Chocolate Cupcakes with Rapsberry Buttercream

One of my first pregnancy cravings was chocolate cake. Since I didn't have it in me to make an entire cake, I thought I'd do cupcakes and boy did they hit the spot! I used my favorite chocolate cake recipe and made a very simple buttercream to top them. I'd like to say I shared these, but I totally didn't. :)

Ingredients
Source for Cake- Hershey's
Source for Buttercream - Apple A Day

1 recipe chocolate cake, I used this one

20 TBSP (2 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 ½ c. confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/8 tsp. salt
1 TBSP raspbery liquer of 1 1/2 tsp. raspberry extract (I used the extract...obviously)
2 TBSP water, if necessary
gel food coloring, if desired

Directions

Make cupcakes as per recipe directions. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

For the Buttercream

1. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds.

2. Add confectioners' sugar and salt. Beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 45 seconds. Scrape down the bowl and beat at medium speed until the mixture is fully combined, about 15 seconds.

3. Scrape bowl, add liquer or extract, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about ten seconds. If using gel food color (I used a few drops of liquid food coloring) add at this time.

4. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about four minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice. Add water to achieve desired consistency, if needed. Ice cupcakes as desired.

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.

Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes with Raspberry Chambord Buttercream Frosting

I was really excited about making these because these are the first cupcakes I've ever made! I really want to start baking more, and I thought that cupcakes would be the perfect treat for Valentines Day. When I saw these cupcakes in my Martha Stewart Living magazine, I thought they would be perfect to make because I'm such a huge brownie fan. I added raspberry extract and Chambord to the buttercream to give it a little extra something for Valentines Day! I thought that these turned out great! My husband, me and my co workers just loved about them and I will definitely be making them again!

For the Brownies

Ingredients:
Source: Martha Stewart

Vegetable oil cooking spray
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
15 ounces (3 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
12 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Coat an 8-inch square cake pan with cooking spray, line bottom with parchment, then spray parchment.
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Place butter and chocolate in a heatproof mixer bowl set over a pot of simmering water, stirring until chocolate melts.
3. Attach bowl to mixer, add sugar, and whisk on medium-high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla. Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture.
4. Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Spread remaining batter in square pan. Bake until set but still soft, about 20 minutes. Let cool in tins and pan on wire racks.
5. Frost cupcakes with buttercream. Cut out 24 hearts from brownie in pan using a 1 1/2-inch heart-shaped cutter. Top each cupcake with a heart.

For the Buttercream

Ingredients
Adapted from Martha Stewart

12 ounces (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon Raspberry Extract
1 teaspoon Chambord
3-4 Drops Red Food Coloring

Directions

Beat butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes.

Reduce speed to medium. Add sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating after each addition, about 5 minutes. (After every 2 additions, increase speed to high, and beat for 10 seconds, then reduce speed to medium-high). Add Raspberry extract, red food coloring and Chambord, and beat until buttercream is smooth. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. (Bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth before using.)