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!
This is one of the greatest things I have ever seen!
It is simply delicious!!! My best friend loves the drink and we made the cupcakes together for her birthday. They were a total success. I don’t drink myself but I loved the cupcakes. Thanks for sharing the recipe!!
I just want to know if anyone else has tried this recipe?! I did, and it was delicious, but it made waaaay too much frosting. I’m going to try and cut the frosting ingredients in half and wanted to know if anyone else has tried that? I also wanted to add more booze! But I’m afraid it will screw up the cakes. Anyone have any HELPFUL advise??
I made 3 batches last night. I only used a double batch of buttercream and still have some left over. If you don’t go nuts with the frosting, a half batch should be enough. These were a big hir at mine and my husband’s workplaces today. I made them as a St. Paddy’s Day treat
Made these cupcakes for a NY Jets Tailgate. I used food coloring to turn half the icing green and left the other half white for the Jets colors. I figured what better to bring to a tailgate than alcohol infused cupcakes! Well, they were quite the hit! I didn’t get to bring a single one home with me, they were enjoyed by everyone! Thanks for such a wonderful recipe, I’ll be making these for years to come!
Hi! I just came across your recipe and wanted to make these for a friend’s birthday.
Is it okay to use natural cocoa powder instead of dutch-process? I was actually under the impression that dutch-process powder does not react with baking soda. I’ve read other recipes for car bomb cupcakes that call for natural unsweetened cocoa & baking soda, but specifically NOT dutch-process.
What do you think?
Thanks!
Hi Stefanie, You could use natural unsweetened in place of the Dutch-process. I have used them interchangeably in the past depending on what I have on hand, and have never had an issue. I always prefer the Dutch-processed just because of the depth of flavor.
Love beer and whiskey and baileys. Could their be a better combination? Absolutely can not wait to try these cupcakes, actually went and got all of the ingredients today just so I could make them as soon as possible (aka tomorrow morning because I cannot wait any longer haha).A great book I found was called Intoxicated Cupcakes, over 40 recipes of alcoholic cupcakes. Minus their Designated Driver cupcake (shirley temple cupcake). Love all of the cake recipes!!
I found your blog from stumble. Awesome recipe! No really its great. Only thing I did was add more whiskey to the ganache and used store bought icing and thinned it out with the Irish cream. I hope my coworkers like them as much as I do.
Just stumbled across your fantastic blog, cannot wait to peruse the rest of it (study avoidance to the max…). Absolutely love EVERYTHING about these cupcakes; pure genius, don’t change a thing!
Irish myself, but can’t stand Guinness, so I’ll hold back a bit in the recipe I think. For those of you brave enough to try irish car bombs from a bar and not the baker; fair play, I tried and failed, I’ll just stick with a baby guinness I think. :)
Hi, BEB!
I’m making these cupcakes this weekend for a party and I’m soooo excited for it!!! I just have two, quick questions.
The first: when you say “heavy cream”, do you mean Half & Half, or whipping cream, ooor?
And the second: which brand of whiskey do you use? My brother said it was probably Jameson’s, but I wanted to double-check; I want these to as close to yours as possible!
Hi DanicaLee, Heavy cream can be used interchangeably with whipping cream for this recipe. And I did use Jameson whiskey. Enjoy the cupcakes! :)
Wonderful cupcakes.
Very rich and heavy, the flavors all work well together. I personally found the icing a bit sweet (everyone else loved it though), so I think I will make it with slightly less sugar next time.
Looks green and tasty.
Hi there! I made these for a tailgating party I went to. Let me say that they were unbelievably fantastic….. especially your icing! Loved it. The ganache I wasn’t so sure about.
Let me preface by saying I LOVE ganache. Seriously. But I’ve never made it before this! It wasn’t very sweet (and I don’t know if that was baker-error on my part) and my finished product looked super thin. So, I thought if I added some 10X sugar to it, it’d be a) sweeter and b) thicker. Correct on A, WAAAAYYYY too accurate on B! I did not realize that it was going to get thicker as it cooled more. My mistake! Unfortunately there was a solid ball of rich chocolate in the center of my cupcake.
:( it didn’t taste bad, but it was a mistake I won’t repeat! Apparently this recipe has a lot of comments, so I hope someone (like me!) will see this in case you’re thinking of trying these out and know NOT to add anything to the ganache!
But really, a delicious cupcake. A little pricey for me since I hadn’t had any of that alcohol on hand, but VERY worth it! I loved the cake and the icing… I just need to work on my filling!
Thank you for a great treat.
The verdict on these cupcakes is: *STELLAR*
I get very stressed when writing dissertations, and the only things that calm me down are baking and Guinness. I HAD NEVER THOUGHT TO COMBINE THE TWO BEFORE.
Unfortunately I didn’t have the things to make the filling nor the frosting, so I just made the cake, as I had everything needed for that on hand. I didn’t have an electric beater at the mo but mixing it by hand with a whisk and letting it rest for a bit in between mixings worked fine.
It was the best chocolate cake I have ever tasted (not just made–tasted). It was best, I thought, after sitting in the fridge over night. So moist and fudgy and delicious. I brought some to class and everyone that ventured to tried said they were exquisite.
GREAT recipe. I will be making it in its full frosting and filling splendor in a few days for a special occasion. I just tossed together some mascarpone and Nutella for something to put on top and am SUPER excited to try the cupcakes with the real deal. Thank you so much for sharing with us!!!
<3 Best
I must say, these are by FAR the best cupcakes I have ever tasted. So good, in fact, that my wife and I served them to guests AT OUR WEDDING!!!!! Love my wife (who suggested serving, and made, these decadent treats), love the drink (also consumed at the wedding), and LOVE this recipe.
Cheers!
Omg these are amazing, especially the baileys frosting! Everyone could not get enough of these. Definitely saving this recipe. Thank you!
I replaced the Guinness with a strong cup of coffee (so made “Irish Coffee” cupcakes). Turned out amazing, a great recipe, its like a whiskey truffle in a cupcake!
FYI- This made like 2X more frosting than needed, did anyone else notice this?
best cupcakes i’ve made to date! made them for my husband’s birthday–he loves irish car bombs. i added A LOT more bailey’s in the frosting & they came out great. thanks for sharing the recipe!!
I can’t wait for St. Patrick’s Day to make these!
Q: Is the sour cream a must or will it change the taste if omitted?
Looks great – can’t wait to try them!
The sour cream is a definite must, but not for flavor – it keeps the cupcakes nice and moist!
I think this recipe sounds AMAZINGGGGGGGGGG!!!
i just want to say this recipe is so amazing. usually when i try a new cupcake recipe i usually have to have a test batch, but the first time i made them they were fantastic. i made two dozen for my boyfriend for this birthday and i think he loves these more than life itself. i’m going to try to make these into mini cupcakes for a group of my friends. can’t wait to try the rest of your recipes.
I tried these cupcakes out, and took them to my local Irish Pub, and they were a hit!!! Everyone loved them! I just added another favorite BEB recipe to my collection!! :)
I’m going to be sharing these cupcakes with my class in Autumn wrappers just because lol. The photos look gorgeous, and that buttercream is divine.
Yummm!!! These look amazing! I can’t wait to give them a try!
I love Irish Car Bombs (the DRINK) and I’m sure the cupcakes are great too!
do you think this would taste good as a vanilla recipe? i have some friends that dont like chocolate. :/
I’m really not sure; the Guinness in the recipe pairs really well with the chocolate. I guess you could give it a try, but I’m not sure how the flavors would work out.
They were delicious. I made some for my parents and my mother described them as “Decadence bordering on insanity.” I did substitute Jameson with The Knot, I’d also note, because I forgot to get some for this recipe. ;)
I’d definitely recommend making these. They’re awesome.
Just Stumbled this post. They look awesome. Will have to try them out sometime.
wow, i came to the party late but these cupcakes look amazing! im going to have a go. im a notoriously rubbish baker but i did have a go this weekend, let me know what you think?
http://laughteriscatching.com/2011/08/27/to-your-posts-let-the-bake-off-begin/
Hello Michelle! My friend Vania introduced me to your website, and together we made these cupcakes to bring to a barbeque last Saturday. I am now absolutely in love with them, the three types of alcohol blend beautifully and the taste is so sophisticated! The biggest modification we made to your recipe was the addition of a LOT more Jameson to the ganache :)
I blogged about it and included my pictures of our finished product, as well as a link back to your post, in case you’d like to see: http://mollyandaustin.blogspot.com/2011/08/my-fanciest-cupcake-yet.html
Thank you for sharing this recipe, I look forward to trying more!