Irish Cake Bombs!!!

These are super thick, decadent, not-for-the-children cupcakes. They consist of a chocolate cake infused with stout, filled with whiskey kissed ganache and topped with a buttery Irish creme frosting - what more do you need? ... milk. Yes. Have some milk handy when you nom.

You: So, Crystel, what do I need for these wonderful cupcakes?
Me: Why, let me tell you!

For the Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes
1 cup Guinness Extra Stout
1 cup (2 sticks) Tillamook Unsalted Sweetcream Butter
3/4 cup Ghirardelli 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

Whiskey Ganache Filling
8 ounces Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate
2/3 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
2 tablespoons Tillamook Unsalted Sweet Cream Butter (room temperature)
4 teaspoons Jack Daniel’s Whiskey Bailey's

Bailey's Frosting
~3 cups Confections Sugar
1 1/4 stick Tillamook Unsalted Sweet Cream Butter (room temperature )
12 tablespoons Bailey's Irish Cream

Special equipment: 1-inch round cookie cutter or a sharp knife and a piping bag (though a plastic bag with the corner snipped off will also work) to core and frost the cupcakes.

1 ... 2 ... 3 ... BAKE!

Cupcake

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Line 24 cupcake cups with liners.
• Bring stout and butter to a simmer in heavy, large saucepan over medium heat.
• Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth.(Note: the mixture may separate because of the butter but don't worry about it - this is normal)
• Cool slightly.Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in large bowl.
• Using an electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl until just blended.
• Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine.
• Add flour mixture a little bit at a time and beat on slow speed until all of the flour mixture is added.
• Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling them 3/4 full.
• Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, rotating them once front to back if your oven bakes unevenly, about 17 1/2 minutes. Check at 15 minutes. (Check every 1 ½ minutes after 15 minutes to prevent burning.
• Cool cupcakes on a rack completely - while they cool, start on the filling.
  

Filling

• Chop the chocolate bars and transfer it to a heatproof bowl (i.e. not plastic).
• Put the cream in a saucepan and continuously stir over medium heat until simmering and then pour it over the chocolate.
• Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth and glossy.
• Add the butter and whiskey and stir until combined.
• Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped (the fridge will speed this along but you must stir it every 10 minutes).
• Meanwhile, using your 1-inch round cookie or knife, cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes. You want to go most of the way down the cupcake but not cut through the bottom — aim for 2/3 of the way. A slim spoon or grapefruit knife will help you get the center out.
• Before filling, splash 1/8 teaspoon of Jack Daniel’s Whiskey into each cupcake hole for a little extra kick.
• Put the ganache into a piping bag with a wide tip (or a Zip Lock bag with the corner cut off) and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.

Frosting

• Whip the butter in the bowl with an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, for several minutes until it is light and fluffy.
• Slowly add the powdered sugar and Bailey’s Irish Creme, alternating few tablespoons at a time, constantly whipping until combined. (If frosting is becoming to alcoholic, start using milk.) Do this until you have your desired consistency.
• Pipe or spread on the frosting and drizzle extra ganache on top or garnish with grated chocolate.
  

nomnomnomnomnooooom.