A couple of years ago I decided I wanted to make St. Patty’s Day cupcakes for my co-workers.  I scoured the internet and found this wonderful recipe from The Urban Baker.  As per usual, I followed the recipe the first time I made them and I’ve found that it needs no tweaks other than that I double the frosting recipe (love, love, love pretty and decorative frosting).  It’s perfect as is.  I’ve made this recipe several times now and it’s always a huge hit.

Note: Since it had been a few years since I last made this, I got a little worried since the batter seemed very runny (I couldn’t remember the consistency from the last time I made it) but the cupcakes came out as perfect, little fluffy pillows in cupcake wrappers. 🙂

Also, the original recipe doesn’t state how full to fill each wrapper, only to divide evenly, but I ended up filling them this much and they were the perfect size:

Adapted from here.
Yield: 30 regular size cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cake

• 3 cup stout (Guinness)
• 12 oz. unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1 1/8 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (dutch-processed), sifted
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 cups whole cane sugar
• 2 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/8 tsp. sea salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cups organic sour cream

Butter cream

• 3 cups (24 oz.) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 6 3/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 vanilla bean, pulp removed
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (or sub out some Baileys)
• 4-5 tbsp. whole milk

Instructions:

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350*.
2. Line cupcake molds with liners.
3. In a heavy saucepan, melt butter and add the stout.  Bring to a simmer over low heat.  Once butter is melted, whisk in the cocoa powder.  Cool slightly.
4. In a bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
5. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the eggs and sour cream.  Slowly add the chocolate mixture.  Mix to combine.
6. Remove the bowl from the mixer and using a rubber spatula, mix in the dry ingredients.
7. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcakes.
8. Bake the mini cupcakes 12-15 minutes and the regular size cupcakes 16-20 minutes.
9. Let cool before frosting.

Butter cream

1. Mix the butter until very creamy (about 3-5 minutes).
2. Split the vanilla bean down the middle. with a pairing knife, scrape out the seeds from the bean. add them to the creamed butter and mix, pulsing slowly.
3. Add the sifted powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time until you get the consistency that you desire.
4. Add the milk and Bailey’s (or vanilla) slowly.
5. I like a thicker butter cream, so I tend to use more sugar and less milk.
6. Frost the cupcakes with a pastry tip of your choice or an off set spatula. add food coloring if you choose, decorate with jimmies, sprinkles, or whatever would make a festive cupcake.
7. Enjoy!