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!
I made these and took them in to work for St. Patrick’s Day. What a big hit! I had at least 4 people tell me, “that was the best cupcake I have ever had.” I will make these again. Thank you!
So good! My two favorite things, Guinness and cupcakes!
How many cupcakes does this recipe make?
24 (see above in the recipe, under “yield”)
My coworker made these this year and they were HEAVEN. She went to pastry school but works as a scientist. Anyway, she said that she didn’t pay attention to your directions, only the ingredients (the shame!!) and went about making the cupcakes in the traditional way (cream the butter with the sugar, etc., etc.) then realized AFTER the fact that you melted the butter with the beer. D’oh! Do you know what is the specific reason for this step? I am just curious. Even made the “wrong” way they came out AMAZING but the scientist (and baker) in me is very curious about the deviation from a standard cake protocol. ;) Thanks!
Hi Jaime, The melted butter keeps the cupcakes super moist and tender; melted with the beer and then the chocolate being added almost creates a ganache. It’s heavenly!
I made these last week, and they are amazing! They look outstanding and the taste is out of this world; the various textures and different flavors make for a most delicious cupcake! I got so many compliments on them, that from now on they are my “go-to” cupcake for any occasion.
I love that you called them “Guinness, Whisky and Irish Cream” cupcakes rather than the “Irish Car Bomb” name that many use and which is very disrespectful to the Irish. I’m going to refer to my cupcakes as “Irish Trinity” cupcakes since they use three Irish alcoholic beverages.
Again, thank you for this delightful recipe!
I made these for St. Patrick’s day, my family just went bananas over them. They said these are definately a keeper. 5*****
Hi… I am hoping someone has the diabetic information on these…. please let me know asap :)
Not sure what you mean by “the diabetic information,” but I am diabetic, so can speak from that perspective. The exact carb count isn’t important. It’s high. Very high. All you need to know can be summed up in one word. “Prohibitive.” Both carbs and glycemic index are astronomical, unfortunately.
Why does the recipe call for Dutch cocoa powder and baking soda? I thought that when using Dutch cocoa you needed to use baking powder and when using regular cocoa powder with baking soda due to acidity?
Hi Stephanie, I know, it makes no sense, but my guess is that it has something to do with the interaction with the beer, as well, because these cupcakes have always turned out absolutely perfectly for me! So I adhere to the “don’t try to fix what isn’t broken” mantra!
WONDERFUL recipe. I will never make chocolate cupcakes without Guinness again. My only complaint is that I didn’t double the recipe so they were gone within minutes. Adding this to my collection!
I love making these every year! I give them to my Starbuck’s Partners and close friends. I don’t know of anyone that doesn’t enjoy them. I get great comments from all of them. Thanks for this wonderful Irish Car Bomb recipe!
i made the filling to thin how can i fix this??????
Hi Sarah, Did you add too much liquid? How exactly did you make it too thin?
BEB – these cupcakes are amazing!! I just made a batch last night. I borrowed the recipe for your Bailey’s Irish Cream Cheese Icing for these cupcakes. They are DECADENT and oh SO GOOD!! My husband said they may have been the best cupcake he ever had. I brought them in for my work colleagues and they are a huge hit, everyone is raving about them. Thank you for posting these great recipes and your fun blog! I am gonna have to hit the gym hard after polishing off a few of these cupcakes but it will be soooo worth it!! Thank you!! Happy St. Pattys Day!
I just wanted to let you know that I made these a couple of years ago and they were such a hit that my mom started requesting them for St Patrick’s Day every year for her employees. She no longer works there, but some contractors that used to receive some of the cupcakes are now requesting them every year. They are SO yummy and the alcohol works so well!
I first made these 1-2? Years ago and they are soooooo delicious! I just made a batch for my hubs to take to work tomorrow and another for family dinner. They are literally the best cupcakes I’ve ever had. And I’ve had a lot. ? Thank you for another amazing recipe!
These are awesome, I’ve made them the last four years in a row and they have been a huge success.
My husband’s co-workers insist that I make these every year. They are always delicious! I usually leave the cupcakes intact, and just dip the top in the ganache. I do that because I like to have a nice ratio of cake to frosting, and I find if I use a filling (in any cupcake), there is less cake than I would like there to be. But I definitely don’t want to skip the ganache altogether, so I just do a thin latter on top, and then pipe the buttercream on top after the damage cools. No
Did have to omit the Jameson, though, because when my husband would take the cover off the cupcake carrier at work, it smelled sooo boozy.
These are delicious cupcakes! I did add some powdered sugar to the chocolate ganache to sweeten it a bit. The cake is moist and tender and the frosting is out of this world!
Thanks so much for a great recipe!
I made these last year for the teachers at my children’s school. They were a HUGE hit! Super delicious. Making them again tomorrow
Just added the ingredients to my shopping list. These will be a great dessert after the Guinness Corned Beef with Reduction. Just finished making the Guinness mustard. YUM!
Is it okay to half the recipe and just make 12 cupcakes? Or should I just stick with the recipe provided?
Hi Angelina, Absolutely! I’ve done that without a problem at all.
I’ve made these about 10 times now, they are always a hit. Sometimes i do regular size cupcakes, but prefer them mini, because they are very rich. I cook them 13-15 minutes. I refrigerate them overnight, and the next day scoop out the middle and fill with the ganache (i make the ganache the day i make the cupcakes). I find the cupcakes are easier to scoop out the middle when chilled. I also use cream cheese and a little butter for the frosting, as i prefer it to straight buttercream.
I love making filled cupcakes, and I feed them to my coworkers (since I don’t need to eat that many) and now I am known as the cupcake lady at work. I have been making this recipe for years (with a few tweaks for high altitude), and I get requests for them all the time, even over my lemon ones that originally made me “famous!”
Definitely a great recipe!
Sometimes I do a cream cheese & Baileys frosting instead, depending on my mood and what ingredients I have, and that works well too!
What are your high altitude tweaks for this recipe?
Hi. I made these last year and they were delicious! Planning to make them again for Friday but was wondering if you have ever made mini-cupcakes and if it worked out? Wasn’t sure if they would be too small to fill. Thanks!
Hi Stephanie, I haven’t done mini cupcakes, but I think you would still be able to fill them with a small amount of the ganache.
I’ve made them large and small, i prefer the smaller ones. I chill them before I scoop out the middle and they work perfectly!
Hello
I was just converting some other recipes to weight in gms
I also checked the weight of the all-purpose flour in this recipe.))(
The recipe calls for 283 gms of all purpose flour for 2 cups
The King Arthur weight chart shows 1 cup = 120 gms, 2 c = 240g
There is a 43gm difference between the recipes.
That seems like a large difference to me. Is it?
Did you use the King Arthur weight chart, or did you follow all the weights as shown in the the recipe?
Also, what size muffin tin.
I have some cupcake pans that has 6 cupcakes in each pan. (I have another larger 6 cupcake pan but I know it isnt that one)
Then I have another cupcake pan that makes 12 cupcakes and they are a bit smaller than my 6 cupcake pan.
Do you have a measurement across the top of the tin?
Thanks
Maureen
Hi Maureen, I use the America’s Test Kitchen weight for all-purpose flour, which is 1 cup = 5 ounces – slightly more than King Arthur Flour. The weights listed in the recipe are the ones that I used. This is the muffin tin that I use:
http://amzn.to/2fJOxQW.
Wow! Just wow! So, we started out some years ago making chocolate stout cupcakes. Three years ago, Guineas cupcakes with Bailey’s Irish Cream icing replaced the chocolate stout cupcakes as our preferred St. Patrick’s day desert, but now, those will be replaced with your recipe which seems to be utter and complete perfection! Thank you so very much!!!!
could you just use a dark chocolate cake mix and use the stout for the liquid,,,what the about sour cream
Hi Deborah, I have no clue how that would work, I’ve never done it.
I make these cupcakes every year and get RAVE reviews. This year I was going to try to make them into a 6in round cake with the ganache as the filling between the layers; I was wondering if you had any idea about baking time
Hi Olivia, Sounds amazing! Unfortunately, I’m not sure about baking time as I haven’t done it.
Hello
This looks great. I do have 2 questions.
Because there is cream in the ganache, shouldn’t these cupcakes be refrigerated after baking? That is if they even last more than 1 day.
Also if I want to make a few cupcakes without the the Jameson in the ganache, what do I use as a substitute?
Thank you
Hi Maureen, I’ve never refrigerated them, but you could if you would feel better about it. If you don’t want to use Jameson, you can simply omit it, no need to replace it with anything (although you could use vanilla extract if you wanted.
Lol! I see the politically correct police got to the name of this cupcake. It still is delicious no matter what it is called. I like to make them as minis but it is much more time consuming. I just find cupcakes too rich to offer up regular size ones.
I have made these in the past and you are right everyone LOVES them! I plan to make them again this year. Happy St. Patty’s Day!