Beer for Everyone! Chocolate Whiskey and Beer Cupcakes

If you're a friend of mine, you'll like this cupcake. Stout, whiskey and Baileys with your chocolate - what's not to like? I kick myself for not having made it sooner. I took a bite, and then I had to take a moment. This one deserves a moment because its' bold flavors make it so dangerous.

Most of the alcohol cooks out of the stout beer, but the flavor remains and even if you're not a avid beer drinker, which I'm not, you'll find that it makes one of the best chocolate cupcakes you'll ever have. And then there's the dark chocolate whiskey ganache filling. And also the Baileys swiss meringue buttercream.

Are you still there?

OK good. Just checking, because I had to hold onto something when I tried this. Um, I wasn't, like, strewn out on the floor in a chocolate coma with left over beer in one hand, Johnny Walker in the other and ganache smeared all over my maw, or anything...  

It is one boozy luscious cupcake and it's not for lightweights (not a problem here). These were actually made with love (and some mischief in mind) for a friends birthday and they were a huge hit. I have already gotten requests to make them again! So the lesson here is: Add beer to everything.

For the Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes
1 cup (oatmeal) stout beer
1 cup (2 sticks) (un)salted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process) (I subbed 1/4 cup for Ghirardelli Sweet Chocolate and Cocoa powder)
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup (light) sour cream

Ganache Filling
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 to 2 teaspoons Irish whiskey (I used Johnny Walker Scotch whiskey)

Baileys Swiss meringue buttercream

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. Simmer the stout and butter in a  large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat just to combine, then use a rubber spatula to fold batter until completely combined. Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 of the way. Bake cupcakes about 17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely and then remove center using an apple corer.

Simmer the cream and pour over chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl and allow to sit for one minute. Whisk until smooth and then add the butter and whiskey and stir until combined. Allow to cool until thick and pipe into cupcake centers. Frost with Baileys SMBC!

Adapted from: http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/01/car-bomb-cupcakes/