Chocolate Porter Cupcakes with Irish Whiskey Ganache and Baileys Irish Cream Frosting

Boondock Saintcakes
(Chocolate Porter Cupcakes with Irish Whiskey Ganache and Baileys Irish Cream Frosting)

Cupcakes:
1 cup porter or stout (I used my sister's home-brewed coffee porter, which was excellent)
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup cocoa powder
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 F. Over medium heat, bring beer and butter to simmer. Whisk in cocoa powder until smooth (actually it doesn't get completely smooth, since the oil in the butter makes the cocoa powder "clump" somewhat) and remove from heat.

In another bowl, sift together flour, sugar, and baking soda. In a mixer, beat the eggs and sour cream until smooth. Add the chocolate mixture and beat until just combined. Add the dries and beat until just combined.

Divide batter into cupcake tin. Bake 10 minutes, turn, bake 10 minutes. Makes 24.

Irish Whiskey Ganache:
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup Baileys Irish Cream
1 tbsp butter
2 tsp Irish whiskey

Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it simmers -- there will be bubbles around the edge of the saucepan. Stir together chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl; you will probably have to make a double boiler to get the two to combine smoothly. Once smooth, add the butter, Baileys, and whiskey and stir until combined. Let cool.

Frosting:
6 cups xxx sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temp.
8 tbsp Baileys Irish Cream

Cream the butter until it's pale and fluffy. Sift in the powdered sugar, then add the Baileys and beat until smooth. The icing will have a very pale brown color.


To complete:

Take the cooled cupcakes and cut a small hole in the center of each. I used a coring knife, as pictured. Fill the center holes with the ganache. There should be just enough -- I ran out on the last two and had to use some ganache I had saved from another recipe, so you may want to make your holes a little shallower or use less ganache. Or just make an oz more chocolate, it's pretty much up to you.

Using a piping bag, pipe the frosting onto the tops of the cupcakes to cover the holes and leave a little point on top. Filled cupcakes are better pipe than to spread, but you can always do that as well. I only had a little icing left over at the end. Decorate according to your preference.

WARNING: these cupcakes are very alcoholic and are almost 100% definitely unsuitable for kids.

All recipes from we are not martha