Guinness, Whiskey & Irish Cream Cupcakes

The classic cocktail shot transformed into cupcakes – Guinness chocolate cake, Jameson whiskey ganache filling, and Baileys buttercream frosting.

Please tell me that you’ve had the good fortune of tasting chocolate cake that’s been spiked with Guinness. If you haven’t, stop what you’re doing right now, go buy a six-pack of Guinness, grab some chocolate, and head to the kitchen.

The chocolate flavor is so deep and intense, almost malty, and the cake is just so incredibly moist – you’ll definitely want to start making these Guinness cupcakes all year long!

These cupcakes are the #1 all-time most popular recipe on the site, and for good reason. They are utterly spectacular. They are fashioned after the popular cocktail that consists of a shot of Baileys Irish Cream and Irish whiskey dropped into a pint of Guinness. I have never had one myself, but I’ve heard that if you can get it down before it curdles, it’s smooth, delicious and almost tastes like a milkshake.

I’ve never been into doing shots, so I’ll just eat a cupcake and call it a day. Cupcake trumps shots every day of the week for me!

To replicate the drink, I baked up Guinness chocolate cupcakes, filled them with a Jameson whiskey chocolate ganache, and topped them with a Baileys Irish Cream-spiked version of my favorite vanilla buttercream frosting.

While there are a few steps to these cupcakes, they really are simple to bake and assemble. Once the cupcakes are cool, I cut out the centers (and nibbled on the scraps, shhhh), scooped in ganache, and then topped them with lofty swirls of the Baileys buttercream frosting.

I waited for my ganache to thicken before scooping it into the cupcakes, but I think you could fill them when it’s still pretty soft, as it should then firm up inside of the cupcakes.

While you can’t taste the beer in the cupcakes (it serves as a flavor enhancer for the chocolate), you can definitely taste the alcohol in the filling and the frosting. Everyone that I’ve ever made these for absolutely adores them and can’t get over how fantastic they taste. They are truly the trifecta of boozy Irish cupcakes!

Whether you’re throwing a St. Patrick’s Day party, or just need an excuse for some really amazingly delicious boozy cupcakes, look no further! These are guaranteed to be a hit wherever you take them.

Six years ago: Traditional Mardi Gras King Cake
Seven years ago: Asiago Bagels
Eight years ago: Baked Oatmeal
Nine years ago: Royal Crown’s Tortano

Guinness, Whiskey & Irish Cream Cupcakes

Yield: 24 cupcakes

Prep Time: 40 minutes mins

Cook Time: 17 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr

Guinness cupcakes with a Jameson whiskey ganache center and topped with a Baileys Irish Cream frosting.

4.74 (174 ratings)

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Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:

• ▢ 1 cup (230 ml) Guinness stout
• ▢ 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ▢ ¾ cup (64.5 g) Dutch-process cocoa powder
• ▢ 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
• ▢ 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
• ▢ 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) baking soda
• ▢ ¾ teaspoons (0.75 teaspoons) salt
• ▢ 2 eggs
• ▢ ⅔ cup (153.33 ml) sour cream

For the Whiskey Ganache Filling:

• ▢ 8 ounces (226.8 g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• ▢ ⅔ cup (158.67 ml) heavy cream
• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Irish whiskey

For the Baileys Frosting:

• ▢ 2 cups (454 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ▢ 5 cups (600 g) powdered sugar
• ▢ 6 tablespoons Bailey's Irish Cream

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Instructions 

• Make the Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two standard muffin tins with liners.
• Place the Guinness and butter in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
• Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sour cream on medium speed until combined. Add the Guinness-chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and beat just to combine. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour mixture and beat just until it starts to come together, about 30 seconds. Using a rubber spatula, fold the batter until completely combined. Divide the batter among the cupcake liners. Bake until a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then remove the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Make the Whiskey Ganache Filling: Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Place the heavy cream in a small saucepan and bring to simmer over medium heat. Immediately pour it over the chocolate, then let it sit for two minutes. Using a rubber spatula, gently stir the mixture from the center outward until smooth. Add the butter and whiskey and stir until combined. Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped, about 30 minutes. (If it becomes too stiff, simply give it a good whisk and it will loosen up.)
• Fill the Cupcakes: Using a paring knife, cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes, going about two-thirds of the way down. Using a cookie scoop or spoon, divide the prepared ganache between the centers of the cupcakes.
• Make the Baileys Frosting: Using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually add the powdered sugar until all of it is incorporated. Add the Baileys, increase the speed to medium-high and whip for another 2 to 3 minutes, until it is light and fluffy.
• Using your favorite decorating tip, or an offset spatula, frost the cupcakes and decorate with sprinkles, if desired. Store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Notes

The cupcakes in the old photos were decorated using a Wilton 1M decorating tip, which I reference in a number of comments below. The cupcakes in the new photos (3/8/17) were decorated with an Ateco #827 tip. Both are open star tips, but the Ateco one is slightly larger.

Nutritional values are based on one cup cake

Calories: 529kcal, Carbohydrates: 57g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 32g, Saturated Fat: 20g, Cholesterol: 90mg, Sodium: 167mg, Potassium: 131mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 45g, Vitamin A: 900IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 31mg, Iron: 1.5mg

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Author: Michelle Lettrich

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Irish