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.
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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
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
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
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
My 15th wedding anniversary is this Thursday (St. Paddy’s Day). My husband asked our friend who loves to bake if she’ll make them for us…lord I hope she says yes as I am disaster in the kitchen!
Hi, I’m making these for a party tonight. I made the cupcakes last night and stored in an airtight container. Just finished adding the ganache. So far, amazing – two thumbs up. Quick question about the frosting. It calls for 2 cups of butter, could that mean two sticks? That seems like a lot of butter!
Hi Susan, 2 cups of butter is 16 ounces, which would be 4 sticks of the standard 4-ounce sticks you find in the U.S.
Just wanted to finally let you know that I’ve made these every year since you’ve posted this! Everyone always waits for me to make them around St Patrick’s Day. Just finished up a batch to bring to a big St Patty’s Day parade we attend every year. I’ve already had a few people requesting them :) FYI, I always add a ton more whiskey to the ganache, and a BUNCH more Bailey’s to the frosting. The key is using the whisk attachment on your mixer. Makes such a big difference! I seriously think I used like half a bottle of baileys in this dang frosting. Whoops :) Thanks so much for posting this!!!!
I don’t think I can find Dutch processed coco powder can I use regular coco powder will it Alter the recipe at all
Hi Alyssa, You should be able to make that substitution without an issue. Enjoy!
THESE ARE AMAZING!! This will be the 4th yr I will be making them for my St.Pats party!! These cupcakes ARE the reason I started my party!! My friends can’t wait…neither can I. Thanks for one of the best recipes I have received from you!! You are the best! LUV YOU!!
I’m going to try making these for St. Patrick’s day and I really like the icing design. Does anyone know which tip was used and how the buttercream was applied? It looks like a rose petal tip layered from the outside toward the center. Thanks!
Hi Valerie, I believe I used a Wilton 1M tip, just swirled it up!
Thank you! I’ll try it.
Hi
I have a question since I’m not from the USA… what is dutch-process cocoa powder? It that simple cocoa unsweetned powder?
merci
Hi Dominik, There is a difference, here is a good explanation: http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/08/difference-dutch-process-natural-cocoa-powder-substitute.html
I made these for a Notre Dame football game last weekend. They turned out beautiful and delicious. Huge hit. Thanks for the recipe! Go Irish!
These are amazing!! Just finished them up tonight and I am so pleased with the outcome!! The cake is moist, light and fluffy and decadent!! Love the combo with the bittersweet ganache and the super sweet icing. Thanks so much for the great recipe!! ?
I have tried these numerous times with RAVE reviews! I am actually in the process of making it into a cake today. Only problem I have is the ganache is always too thin no matter what I do. Hopefully it thickens up for the cake…if this works I’m using it for a wedding cake!! EVERYONE i know says TY for this recipe!!
These look amazing and I’m making them tomorrow!
One issue – I don’t have Bailey’s on hand. Would Kahlua be a viable substitute?
Hi Gabriella, Kahlua is much different than Baileys… Baileys is a cream, while Kahlua merely a coffee-flavored liquor.
These look amazing! Do you think the cupcakes could be baked, cooled, and frozen before applying the frosting? I want to make these in advance but won’t have time to do all the steps at once.
Thanks!!
Hi Sarah, Yes, you could definitely do that. Enjoy!
This is the absolute best Chocolate cupcake recipe I’ve ever made. The icing makes way more than you need for 24 cupcakes but the batter is the perfect amount for 24 cupcakes. The ganache is plenty to double-dip (and more ganache is always welcome!). Well done!
made these today… they are not as pretty as the ones above but I tasted at each step and they are very yummy
Love this recipe, but the ganache was a pain and I hated having to spend the time to dig out a section from each one and then throwing all of that away. I found a better way.
1/2 cup of heavy cream
4 oz of bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 teaspoons of whiskey
Put the cream, chocolate and sugar in a microwave safe bowl, heat 40-60 seconds until the chocolate starts to melt. Whisk until smooth and then add the whiskey. Chill in the fridge until firm, no longer than 30 minutes. Put about 1 tablespoon on the top of each cupcake BEFORE baking. Bake normally.
As the cupcakes bake, the ganache sinks down into the center and it’s a lovely surprise to those who take a bite.
Also, the frosting recipe is way too much and made the cupcakes top heavy, so I cut it down by a quarter and it’s much more manageable.
I made these with my daughter during Spring Break just before St. Patrick’s Say. Neither of us are regular bakers, but these turned out perfectly! A great recipe and even better directions made our venture a success. Thanks for sharing!
I love, love, love (not even enough loves!) your website and your recipes. I have made these cupcakes twice now and have received rave reviews from my friends and family! Thank you for making me look so good!
I made these for a St Patrick’s Day party today. They were the hit of the party. I am not normally a baker, but I took my time and these were amazing. A couple of small changes: I had to use salted butter in one part, but just reduced the added salt per the recipe in one part. The rest of the recipe I used unsalted butter. (I ran out of unsalted butter). I added a tee bit of more Jamison Irish Whiskey for flavor in the ganache and twice as much Baileys for the frosting. My party host actually shook my hand after he devoured one. Ta Da.
Your recipe was right on, not always something you find online. Irish hats off to you. Thank you. This recipe is spectacular! I am a fine of yours.
I don’t care for the name either, so I just call them St Pat’s dessert.
Hoping you see this and can answer today (as if you have tons of free time with your lil guy- congrats!!)! I just made these and the ganache doesn’t have the slightest sweet taste to it- just whiskey and bitter chocolate. Is that how it’s supposed to taste? Will the sweetness of the cake and frosting off set the ganache? I’m about to fill them but am tempted to add a little sweetness to the ganache
Hi Christine, Thank you!! :) Yes, the ganache isn’t super sweet, you could use milder chocolate, but yes, it’s definitely set off by the cake and icing. Enjoy!
Listen, these bad boys beg to be drizzled with browneyedbaker’s salted caramel; it helps balance the sweetness of the frosting. Just made this recipe for St. Patricks Day with that one alteration. It’s only my second time making these but I had several friends contact me a few days ago to make sure these cupcakes become a new tradition, thanks for the great recipe!
Made these tonight and they turned out amazing! Thank you!
my friend makes these every year, I got to eat one this year, OMG!! You have no idea how flipping good these are until you eat one…pure heaven in a cupcake liner!
I made these today and they are the bomb!!….so good!!
Just made these. Wonderful! I am sure they will be a big hit with the group
They came out great! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
I just made these cupcakes. My husband devoured one and said it was the best cupcake he had ever eaten. I decided to try one and he’s right!!! Moist cake, the ganache is excellent and the frosting has just the right amount of Baileys. These aren’t going to last long at my house.
These are Delish! Just finished piping the frosting (which is sooo good) found the recipe to be exact…only suggestion, save the fancy cupcake liners for after baking. These cupcakes are so dark it was a waste to use the more $ liners first. Will be making again for sure!
I loved this recipe! I actually used the 12 cupcake version of the recipe on fromaway.com and I just finished and couldn’t be happier! The only thing I’m not a huge fan of was how SWEET the frosting was. I’m not sure if it was the reduced recipe or just my taste. Any suggestion on how to make the frosting a little less sweet and gritty?
HellO! can i make all of the fillings and icing before hand? Ex. make cup cakes tonight and fillings and ice tomorrow?
If I can’t find Dutch processed cocoa powder, would any type work? Making these tomorrow!