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 wanted to know what tip you used to get the ruffle looking frosting? Is it the tip you have pictured that you used to cut out the centers? Thanks!
Hi Toshia, I used a Wilton 1M tip for frosting the cupcakes. Enjoy!
Really? huh mine always look different. Must be in the angle, I will be sure to experiment. Thanks, can’t wait to try these!
These are probably the best cupcakes I’ve ever made. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe.
Made these today, AMAZING!!!!!! My husband says thank you as well..
Looks wonderful!! Have to try these for this St. Party’s day!!
I made these cupcakes last year and they were a huge hit (thank you so much for sharing!). Question … have you tried making this as a cake instead of cupcakes? I’ve converted a couple other cupcake recipes (some successful, some not so much) and wanted to ask you before attempting it myself.
I apologize in advance if you’ve already answered this question somewhere else in the comments :-)
Hi Sara, Not a problem! I haven’t made it into a cake, but others who have commented have, and they’ve reported good results. Enjoy!
Hi! Can I substitute the bittersweet chocolate (that comes in a bar) for bittersweet chocolate chips??
If I make them a day ahead do they need to be refrigerated ?? When they get frosted if put on the refrigerator, to keep frosting from “melting down” and to keep the pretty shape, will the ganache inside harden???
Thanks! love your recipes!!!
Hi Maria, Yes, you can substitute bittersweet chocolate chips. I would not refrigerate them if you will be serving them the next day. Enjoy!
One of the best, if not the best chocolate cupcake I have made/eaten. I made these for my husband’s birthday to take into his work full of guys. THEY LOVED THEM! Every part of this cupcake was delicious! Well worth the effort it took to put them together. Plus, the instructions were flawless and very helpful! Thank you for the delicious recipe that made me look like a rockstar!
I love These cupcakes! I’ve made them twice and everyone raves about them. Thank you for such a wonderful treat! :)
Absolutely amazing recipe….hit the nail on the head per say with the perfect marriage of flavors!
Just finished making the cupcakes and they are the BOMB!!!
MY hubby’s birthday is on st patrick’s day, and i made these last year for his party. they were a HUGE hit. so delicious.
So I didn’t have all of the ingredients to make the cupcake as a whole, BUT I did use the Bailey’s frosting on top of coffee enhanced chocolate cupcakes HOLY POOP THEY ARE SO GOOD. Definitely going to be a staple in my cupcake repertoire.
A friend made these in mini cupcake size for a get together on the weekend. Very Yummy!
I just wanted to drop by and tell you that I absolutely love your blog and this recipe! I stop by regularly to see what you’re baking because it always looks delicious! I liked this recipe so much that I shared it on my blog and it’s probably the only thing on there that is not dairy-free.
Hi! Quick question for you about the amazing Bailey’s Buttercream here. I’ve made these cupcakes over and over, but I just can’t remember how much frosting the recipe makes — how do you think it would be for a layer cake? I’m planning to make a rainbow cake, so SIX whole layers to frost plus a good thick outer layer to make it totally opaque … do you think one recipe of your Bailey’s frosting would be enough?
Thanks so much for all your amazing recipes!
Hi Maggie, I think you would need to at least double this frosting recipe to have enough for your cake. Enjoy!
Hi, Michelle,
Just wanted to report back! I got all the necessaries for two batches of buttercream (and even mentally readied myself for a cake frosted with 4 cups of butter and 10 cups of sugar!) and lo and behold — one recipe was plenty! I am not one to skimp on frosting, and I had plenty to hide all the bright-colored cake, plus a little extra for tomorrow when I know I’m going to have to fix some uglies (my cake dome is too small for my cake, but I didn’t realize it until I’d already smashed the frosting a little. Oops!).
Thank you so much for your recipes and your good advice!
I made these for my friend’s birthday yesterday. They were a HUGE hit! The only changes I made were the cocoa and the whiskey. I can’t find dutch process anywhere around here, but I had a little bit of Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa – not quite enough for the recipe, though, so I topped it off with regular Hershey’s cocoa. It was probably about 2/3 dark, 1/3 regular and the cake turned out to be delicious. I also doubled the amount of whiskey because I couldn’t taste much with the amount given. It still wasn’t strong, but it was a little more noticeable. Other than that, I followed the recipe exactly. It was really easy to core the cupcakes with a 1M tip – great idea! I will absolutely make these again! Thank you!
These were delicious.
ICBs are one of my best selling cupcakes, I make them at least once a month. I use a mellon baller to remove the centers, works well for me.
I wanna try this one now. But i like to replace the Whisky with Rhum, and since i’m A Fan of BaiLeyS therefore i’m soooo excited to start this. I only use Yolk and Olive oil. Also 4 table spoon of Margarine for my cake batter. The result is SOFT & No Cracks. Thanks again for sharing your inspiration ;)
I have made this recipe 3 times now, and these cupcakes are OFF THE CHAIN good!! It actually takes longer than the recipe says it takes to make them, but the time is oooohhh so worth it, every time I make them, they get eaten in two days time!!!
I made these this past St. Patty’s day and everyone loved them! Then for Labor day weekend I made your Peanut butter cup cheesecake. It too was a huge hit. Got me to thinking about turning these into a cheesecake! So I’m gonna give it a shot for Christmas Eve. I’ll let you know how it turns out!
Great cupcakes!!! I added a bit more whiskey just for a stronger taste, but absolutely delish! Thank goodness for Pinterest that brought me to you :-)
I’ve been saving this recipe for over a year, waiting for the right party and finally made them this weekend for my husband’s birthday. They were a HIT! I would change a few things, though. The ganache got too solid and didn’t have enough whiskey flavor, so I would definitely increase the volume of whiskey next time to increase the flavor and keep it soft. There was also way too much frosting for 24 cupcakes, buti don’t think half would have been quite enough either.
I am planning to make these for my girlfriends wedding, 100 of them! Any suggestions on making them in mass amounts? The wedding is Sunday afternoon, if I make the cupcakes Saturday and allow them to cool then do the frosting Sunday should I put them in the fridge overnight? Any suggestions would be helpful!!
Hi Ashley, Wow, what a great friend you are! :) I haven’t not made mass quantities of this, so I don’t have any specific tips for you on that end. You could definitely do the cupcakes Saturday night, then frost on Sunday. Don’t refrigerate them – they will dry out. You should put them in airtight containers or cover tightly with plastic wrap.
Hi Michelle,
I did a trial of these yesterday to prepare for the wedding. I thought they turned out great, especially the frosting. The color was amazing and so perfect. The only question I had was I felt they were a bit dry. I only baked them 17 minutes and I thought that was perfect. Anything you can think of to make them more moist? Thanks!
What is the “proof” of the filling and frosting? I know with cooking alcohol it becomes less ‘choholic when you cook or that its so diluted its fine and not boozy. Wondering if its safe to share with the toddler if he wants some is basically all I wanna know.
Hi Rae, I have no way of being able to calculate the “proof” of the filling and frosting. However, neither are cooked, so the alcohol isn’t diluted in any way. I would not feed the frosting or ganache to your toddler.
What about doubling the recipe? Can you absolutely double, or just make two batches and be safer then sorry?
Hello BEB and thanks for a wonderful recipe. I’m going to try making these for Thanksgiving. Hopefully they turn out well!!!
In the ganache, did you use salted or unsalted butter? Could I substitute nestle chocolate chips for the bittersweet chocolate in the ganache? Also, I am a novice baker and do not have any piping bags or tips. I’ve seen other websites that say putting icing in a plastic bag and cutting off the edge is a suitable substitute. Wondering if you or anyone else has tried this or if I should contact some friends/family and see if they have tips and bags.
Hi Anne, I used unsalted butter in the ganache. I don’t find that Nestle chips melt very well, so if you can get your hands on a higher-quality chocolate like Ghiradelli (found in most grocery stores), I would suggest that. Otherwise, you can go with the chips and see how they turn out. You could definitely use a plastic bag and cut off the tip – I did that myself for a long time before I bought bags and tips! Enjoy!
It’s now 4 1/2 years later and I’ve made these about a dozen times now. They are a hit every single time I make them and people always ask when I’m going to make them again. So thank-you for this awesome recipe!
Anne, thank you for the best comment ever (because they were the same questions I had, minus the choco chips). I found this recipe on another website (via Facebook) and was wondering about whether the butter in the ganache was salted or unsalted.
And I almost bought a little cheapo set of tips/bags, but remembered seeing a tip about using the plastic bags, so I was going to just do that. Very excited to try these out, if I survive the Saturn snowstorm! ;)
I think this cupcake sounds good. I don’t personally drink but my many relatives do I may use them to test the cupcakes. Thanks for the great recipe idea ill be sure to try it.
Omg I’ve had this recipe on my phone for months patiently waiting to have the time to make them. I’m super excited to make my favorite cocktail as a muffin.
I made these today and they were AMAZING! As I tasted the mixes while making these I added a bit more of each alcohol because I was afraid it wasn’t going to be strong enough to detect after baking. I think this was a good strategy because especially after they chilled in the fridge for a bit the flavors become richer and more concentrated. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Thank you for the recipe, I made these this past weekend for a Irish themed dinenr party, they were the bomb!