Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes with Coffee Buttercream

These rich and fluffy Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes are sure to be a fun addition to any Irish-themed teatime or party. Guinness is the perfect complement to a chocolate cupcake as it lends a malty, acidic undertone that enhances the chocolate and balances the sweetness. We’ve paired these with a traditional buttercream with just a hint of coffee and molasses. Round out your Irish teatime with our Corned Beef and Cabbage Tea Sandwiches and our March exclusive Irish Breakfast tea.

Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes with Coffee Buttercream

Makes 24 Mini Cupcakes or 12 Standard Cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the Cupcakes

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¹/₃ cup Dutch process cocoa powder
• ¹/₂ tsp. salt
• ¹/₂ tsp. baking soda
• ¹/₈ tsp. baking powder
• ¹/₃ cup canola or vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• ¹/₂ cup granulated sugar
• ¹/₄ cup packed dark brown sugar
• ¹/₄ cup sour cream
• ¹/₂ tsp. vanilla extract
• ¹/₂ cup Guinness Stout

For the Frosting

• 1 cup butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
• 4 tsp. molasses
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tsp. instant coffee powder
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 pinches salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Line a mini cupcake pan with small cupcake liners, or a regular cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder until well combined, and set aside.
3. In a mixer, beat the oil and eggs together until they’re well combined, about 1 minute.
4. Beat in both sugars for about 2 minutes, until smooth.
5. Mix in the sour cream and vanilla extract until well combined, scraping down the sides as needed.
6. Alternate mixing in the dry ingredients with the stout, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, stirring well between additions and scraping down the sides as needed. Start with about a third of the dry ingredients, followed by half the stout, and proceed as described.
7. Evenly distribute the batter between your 24 cupcake liners, using a #50 scoop (about 1.5 tablespoons per liner).
8. Bake for about 16 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
9. Let them rest for 5 minutes then remove the cupcakes and place on a cooling rack and cool completely.
10. For the buttercream, beat all ingredients in a mixer until well combined. Scrape down the sides and beat until light and fluffy.
11. Use a large star tip with a reusable piping bag or Ziploc bag with a hole cut out, or your favorite icing tip, and swirl rosettes of buttercream onto the cupcakes. Dust with cocoa powder and serve.

Enjoy!