Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes with Baileys Irish Buttercream

I can't believe it, but my little baby brother just celebrated his 21st birthday. I guess he's not so little anymore. To celebrate this milestone birthday, I had to bake him some cupcakes. But not just any cupcakes...spiked cupcakes of course. I mean, what's a big sister for?!

I brought these to work in celebration of Kevin's birthday (we both work at the same place) and he and our coworkers just loved them. Last count...Kevin ate 4 with Jimmy coming in at 3. These were gone in a flash and everyone raved.

The Guinness pretty much bakes out of the cupcake itself, but leaves you with a super-moist, perfectly flavored chocolate cake. The buttercream is delicious...Great consistency and flavor with the Bailey's definitely at the forefront. I skipped the ganache portion of this cupcake, simply from lack of time and from the fact that I didn't want these to be TOO boozy since I was bringing them to work! (If you want the recipe with the ganache, head over to Smitten Kitchen) But even without the ganache, these were delicious. I already have requests to make them again!

Ingredients
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

For the Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes

1 cup Guinness
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream (I used light)

Baileys Irish Buttercream
3 to 4 cups confections sugar (I used about 3.5 cups)
1 stick (1/2 cup or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 to 4 tablespoons Baileys Irish Cream (I used 3 tbsp Bailey's and 1 tbsp milk to get it to the right consistency)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and add Guinness. Bring to a simmer. Whisk in cocoa powder until mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a large bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat eggs and sour cream until thoroughly combined. On low speed, drizzle in Guinness-chocolate mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture, a little at a time, and mix briefly on slow speed just until the mixture comes together. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling them 2/3 to 3/4 of the way. Bake cake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, rotating them once front to back if your oven bakes unevenly, about 17 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a rack completely. (I always bake my cupcakes and cakes the day before I frost them which always works out well for me).

To make the buttercream, whip the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (I use this. I don't know if I've ever mentioned this before, but this product is amazing and SO WORTH IT. If you're debating on buying it or not, I HIGHLY suggest you do. I honestly can't remember the last time I used my "actual" paddle attachment since I bought this) for several minutes until the butter is very light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time.

When the frosting looks thick enough to spread, drizzle in the Baileys (or milk) and whip it until combined. If this has made the frosting too thin (it shouldn’t, but just in case) beat in another spoonful or two of powdered sugar.

Ice and decorate the cupcakes.