The ultimate boozy Irish inspired pairing! Enjoy the deep flavor of Guinness Extra Stout in a classic chocolate cupcake topped with Baileys infused buttercream frosting. The perfect dessert for St. Patrick's Day!
โ๏ธ๐. I've been wanting to make these Guinness chocolate cupcakes for years! Finally, in 2023, I've managed to remember to try, test, and share this delectable recipe. Oh, and add a little Baileys buttercream frosting on top because duh. An undeniably delicious pairing!
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The Best St. Patrick's Day Dessert
Festive, tasty, AND boozy?? Yup, these Guinness chocolate cupcakes are the ultimate sweet treat for St. Patrick's Day. Topped with Baileys buttercream frosting, you'll find it hard to have just one! Plus, you can make them ahead of time (see freezing and storage) for a stress free holiday. Win win for everyone!
Tips and Tricks
The Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes - I've found the best way to infuse Guinness flavor into the cupcakes without overpowering them is to simmer the stout on the stove top with the butter for a few minutes. Then remove it from heat, whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth, and let cool until ready to use. That way, the Guinness imparts it's flavor into the fat of the butter and the chocolate in the cocoa powder ๐๐ป.
The Baileys Buttercream Frosting - Two things here.
First, the butter really does need to be softened around room temperature. If you don't have the time to leave your butter out on the counter or you're making the frosting last minute, no worries! Cube up the sticks of butter, put them in a microwave safe bowl, and heat them in 10 to 15 second increments. When soft to the touch but NOT melted, it's ready to go!
Second, sift the powdered sugar! Lumpy buttercream is the worst. This step will guarantee you soft, creamy, fluffy buttercream every time.
Commonly Asked Questions About This Recipe
Nope! The Guinness Extra Stout is simmered on the stove and then baked into the cupcakes, working as an infusion. It's totally cooked off, leaving behind deliciously deep, rich flavor without any alcohol effects.
Again, nope! However, unlike the cupcakes themselves, the alcohol content in the frosting is not cooked off. Having said that, you'd have to eat an obscene amount of the buttercream to feel any kind of alcohol effect. At that point you'd probably not feel well from the amount of sugar you've consumed rather than the Baileys ๐.
See my freezing and storage notes below ๐๐ป.
Freezing and Storage
You can easily make these Guinness chocolate cupcakes ahead of time (without the baileys buttercream frosting)! Place them in an airtight container or sealable freezer bag. They can be refrigerated up to a week and frozen up to a month. The frosting can be made a day or two before decorating your cupcakes but be sure to allow it to warm up to room temperature before using.
Related Recipes
Looking for more Baileys infusion recipes? Check out these Baileys Brownies or even this Baileys Irish Coffee. Or do you just need more St. Patrick's Day fooding in general? Head on over to my Irish Inspired recipes for more ideas!
Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes with Baileys Buttercream Frosting
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 16 to 18 cupcakes 1x
Description
The ultimate boozy Irish inspired pairing! Enjoy the deep flavor of Guinness Extra Stout in a classic chocolate cupcake topped with Baileys infused buttercream frosting. The perfect dessert for St. Patrick's Day!
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 1 ยฝ cups all purpose, unbleached flour, sifted
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder
- 1 ยฝ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ยพ teaspoon sea salt
- ยพ cup cocoa powder
- ยผ cup vegetable or canola oil
- ยผ cup unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- ยฝ cup granulated sugar
- ยฝ cup golden brown or dark brown sugar, packed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ยผ cup sour cream
- ยผ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup Guinness Extra Stout
For the Frosting
- 2 cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla paste or vanilla extract
- ยผ teaspoon sea salt
- ยฝ cup Baileys Irish Cream
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
Make the Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350หF. Line two standard 12 cup cupcake pans with cupcake liners (I used 2 cupcake liners per cup). Set aside. This batter makes about 16 to 18 cupcakes.
- In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in Guinness and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and whisk in cocoa powder until smooth. Let cool to room temperature.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt together. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, cream together eggs, oil, vanilla extract, and sugars in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Whisk in sour cream and heavy whipping cream until smooth.
- Add dry mixture into wet mixture and whisk until just combined.
- Pour in chocolate Guinness mixture. Whisk untilย just combined. Do not overmix!
- Fill baking cups about โ of the way full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cup comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack completely before frosting.
Make the Frosting
- In a standing mixer, whisk butter until light and creamy, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Sift in the powdered sugar. Add vanilla paste, and Baileys Irish Cream. Whisk until light and smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. Be careful not to over whip!
- Frost cooled cupcakes by piping or with an offset icing spatula. Top with sprinkles and sanding sugar as desired!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cooling Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Cupcakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Irish
Zoe says
These turned out delicious - and so festive!
Aberdeen says
Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed them ๐.