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!
Absolutely love this recipe! Use it for any party/event that I go to! making another batch right now! Thanks so much!!
Just made these and they are delicious! I only needed half of the icing called for here, and even that was too much (and believe me, they are generously iced! :-) )
These are THE most amazing, delicious, awesome, to-die-for, cupcakes that I have EVER eaten, and let me tell you, I LOVE cupcakes!! A friend made them for St. Patty’s day and even though I was on a diet preparing for a race, I had to have it as my “cheat treat”, it was THE most worth it cheat I have EVER had. You are a genius :D
These were amazing! My family and friends loved them =]
Thanks again for the recipe!
I normally hate cupcakes, but I tried this recipe and it was AMAZING!!! My parents are super picky but they both loved them as well! I kept some of the ganache filling on the side for myself because it’s so yummy :)
We are making these, along with your margarita cupcakes, for our Cinco de Paddy party next week (which is really just an excuse to drink whiskey and tequila, but hey? we like to have fun!). Thanks for the recipies!
Brilliant idea!!
These cupcakes were THE BOMB! Made them for my son to take to a party. Posted a picture on FB and everyone begged for one! They were a lot of work but they were absolutely fabulous! Better than any i’ve tasted from a bake shop! Thank you.
Made these in cake form for a whiskey/Bailey’s loving boyfriend, it turned out amazing! The frosting is ridiculously good! Thank you so much for the recipe :)
Wonderful cupcake recipe!! I made these over the weekend and received rave reviews from everyone!!
I would like to make this recipe but as a cake, does anyone know if this can be done?
I just made it into a cake yesterday! I used the whiskey ganache as the filling between the layers, and frosted as normal. I refrigerated the frosting for about a half hour before whipping it again to make it a little stiffer, and let the ganache sit until it was about room temperature so it was stiff enough to hold the layers together. The frosting gets soft pretty quick, so I would work quickly and put the cake back in the fridge for a short while before serving. Other than that it turned out really well!
OK….Is this a good cupcake?
Made these for St Pat’s this year…..so, so yummy!!!!
I made these last weekend and they were a hit! Thanks for the recipe!!!
These cupcakes were bomb!!!! Everyone enjoyed them. Only suggestion I have, is I added 2 tablespoons of Jameson (or maybe more lol) and almost a whole Guiness. And I really don’t think it required 5 CUPS of powdered sugar or butter!!! Had WAY too much left over. Plus I added more Bailey’s too.
Besides all my comments, these were the best cupcakes I ever ate in my LIFE! Thank you so much for the recipe. Really appreciated it! :)
I made this over the weekend and they were amazing! They tasted even better the second day after the liquor had set in more. They looked super impressive to my guests as well!
AMAZING cupcakes! They were the hit of St. Patrick’s day. I have one question. My family isn’t fond of the buttercream frosting. Could I use a cream cheese frosting instead? I am not sure if the Bailey’s would come out like it should. Otherwise, A+!!!!
Yes, definitely!
Has actually tried these cupcakes and how they are?
I made these yesterday and they are fantastic! My husband couldn’t stop eating them. I also did the homemade baily’s irish cream too for the frosting. I ddn’t have the cookie cutter or frosting tip so i used a melon baller and that worked our really well. Thanks BEB!
Dear Brown Eyed Baker,
I’ve never baked cupcakes before in my life but decided to make these for St. Patrick’s Day, and they were truly the best things I’ve tasted! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe – my friends and I are incredibly happy today. ;)
Sincerely,
Lynn (another brown-eyed baker)
Can’t wait to try these out!
These were delicious! Just made them for St. Patty’s day party! There were a hit! Thanks for the recipe!! I baked them according to your directions, but when I took them out they had already dropped in the middle. Did I do something wrong? How can I prevent that in the future?
Thank You!
I made these today, and I think they turned out fabulously. I halved the frosting recipe, because I like to keep the frosting at the “accent” level, not at the “half the cupcake” level. But hey, if you like a ton of frosting, totally go for it.
I used salted butter, which could be why the Guiness-and-butter mixture didn’t smooth out as well as I might have hoped. Also, I don’t know if the Hershey’s brand of cocoa powder is Dutch process or not, but that could have affected it. Nevertheless, they turned out just beautifully, so…whatever. Will make again, or face horrible death at the hands of my friends who loved them. :)
It was my first attempt at ganache, and I was scared of it at first. DO NOT BE SCARED! Ganache is EASY. I tossed the chocolate chunks in the food processor, because I am LAZY, and I tell you, that was the CORRECT choice. Super fast, chopped up nicely. Very fine and even and the hot cream just went through it so beautifully. I want to make more ganache now, because that was just too lovely for words.
In summary, MAKE THEM!
Thanks so much for this comment! I was afraid the ganache would be my undoing! Definitely making these for my friend’s half-birthday! ( We believe birthdays are so nice you have to do them twice!)
I just made these today – they were AMAZING! Thanks for the lovely tastiness!
I made these cupcakes for a friend for her birthday and I can sum it up in two words…..ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! Thank you for sharing such a great recipe.
Just made these last night and served them today for St-Patricks, what a hit!!
Was out of whisky so did tehm without the ganache and it was still excellent! Can’t wait to try them with the full recipe!!
Thank you!
Thank you for the recipe. I made it for my st. paddys day party and it was a big hit!
I made these cupcakes this weekend for my boyfriend’s family St. Patrick’s Day Party and MANY people told me it was the best cupcake they’d ever had. :) The ganache came out perfect in taste and texture. (i followed the cake and ganache recipe exactly from your site). I did reduce the sugar/butter on the Baileys frosting but it was still very good. I also had trouble obtaining Dutch processed cocoa in my area, so I used Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa powder, and it still came out great, if anyone else also is having a problem finding it.
I definitely recommend this recipe and will be making it again. Thanks for sharing it!
When I added the cocoa to the guiness and butter, the butter separated and never got smooth. What did I do wrong?
just made these for St. Pat’s day… they are wonderful.
Hi!!! I love this recipe and just wanted to let you know that I made them last year and they were fantastic!!! I posted this on my blog with my own photos, but I did post a link to your recipe. I hope that’s ok? Anyway, thanks for the awesome recipe!