Feature Dessert: Irish Chocolate Cupcakes

The further I move away from my 20’s, the less I want alcohol in a glass and the more I want it in my food! There’s not enough money in the world to bribe me to drink a dark beer or brown liquor, but add some to a sweet treat – especially chocolate – and I’m on board! These Irish chocolate cupcakes are made with all three spirits, and I can’t get enough!

The Guinness…

If you’re a chocolate fan, this is the cupcake you’ve been waiting for. The cake is intensified by adding Guinness beer, and to sweeten the pot a little bit more, I’ve added chopped dark chocolate to the batter. Using different types of chocolate, and blooming the cocoa gives us layers of chocolate flavor, rather than your typical “sugar and chocolate” flavor from the box. It’s a quick mixing method, which means these are in the oven before you know it!

The Jameson…

For the filling or glaze, I’ve spiked semi-sweet chocolate ganache with a pour of Jameson Irish whiskey. There’s a few ways you can use the ganache. If we cut out a hole on the top of the cupcake, we can spoon or pipe the ganache in, giving us a hidden ganache-filled center. We can replace the cake piece we cut out, or pipe the frosting to cover the hole. Ganache can also be piped ganache directly inside the cupcake by pushing the piping tip into the cupcake, and squeezing.

I chose to apply it like a glaze. I dip the cupcake upside down into cooled, fairly thickened ganache, tilting and swirling to ensure all sides are coated. As I pull the cupcake out of the ganache, I continue swirling, letting any excess drip off. If it’s running down the sides when you flip it right side up, the ganache is too warm. Let it cool longer and try again. I also like this method because it helps seal the cake from the air, keeping it moist and fresh longer!

The Baileys Irish Cream…

This frosting is a traditional American buttercream that uses Bailey’s Irish cream as the liquid and the flavoring. Using this darker colored liquor naturally tints the buttercream a creamy ivory color, similar to the foam of the beer. The contrast of the cake and ganache base with the frosting are a stunning combination!

Way to dress it up…

For St. Patrick’s Day, I decorated mine with a green shamrock and gold sprinkle mix I made, along with gold liners. If sprinkles aren’t your thing, you can leave it plain, color the buttercream, shave or grate chocolate over the frosting, or even top with a malted chocolate ball! If you want to stick with the theme, make a small batch of 2:1 Jameson flavored ganache, and make a chocolate truffle for the top of your cupcake! Cupcake liners and picks are also great ways to add some personality to your mini treat! How will you decorate your Irish chocolate cupcakes?

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