My Goodness My Guinness Cupcakes ☘️
Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Duit! Happy St. Patricks Day!!
I've been pretty excited about this one, my first Paddys day post! I debated what to do ALOT!! Should it be green, should it be the tricolour, should it just be traditional Irish scones or bread.
I loved Paddys Day as a kid, I loved being in the parade for school or just watching it, even if it was mainly tractors! But I loved it even more as an adult which meant spending the day in the pub, maybe getting a glimpse of the parade, lots of laughing and lots of drinking! Craic agus ceol, you might say! (typing that made me feel 100 years old!)
When I think back on what we would eat on St. Patricks Day, we honestly never had a traditional go to meal or dessert every year but I definitely remember the long sessions so it felt only right to make this a booze filled dessert!! My first thoughts went to a dessert version of the crowd pleasing Irish coffee but I wasn’t sold on using Jameson as a base and I'd posted my Irish cream cheesecake so recently. So of course, I ultimately landed on, arguably our greatest drink, the ultimate meal in a glass, Guinness!!
I'm almost embarrassed my first instinct wasn’t Guinness, I said almost! Going down smooth and creamy, it already boasts that malty sweetness with coffee and chocolate notes, I mean she’s crying out to be the lead in her own dessert!! I know it’s an obvious choice but Guinness dessert has to be chocolate, right?! It’s just the perfect partnership.
Ultimately, I would go straight to Guinness cake and this recipe can be used directly as a cake recipe but baring in mind we are still in a contagious global pandemic and I test all my treats on my coworkers (for the feedback and mainly so I don’t eat them all myself!) I like to do easy sharing and takeaway desserts, as much as possible. And so, I am doing these as cupcakes. Delicious, moist, sweet, amazing cupcakes!
Not satisfied with just Guinness, I decided to pack in as much Irish products as I can. Guinness and Cadburys chocolate for the base and Irish cream (Coole Swan) and Kerrygold butter for the frosting. I think that’ll do but you tell me, is this the perfect Paddys Day dessert?
Guinness cupcakEs recipe
⏲ PREP TIME: 20-30 minutes
⏲ BAKING TIME: 18 minutes
⏲ REST TIME: 10 minutes
🧁 SERVINGS: 27 cupcakes
equipment
cupcake tins
stand mixer
large mixing bowl
spatula
piping bag + tip
ingredients
Guinness cupcakes
240g all purpose flour
10g baking powder
2.5g baking soda
50g unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 pack chocolate pudding mix
200g granulated sugar
200g light brown sugar
120ml vegetable oil
53g Cadburys milk chocolate
240ml Guinness
120ml buttermilk
40ml coffee
3 eggs
15ml vanilla extract
Irish cream cheese frosting
8oz/ 225g full fat cream cheese
1 stick/ 112g Kerrygold salted butter
1/2 stick/ 56g vegetable shortening
60ml Coole Swan Irish cream liquor
10g vanilla extract
400-700g confectioners sugar
instructions
Irish cream cheese frosting
I have a weird time with frosting, one day it’s perfect and the next she’s runnier than the Shannon, regardless of the ingredients and/or method. Because of this I try and take as many precautions as possible, which for me, now means making my frosting first. I feel like my kitchen gets very warm when i’m baking so making my frosting without it on seems to help.
1.
Weigh and sieve your confectioners sugar to make sure there’s no lumps, this will ensure a smooth frosting.
2.
Beat your room temperature cream cheese, butter and shortening together until just combined and smooth. This won’t take long, i’ll do it as little as possible to avoid overbeating it, so about 1-2 minutes.
3.
Start adding your confectioners sugar, a cup at a time, combing fully on low for about a minute between cups.
I would definitely add 400g and then if you want it sweeter or thicker you can keep adding a cup at a time until you’re happy. More sugar will make a sturdier frosting so it will be easier to pipe. I’ll put up to 700g if it’s for piping.
4.
Add your Irish cream, a tablespoon at a time, while your mixer is running on low.
Finally add your vanilla extract and once it’s fully incorporated your frosting should be good to go. It should look thick and silky smooth.
Cover your frosting and put it into the fridge until ready to use.
Guinness cupcakes
1.
Pregeat oven to 350°F, 180°C. Put your cupcake liners into your tins and set aside.
2. Prep all your ingredients now to make your life a little easier.
Add your milk and lemon juice together and set aside for 5-10 minutes. This will make buttermilk. If you bought/have buttermilk weigh it out.
Make your coffee.
Finely chop your chocolate bar and add it to a microwave safe bowl with half of your oil and melt it, stirring at 15 second intervals, until smooth. Add the rest of the oil, mix and set aside.
Weigh out your Guinness and vanilla.
2.
Mix all of your wet ingredients together in a large bowl, add your sugar and whisk completely through.
3.
Weigh and sieve all of your dry ingredients into a separate bowl and whisk together.
Add your dry ingredients into your wet ingredients, 1/3 at a time, and mix until completely combined.
4.
Add a giant chocolate button or pieces of chocolate to the bottom of every cupcake wrapper.
You absolutely do not have to do this, I just enjoy the extra chocolatey boldness!
5.
With a 1/4 cup scoop, scoop up some batter, level it off and pour it into your cupcake wrapper.
6.
Repeat this until all your cases are filled. Add another giant button or piece of chocolate to the center and push slightly down. Again, this bit is completely optionally but highly recommended!!
7.
Place in the oven for 18 minutes until the top is set and a tooth pick comes out clean in the middle.
I fill my second tray while my first is in the oven. I don’t like to crowd them.
Let them cool in the tin and then transfer them to a cooling rack to be frosted.
Frosting the cupcAkes
I was going to add green food colouring to my frosting or sprinkle green sugar on top to Irish it up but I was so happy with them and the amount of Irish products I jammed in that I don’t think it was necessary. I also think it’s adorable that they look like little pints of Guinness.
1.
Take your frosting out of the fridge and give it a quick mix. Place your tip in a piping bag, I used a 1M, fill it with your frosting and away you go.
Frost all of your cupcakes and have a wonderful St. Patricks Day!
