Chocolate Guinness cupcakes with chocolate whiskey ganache and Baileys buttercream

As it is St Patrick's Day (17^th March 2012) I thought I would make some Guinness cupcakes. I found this recipe on the site www.offthespork.com. I've made coffee cupcakes with Baileys frosting before and they tasted delicious so I really liked the idea of combining chocolate, Guinness, whiskey and Baileys.

The Guinness makes the chocolate cake really moist and delicious. Mini me enjoyed eating the bits of the cake cut out of the middle. I found the chocolate ganache to be rather rich and I certainly couldn’t eat more than one of these cupcakes. 

Would make a great Father's Day present.

Chocolate Guinness cupcakes with chocolate whiskey ganache and Baileys buttercream

For the cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 cup Guinness
225g Unsalted Butter
¾ cup Cocoa Powder
2 cups Plain Flour, sifted
2 cups Caster Sugar
1 & ½ tsp Baking Powder
¾ tsp Salt
2 Large Eggs
2/3 cup Sour Cream

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners.
2. In a saucepan, heat the Guinness and unsalted butter until simmering. Turn off the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.
4. In a mixer, beat together the eggs and sour cream. Add the Guinness mixture, and beat to just combine.
5. Add the flour mixture, and beat briefly on a slow speed until combined.
6. Spoon into the cupcake liners, and bake for about 17 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

For the ganache

Ingredients:

230g good quality dark chocolate, chopped in rough pieces
2/3 cup double cream
30g Butter, room temperature
2 tsp Irish whiskey (or more to taste)

Directions:

1. Either melt the chocolate and cream in a double boiler, or put the chocolate and cream in a microwavable bowl. Microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring between bursts, until melted.
2. Add the butter and whiskey, and stir until combined. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. When the cupcakes are cool, core out the middle of the cakes either using a small, sharp knife or an apple corer (making sure that you don't cut through to the bottom).
4. Spoon the ganache into the cupcake holes and fill them to the top.

For the Baileys buttercream

Ingredients:

250g Unsalted Butter, cut into cubes and at room temperature
3 cups Icing Sugar, sifted
2 tsp Baileys

Directions:

1. Beat the butter in an electric mixer on high until it is very pale and fluffy.
2. Gradually add the icing sugar, beating well between additions. Beat until the buttercream is very fluffy – about 5-6 minutes.
3. Heat the Baileys in the microwave until it’s very warm.
4. Add to the butter cream and beat on high for another couple of minutes.
5. Pipe on top of the cupcakes.