DARK CHOCOLATE STOUT CUPCAKES
Makes 12 cupcakes
50
minutesWe love it when we figure out pairings that just work perfectly together. Peas and carrots. Ham and cheese. Chocolate and espresso. Chocolate and beer. Hold up. Chocolate and beer? YES! The dark, rich, fermented flavor of a stout like Guinness plays perfectly with chocolate. It’s such a fun kick in these chocolate-espresso cupcakes – we just couldn’t get enough! Be sure your doubling down on your extracts when baking. In this recipe we pair up Pure Vanilla Extract along with Pure Chocolate Extract to be sure we amped up every possible cocoa note. We made these in our Lucky You Cooking Class, and there was not a crumb leftover.
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Cupcakes:
12 -ounce bottle Guinness Extra Stout
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp espresso powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp Baker’s Salt
1/2 cup + 1 Tbl vegetable oil
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temp
3/4 cup full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
1 tsp Pure Chocolate Extract
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
Ingredients for the Espresso Buttercream:
2.5 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
4.5 cups powdered sugar
1 Tbl unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbl whole milk
½ tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1 tsp Pure Espresso Extract
1/8 tsp Himalayan Salt
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, bring the Guinness to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce to medium heat and allow to simmer until reduced down to 1/2 cup, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line muffin pans with 12 cupcake liners. Set aside.
- Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda and Baker’s salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the oil, brown sugar, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla together until completely smooth. Pour the wet ingredients onto the dry ingredients, add the reduced Guinness, then whisk until *just* combined. Do not over-mix. The batter will be on the thinner side.
- Pour or spoon the batter into the liners 2/3 full. Bake for 19-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Don’t over-bake, which will dry out the cupcakes. Begin checking for doneness at 19 minutes. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, milk and extracts. Beat on low for 30 seconds then increase to high speed and beat until combined and creamy. Taste. Add a pinch of salt. If you want the frosting a little thicker, add 1/4 cup powdered sugar.
