Irish Car bomb Cupcakes

This rich cupcake can be as bold or as sweet as you would like. The chocolate brings out the best in the Guinness whereas the Baileys makes the frosting light and fluffy.

Yield: 24 Cupcakes

Time: 30-40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Cupcakes:

• 1 cup Guinness

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• 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

Ganache Filling:

• 8 oz bittersweet chocolate chips or coarsely chopped chocolate

• 2/3 cup half and half or heavy cream

• 2 Tablespoons butter, room temperature

• 2-4 teaspoons Irish whiskey, I recommend Jameson

Baileys Frosting:

• 3 to 4 cups confectioners sugar

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

• 6-8 Tablespoons Baileys

INSTRUCTIONS

Cupcakes:

Preheat your oven to 350°, line cupcake pans and set aside. In a large saucepan over medium heat bring the beer and butter to a simmer. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sour cream until combined.

Slowly add the stout-chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add the flour mixture and beat slowly until just combined.

Divide the batter in the prepared cupcake pan, filling them 2/3 to 3/4 of the way full. In the preheated oven bake the cupcakes for about 17 minutes (or until tester inserted into center comes out clean). Cool cupcakes completely on a wire rack. Meanwhile, make the ganache.

Ganache:

Put chocolate in medium heat safe bowl and set aside. Over medium-low heat in a small saucepan, heat the cream/half-and-half until simmering then pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth. (If the chocolate is not completely melted you can place in the microwave for 20 seconds, but watch carefully so you don’t burn it). Add the butter and whiskey (if using) and stir until combined.

Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to work with (you can refrigerate the mixture to speed up, but you will need to stir it every 10 minutes or so). Meanwhile cut the centers out of the completely cooled cupcakes, about 2/3 of the ways deep. When all cupcakes are ready, fill them with the ganache. You can do so with a spoon and your finger, or by using a piping bag with a wide tip.

Icing:

To prepare the icing, beat the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer (or with a hand mixer) until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes).

While on medium speed add the powdered sugar a few tablespoons at a time. When the frosting looks thick enough to spread, slowly add the Baileys beat until combined. If the icing has thinned too much add a couple more tablespoons of powdered sugar. Frost ganache filled cupcakes.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Red Wine Cupcakes

You and me, like chocolate and red wine, perfect pairing.

For this recipe I wanted to find out which would be better, a deep red such as Merlot or a lighter, sweeter red like a red blend. I chose a Merlot that had hints of berries but also chocolate; then for the lighter red, it had more of a floral note. What I found was that they were equally delicious. Deep reds will be more pronounced in the cupcake and lighter reds will balance better in the frosting. So grab your favorite red and be prepared to fall in love all over again.

Yield: 24 cupcakes

Time: 45min

INGREDIENTS

Cupcake:

2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup dark cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup Red Wine

1 cup milk

2 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream cheese frosting recipe:

6 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

4 – 4 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted

3 tbsp Red Wine

4 drops red food coloring (optional)

1/4 cup melted chocolate for drizzling (optional)

Ganache Filling:

8 oz bittersweet chocolate chips or coarsely chopped chocolate

2/3 cup half and half or heavy cream

2 Tablespoons butter, room temperature

2-4 teaspoons Red Wine

INSTRUCTIONS

Cupcake

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Line 24 muffin cups with paper wrappers.

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In another bowl, combine wine, milk, eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for two minutes until well combined.

Slowly add flour mixture. Batter will be thin. Scoop into cupcake wrappers.

Bake for 15-17 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely. Cut holes in the center of cupcakes.

Filling

Put chocolate in a medium heat safe bowl and set aside. Over medium-low heat in a small saucepan, heat the cream/half-and-half until simmering then pour it over the chocolate.

Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth. (If the chocolate is not completely melted you can place it in the microwave for 20 seconds, but watch carefully so you don’t burn it).

Add the butter and Red Wine, stir until combined.

Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to work with (you can refrigerate the mixture to speed up, but you will need to stir it every 10 minutes or so).

When all cupcakes are ready, fill with ganache.

Frosting

Mix together butter and cream cheese.

With motor running, add confectioner’s sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, until all the sugar has been added, scraping down sides of the bowl after each addition.

Stir in Red Wine until fully incorporated.

Enjoy!

Champagne Cupcake

Bite into the new year with a champagne infused cupcake. I chose my favorite Lamarca Prosecco and I was surprised the reduction in the frosting brought out a refreshing lemon flavor. Try your favorite champagne or prosecco and see what unique flavors you taste!

Yield: 12 Cupcakes

Time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Cupcakes

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

1 whole egg plus 1 egg white, room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup champagne

Frosting

1 cup champagne

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp milk (if needed)

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat an oven to 350F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with liners.

In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the sugar and butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.

Reduce speed to low, add the egg and egg white one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in the vanilla.

Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the champagne in 2 additions, beating until just combined. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed and be careful not to over beat.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-fourths full.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting.

While the cupcakes are baking; in a small saucepan, bring the champagne to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to medium and allow to simmer until it reduces down to about 1/4 cup (about 8-10 minutes - But be careful! As the reduction is cooling, it is still evaporating. If you have a little bit more than a quarter cup, that it ok as it will still evaporate). Reserve 2 tablespoons of the reduction for the frosting, and use the rest to brush on top of the warm cupcakes.

Frosting:

In large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and 2 tablespoon of the champagne reduction until smooth. Frost as desired and sprinkle with sparkling sprinkles…

Enjoy!