Recipe

Irish Stout Cupcakes

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/3 cup Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon espresso powder

6 ounces stout beer room temperature

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 tablespoon vanilla bean paste

2 large eggs room temperature

1/3 cup sour cream

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Irish Whiskey Caramel Mousse Filling

1 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons water

1/4 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 cup heavy cream heated

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon butter softened

2 teaspoons Irish whiskey

2/3 cup heavy whipping cream cold

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Bailey's Whipped Buttercream

1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature

4 ounces cream cheese room temperature

3 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup Irish Cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Pinch of kosher salt

Red & yellow food coloring

Instructions:

Irish Stout Cupcakes

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two standard cupcake trays with paper cupcake liners and set aside.

• In a medium sized bowl, whisk flour, sugars, cocoa powder, baking soda, kosher salt and espresso powder together and whisk to combine; set aside.

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine beer, milk, vegetable oil, vanilla bean paste, eggs and sour cream, beating until combined.

• Add in flour mixture ⅓ at a time until just combined.

• Fill each cupcake liner ⅔ full and bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

• Let the cupcakes cool 5 minutes in pans, then set on wire rack to finish cooling.

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Irish Whiskey Caramel Mousse Filling

• Whisk together sugar, corn syrup, water, and lemon juice in a microwave-safe measuring cup or glass bowl until combined.

• Microwave on high 5 to 8 minutes, until the mixture begins to turn a pale golden color, being careful not to let it get too dark and burn.

• Remove measuring cup from microwave; let it sit for 3-5 minutes.

• When the mixture turns a deep amber color, add a tablespoon of the heated cream, immediately whisking to combine and to keep it from overflowing. Continuously add the cream slowly in small amounts until it is incorporated.

• Add vanilla, butter, and whiskey, and whisk to combine.

• Pour caramel into a medium sized mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until sauce is cool but stirrable, about an hour.

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form.

• Fold whipped cream into caramel sauce in 3 additions.

• Insert a sharp-tipped knife about halfway into the cupcake, cutting a cone shape out of each one, being sure not to pierce sides or bottom.

• Spoon caramel mousse into pastry bag and fill each cupcake.

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Bailey's Whipped Buttercream

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and cream cheese on medium high speed until creamy, 3-4 minutes.

• With mixer on low speed, slowly add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time.

• Once powdered sugar is incorporated, add Irish cream, vanilla bean paste and salt. Beat together until fluffy.

• Separate icing into three small bowls. Set one bowl aside (white), while adding drops of yellow food coloring to one bowl and drops of red & yellow (orange) to the third bowl. Mix coloring into icing, adding drops until you reach your desired color.

• Add frosting to piping bags and pipe on cupcakes in circular motion, first using yellow, then orange, and topping it off with white to create a candy corn effect.