll have a smoother end result and prevent having a chalkiness to your frosting!)
When the frosting looks thick enough to spread add Baileys Whiskey.
If this addition makes the frosting soupy just add a little more confections sugar.
Icing the cupcakes can be done a few ways. I like to use a medium star tip and make little heavy florets.