Irish Chocolate Cupcakes With Guinness and Irish Cream Liqueur

A Delicious, Moist & Flavorful Grownup cake.

Ingredients:
cake:
1 cup butter
1 cup Guinness Stout beer
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
24 cupcake liners
frosting:
3/4 cup butter, at room temperature
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup Irish Cream Liqueur
2 tablespoons heavy cream
pastry bag
large star tip
Irish chocolate sauce:
1/3 cup Irish Cream Liqueur
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method:
In a saucepan, over medium heat, warm the butter, Guinness, cocoa and brown sugar. Whisk until melted and blended. Remove from heat and let cool to almost room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 350*. Place cupcake liners in muffin pans. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, granulated sugar and baking soda. Add the cooled Guinness mixture to the dry ingredients. Beat on low speed, to moisten, and then on medium speed for one minute. Add the eggs and sour cream. Beat on medium speed for another one to two minutes, until well blended. (The batter will be slightly runny.)

cake batter

Divide the batter evenly between the paper cupcake liners. (about 2/3 full) Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cake, comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes and then cool completely on a cooling rack.

cooling cakes

Make certain that the cupcakes are completely cooled before frosting.
To prepare the frosting, cream the butter until it is light and fluffy. Add half of the powdered sugar. Beat on low speed until the sugar is slightly blended. On low speed, beat in the remaining powdered sugar. (The frosting will be dry at this point.) Add the liqueur and cream. Beat at medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the pastry bag and decorate the cake tops with frosting stars or swirls.
To prepare the chocolate sauce, Whisk together the liqueur, cocoa and corn syrup to a small sauce pan and heat to a boil, over medium heat. Once it boils, reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chips until they are melted. Drizzle over the tops of the frosted cakes.

Frosted cakes with Irish Chocolate Drizzle.

Note: Green sugar sprinkles can be added to decorate these cakes, if desired, for Saint Patrick's Day.

Happy Birthday!